HARQ process management method, device and system

Abstract

The invention provides an HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest) process management method, device and system, which are applied to the technical field of communication. The communication method provided by the invention comprises the following steps: determining that first indication information needs to be sent according to the use condition of HARQ resources in a first HARQ resource pool; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to the first scheduling-free GF resource group; then, first indication information is sent to the first terminal equipment; the first indication information is used for indicating to suspend transmission of a new HARQ process; the first terminal device is a terminal device which configures at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group. According to the invention, a scheme for efficiently managing the HARQ process is provided, and the tendencies of resource shortage and resource rapid expansion at a network equipment side can be relieved.

Description

HARQ process management method, device and system Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process management method, device, and system. Background Art

[0002] According to the grant free (GF) transmission protocol in the new radio (NR) system, before performing uplink transmission, the terminal device does not need to obtain the time-frequency resources and transmission parameters used to send data by monitoring the dynamic authorization of the network device. Instead, it can use pre-configured time-frequency resources (which can be called GF resources) and transmission parameters to send data to the network device. Furthermore, the scheduling-free mechanism is combined with the HARQ protocol. The terminal device can send a HARQ process on the GF resource to transmit a data packet, and listen to the feedback of the network device within the corresponding monitoring window, and determine whether the data packet needs to be retransmitted based on the feedback result. Among them, different HARQ processes sent by the terminal device can be distinguished by the identity document (ID) of the HARQ process.

[0003] For different HARQ processes sent by a terminal device, the network device needs to allocate different memory areas to store the control information and data related to each HARQ process. According to existing discussions on HARQ protocols in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), the total number of HARQ processes for a single terminal device can reach 32. This means that the network device needs to allocate up to 32 corresponding cache resources for each terminal device to store the control information and data related to each HARQ process. However, due to the large cell radius of NTN networks (hundreds of kilometers) and the far greater number of potential users than traditional terrestrial networks, the demand for HARQ cache resources on the network device side will explode, leading to resource constraints on the network device side. Furthermore, in applications using a scheduling-free protocol for uplink transmission, the resources used by the terminal device to send HARQ processes are pre-configured Global Resource (GF) resources. In other words, the network device cannot dynamically schedule the resources used by the terminal device to control the HARQ processes. Therefore, the HARQ cache resources on the network device side in NTN networks may rapidly expand in a short period of time, impacting the network device's memory.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a HARQ process management method, apparatus, and system for efficiently managing the HARQ process and alleviating resource shortages and the trend of rapid resource expansion on the network device side.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In the first aspect, a HARQ process management method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component of the network device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the network device functions. The following describes the method by taking the execution subject as an example of a network device. The method includes: the network device determines that a first indication message needs to be sent based on the usage of HARQ resources in a first HARQ resource pool; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to a first scheduling-free GF resource group; the network device sends the first indication message to the first terminal device; the first indication message is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process; the first terminal device is a terminal device configured with at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group.

[0008] Based on the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the network device can proactively decide whether to issue the first indication information based on the usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool, so that the first terminal device can suspend the transmission of the HARQ process under the instruction of the first indication information, thereby promptly curbing the momentum of memory expansion on the network side, alleviating the pressure of HARQ resource shortage in the HARQ resource pool, and making room for the network device to handle the expansion of HARQ cache resources. It can be seen that the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can efficiently manage the HARQ process and improve the overall operating efficiency of the communication system.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect above, in one possible design, the first indication information includes a first duration, where the first duration is the running duration of the first timer; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process, including: the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process during the running period of the first timer. Based on this solution, the first indication information may indicate the duration of the suspension.

[0010] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information also includes a second duration, which is the maximum value of the random extension duration of suspending the sending of the new HARQ process after the first timer expires and before restarting the sending of the new HARQ process.

[0011] The first indication information instructs the first terminal device to randomly back off through the second time duration, thereby avoiding the scenario in which multiple terminal devices compete for sending through GF resources at the same time in a short period of time after the first time duration ends, thereby avoiding the rapid expansion of memory resources on the network side in a short period of time after the pause ends. It can be seen that this scheme not only protects the memory resources on the network side, but also improves the success rate of terminal device transmission through random avoidance.

[0012] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the network device sends second indication information to the first terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the resumption of sending a new HARQ process.

[0013] Based on this solution, the network device can use the second indication information to enable the first terminal device that receives the second indication information to unpause in advance, and can restart the HARQ process on the GF resource in advance, thereby helping to improve the utilization efficiency of the GF resource.

[0014] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0015] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible design, the HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool correspond to the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier.

[0016] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process with the identification information being the first identifier.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect above, in one possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control layer control element MAC CE or the downlink control information DCI. Based on this solution, multiple configuration forms of the first indication information are provided, providing an effective tool for more efficiently curbing memory expansion.

[0018] In a second aspect, a HARQ process management method is provided. The method can be executed by a first terminal device, or by a component of the first terminal device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first terminal device. The method is described below using the first terminal device as an example. The method includes: the first terminal device receives first indication information from a network device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes; and the first terminal device suspends the sending of new HARQ processes according to the first indication information.

[0019] Based on the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first terminal device can suspend the transmission of the HARQ process under the instruction of the first indication information, thereby timely adjusting the transmission behavior to avoid impacting the memory of the network device. It can be seen that the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can efficiently manage the HARQ process and improve the overall operating efficiency of the communication system.

[0020] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information includes a first duration, where the first duration is the running duration of the first timer; and the first terminal device suspends sending a new HARQ process according to the first indication information, including: the first terminal device suspends sending a new HARQ process during the running period of the first timer. Based on this solution, the first indication information may indicate the duration of the suspension.

[0021] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information also includes a second duration, and the second duration is the maximum value of the random extension duration during which the first terminal device suspends sending a new HARQ process before restarting to send a new HARQ process after the first timer expires; the method also includes: after the first timer expires, the first terminal device selects a scheduling-free GF resource to resend a new HARQ process within the first random extension duration, wherein the first random extension duration is less than or equal to the second duration.

[0022] The first indication information instructs the first terminal device to randomly back off through the second time duration, thereby avoiding the scenario in which multiple terminal devices compete for sending through GF resources at the same time in a short period of time after the first time duration ends, thereby avoiding the rapid expansion of memory resources on the network side in a short period of time after the pause ends. It can be seen that this scheme not only protects the memory resources on the network side, but also improves the success rate of terminal device transmission through random avoidance.

[0023] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the first terminal device receives second indication information from the network device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the resumption of sending a new HARQ process; the first terminal device resumes sending a new HARQ process according to the second indication information.

[0024] Based on this solution, the first terminal device that receives the second indication information can release the pause in advance, thereby restarting the HARQ process on the GF resource in advance, helping to improve the utilization efficiency of the GF resource.

[0025] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0026] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process with the identification information being the first identifier.

[0027] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control layer control unit MAC CE or the downlink control information DCI.

[0028] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the above methods. The communication device may be the network device in the first aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip.

[0029] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0030] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the communication device includes: a processing module and a transceiver module; wherein, the processing module is used to determine the need to send first indication information based on the usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool; wherein, the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to the first scheduling-free GF resource group; the transceiver module is used to send the first indication information to the first terminal device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes; the first terminal device is a terminal device configured with at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group.

[0031] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first duration, which is the running duration of the first timer; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes, including: the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes during the running of the first timer.

[0032] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information also includes a second duration, and the second duration is the maximum value of the random extension duration of suspending the sending of the new HARQ process after the first timer expires and before restarting the sending of the new HARQ process.

[0033] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send second indication information to the first terminal device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the resumption of sending a new HARQ process.

[0034] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0035] In combination with the third aspect above, in one possible design, the HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool correspond to the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier.

[0036] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process with the identification information being the first identifier.

[0037] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control layer control unit MAC CE or the downlink control information DCI.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the above-mentioned various methods. The communication device may be the first terminal device in the above-mentioned second aspect, or a device including the above-mentioned first terminal device, or a device included in the above-mentioned first terminal device, such as a chip.

[0039] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0040] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible design, the communication device includes: a processing module and a transceiver module; wherein the transceiver module is used to receive first indication information from the network device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process; the processing module is used to suspend sending a new HARQ process according to the first indication information.

[0041] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first duration, which is the running duration of the first timer; and the processing module is specifically used to suspend sending a new HARQ process during the running of the first timer.

[0042] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information also includes a second duration, and the second duration is the maximum value of the random extension duration for suspending the sending of the new HARQ process after the first timer expires and before restarting the sending of the new HARQ process; the processing module is also used to select a scheduling-free GF resource within the first random extension duration to resend the new HARQ process after the first timer expires, wherein the first random extension duration is less than or equal to the second duration.

[0043] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible design, the transceiver module is also used to receive a second indication information from the network device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the resumption of sending a new HARQ process; the processing module is also used to resume sending a new HARQ process according to the second indication information.

[0044] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0045] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible design, the first indication information includes a first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process with the identification information being the first identifier.

[0046] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control layer control unit MAC CE or the downlink control information DCI.

[0047] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device performs the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the first terminal device described in the second aspect, or a device including the first terminal device, or a device included in the first terminal device, such as a chip.

[0048] In one possible design, the communication device further includes a memory for storing computer instructions. Optionally, the processor and the memory are integrated together, or the processor and the memory are separately provided.

[0049] In one possible design, the memory is coupled to the processor and is external to the communication device.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to communicate with a module external to the communication device; the processor being configured to execute the method described in any of the above aspects via a logic circuit or by running a computer program or instruction. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the first terminal device described in the second aspect, or a device including the first terminal device, or a device included in the first terminal device, such as a chip.

[0051] Alternatively, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit, which is used to receive computer execution instructions (the computer execution instructions are stored in the memory, may be read directly from the memory, or may pass through other devices) and transmit them to the processor so that the processor runs the computer execution instructions to execute the method described in any of the above aspects.

[0052] In some possible designs, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or an apparatus including the network device, or an apparatus included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the first terminal device described in the second aspect, or an apparatus including the first terminal device, or an apparatus included in the first terminal device, such as a chip.

[0054] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When executed on a communication device, the computer program product enables the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or an apparatus comprising the network device, or an apparatus included in the network device. Alternatively, the communication device may be the first terminal device described in the second aspect, or an apparatus comprising the first terminal device, or an apparatus included in the first terminal device, such as a chip.

[0055] In a ninth aspect, a communication device (for example, a chip or a chip system) is provided, wherein the communication device includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0056] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a network device and a first terminal device, wherein the network device is configured to implement the method described in any one of the designs of the first aspect, and the first terminal device is configured to implement the method described in any one of the designs of the second aspect.

[0057] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to tenth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first to second aspects, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a GF resource provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of data transmission through a HARQ process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present application providing data transmission through a HARQ process;

[0061] FIG4 is a structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG5 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG6 is an interaction diagram of a HARQ process management method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of resource changes in a first HARQ resource pool provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG8 is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies and terms of the present application is first given as follows.

[0067] 1. NTN system:

[0068] The NTN system is a crucial component of 5G and future networks. In this system, satellites can be used as access network equipment (e.g., base stations) to provide network services in areas not fully covered by terrestrial mobile communication systems, such as oceans and forests. The NTN system includes nodes such as satellites, high-altitude platforms, and drones. Compared to traditional terrestrial networks, the most significant feature of the NTN system is that the access network equipment is located in the air or space, and the distance between terminal devices and access network equipment is extremely large.

[0069] Long distances mean significant round-trip latency (RTT). For example, in satellite networks, a single round-trip signal transmission delay adds at least milliseconds to the propagation time. This high latency, combined with significant fluctuations, requires access network equipment and terminal devices to significantly extend their listening windows (at least to cover the propagation delay of edge users, in milliseconds) to capture messages / signaling, further exacerbating NTN system transmission latency.

[0070] For wide coverage, long distances, and high latency, scheduling-based / dynamically granted service transmission may be difficult to meet the latency requirements of the service. Scheduling-free / dynamically granted transmission (Grant Free, GF) will be one of the conventional transmission solutions used by future NTN networks to reduce transmission latency.

[0071] 2.GF Transfer Protocol

[0072] GF transmission means that before uplink transmission, the terminal device does not need to obtain the time-frequency resources and transmission parameters used to send data by monitoring the dynamic authorization of the network device. Instead, it can select one or more transmission units from the GF transmission resource pool pre-configured by the network device for transmission, thereby reducing signaling overhead and transmission delay. Currently, GF transmission mainly includes two categories. One is to complete uplink data transmission during the random access process, such as the 2-step random access channel (2-step RA) introduced in 5G NR. The other is direct data transmission, such as semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) in long-term evolution (LTE), transmission based on preconfigured uplink resources (PUR), and configured grant (CG) transmission in 5G NR.

[0073] A GF transmission resource pool, also referred to as a GF resource, is a collection of at least one transmission unit (i.e., accessible time-frequency resources). GF resources are typically configured by network devices through higher-layer signaling, such as system information (SI) or UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling. A network device can configure one or more GF resources for a terminal device.

[0074] The same GF resource can be configured for multiple terminal devices at the same time. That is to say, for multiple terminal devices corresponding to the same GF resource, the transmission units that can be used to send data are the same. In this case, although transmission failure may occur due to collisions caused by different terminal devices selecting the same transmission unit, for services that the terminal device is uncertain when they will arrive, the resource utilization efficiency can be improved because multiple terminal devices share the same GF resource.

[0075] Within the same GF resource, transmission units are usually periodic. For example, as shown in FIG1 , a GF resource includes 6 transmission units, which are periodically arranged in the time domain and have the same frequency domain resources.

[0076] Furthermore, in the NR system, the GF transmission protocol can be combined with the HARQ protocol. The terminal device can send a HARQ process on the configured GF resource to transmit data packets. The different HARQ processes sent by the terminal device can be distinguished by the HARQ process ID. For different HARQ processes sent by the terminal device, the network device side needs to allocate different memory areas according to the HARQ process and use cache resources to store the control information and data related to the corresponding HARQ process.

[0077] It should be noted that after the terminal device transmits data through the HARQ process, if the terminal device needs to retransmit the data, the retransmitted data and the initially transmitted data belong to the same HARQ process (or, the retransmitted data and the initially transmitted data are under the same HARQ process). In other words, when the terminal device has new data to transmit, the terminal device needs to initiate a new HARQ process to transmit the new data.

[0078] The following describes two specific schemes for transmitting data packets through the HARQ process in NR systems.

[0079] Solution 1: After a terminal device sends a HARQ process to a network device, within the listening window corresponding to the HARQ process, the terminal device can transmit a new data packet through the new HARQ process without waiting for the network device's feedback on the HARQ process. After transmitting a data packet through the HARQ process, the terminal device listens for feedback from the network device within the corresponding listening window and determines whether the data packet needs to be retransmitted based on the feedback result. If the terminal device determines that the data packet transmission is successful and no retransmission is required, it can release the HARQ process after the listening window corresponding to the HARQ process. Correspondingly, the network device can also release the cache resources corresponding to the HARQ process.

[0080] The following is an exemplary description of Scheme 1 in conjunction with Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, transmission unit 1, transmission unit 2, and transmission unit 3 are in the same GF resource group. After obtaining information 1, the terminal device initiates a HARQ process on transmission unit 1 and sends information 1 to the network device. After that, the terminal device can continue to initiate a new HARQ process on transmission unit 2 within the corresponding listening window, send information 2 to the network device, initiate a new HARQ process on transmission unit 3, and send information 3 to the network device. For example, it can be assumed that the ID of the HARQ process corresponding to information 1 is 1, the ID of the HARQ process corresponding to information 2 is 2, and the ID of the HARQ process corresponding to information 3 is 3.

[0081] Correspondingly, during this process, the network device allocates three cache resources to store data and control information related to the HARQ process corresponding to information 1, data and control information related to the HARQ process corresponding to information 2, and data and control information related to the HARQ process corresponding to information 3. In addition, during this process, the network device can send corresponding feedback information to the terminal device, such as downlink control information (DCI), so that the terminal device can determine whether retransmission is required. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the network device sends DCI corresponding to information 1 and DCI corresponding to information 2 to the terminal device. Although not shown in Figure 2, the network device can also send DCI corresponding to information 3 to the terminal device.

[0082] However, if solution 1 is applied to an NTN system, according to existing discussions on the HARQ protocol in NTN systems, the total number of HARQ processes per terminal device could reach 32. This means that the network equipment would need to allocate 32 corresponding buffer resources for each terminal device to store the data and control information associated with each HARQ process. Due to the large cell radius of NTN systems (on the order of hundreds of kilometers) and the far greater number of potential users compared to traditional terrestrial networks, the demand for HARQ buffer resources on the network equipment side will explode, undoubtedly exacerbating the resource constraints faced by network equipment in NTN systems. Furthermore, in this scenario, the resources used by terminal devices to transmit HARQ processes are pre-configured Global Positioning (GF) resources. In other words, the network equipment cannot dynamically schedule the resources used by terminal devices to control the HARQ processes. Therefore, when a terminal device performs uplink transmission, the HARQ buffer resources on the network equipment side may rapidly expand in a short period of time, impacting the network equipment's memory.

[0083] Solution 2: After the terminal device sends a HARQ process to the network device, it needs to suspend the sending of new data packets until the HARQ process that has been sent is completed.

[0084] The following is an exemplary description of Scheme 2 in conjunction with Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, transmission unit 1 and transmission unit 2 are in the same GF resource group. After obtaining information 1, the terminal device initiates a HARQ process on transmission unit 1 and sends information 1 to the network device. Afterwards, after the terminal device obtains information 2 in the corresponding listening window, it caches information 2 until the HARQ process corresponding to information 1 ends, and then initiates a new HARQ process on transmission unit 2 and sends information 2 to the network device. For example, it can be assumed that the ID of the HARQ process corresponding to information 1 is 1, and the ID of the HARQ process corresponding to information 2 is 2.

[0085] Correspondingly, during this process, before the HARQ process corresponding to information 1 ends, the network device only needs to allocate a cache resource to store the data and control information related to the HARQ process corresponding to information 1. After the HARQ process corresponding to information 1 ends, the network device can release the cache resource. After the terminal device initiates the HARQ process corresponding to information 2, the network device can allocate a new cache resource to store the data and control information related to the HARQ process corresponding to information 2. In other words, during this process, the network device only needs to maintain one HARQ cache resource.

[0086] During this process, the network device can send corresponding feedback information, such as DCI, to the terminal device to enable the terminal device to determine whether retransmission is required. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the network device sends DCI corresponding to Information 1 to the terminal device during this process. This DCI indicates that the network device successfully received Information 1. The terminal device can then determine, based on this DCI, that Information 1 was successfully transmitted and terminate the HARQ process corresponding to Information 1. Although not shown in Figure 2, the network device can also send DCI corresponding to Information 2 to the terminal device.

[0087] Although Solution 2 reduces the buffer pressure on the network device side, it increases the data transmission delay because the data transmission is affected by the HARQ process that has been sent. In addition, before the HARQ process that has been sent, other transmission units in the GF resource cannot be used to send new data packets, resulting in low utilization of GF resources and resource waste.

[0088] Solution 3: The network device side can release the HARQ processes that have been sent by switching the scheduling scheme to convert some of the HARQ processes that have been sent on the GF resources into scheduled transmission processes.

[0089] This solution alleviates the ID shortage problem of the HARQ process on the terminal side, but it does not alleviate the memory resource shortage on the network side. The network device still needs to allocate a new cache to handle the arrival of new data packets. In addition, the scheduling process requires the addition of dedicated signaling notifications. The more users that are scheduled, the greater the signaling overhead, which is not conducive to improving overall resource utilization efficiency.

[0090] Based on the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the embodiment of the present application proposes an improved HARQ process management method to achieve efficient HARQ process management, alleviate the resource shortage problem on the network device side, and improve the overall resource utilization of the system.

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Among them, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0092] It should be noted that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0093] The HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an LTE system, an NR system, a 5G system, or an NTN system, or other similar new communication systems for the future, such as a sixth-generation (6G) system, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application. In addition, the term "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably.

[0094] As shown in Figure 4, a communication system 20 is provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes at least one network device 30 and at least one terminal device 40. The terminal device 40 can communicate with the network device 30 wirelessly. Optionally, different network devices 30 can communicate with each other. Optionally, different terminal devices 40 can communicate with each other. The network device 30 and / or the terminal device 40 can be fixed or mobile.

[0095] It should be noted that Figure 4 is only a schematic diagram. Although not shown, the communication system 20 may also include other network devices. For example, the communication system 20 may also include one or more core network (CN) devices, wireless relay devices, and wireless backhaul devices, which are not specifically limited here. Among them, the network device can be connected to the core network device via wireless or wired means. The core network device and the network device 30 can be independent and different physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the network device 30 can be integrated into the same physical device, or the functions of some core network devices and some network devices 30 can be integrated into one physical device. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0096] Taking the interaction between the network device 30 shown in Figure 4 and any terminal device 40 (hereinafter referred to as the first terminal device) as an example, in the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the network device determines that it is necessary to send the first indication information based on the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to the first scheduling-free GF resource group. Then, the network device sends the first indication information to the first terminal device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes. After receiving the first indication information, the first terminal device suspends sending new HARQ processes according to the first indication information. The specific implementation and technical effects of this solution will be described in detail in the subsequent method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0097] Optionally, the communication system 20 shown in FIG3 may be applied to the network architecture of an NTN system, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0098] Optionally, the network device in the embodiment of the present application is a device that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. The network devices in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, for example, macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, transmitting points (TPs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, devices that implement base station functions in communication systems evolved after 5G, mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications; it may also be a network device in an NTN communication system, that is, it may be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite; it may also be a module or unit that performs part of the functions of a base station, for example, it may be a centralized unit (CU) in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) system or a distributed unit (DU). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms used by network devices. All or part of the functions of the network device can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). In this application, unless otherwise specified, network devices refer to radio access network (RAN) devices.

[0099] Optionally, the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device with wireless transceiver functions, which may also be referred to as a terminal. The terminal device may specifically refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, customer-premises equipment (CPE), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device may also be a satellite phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless data card, a wireless modem, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a communication device carried on a high-altitude aircraft, a wearable device, a drone, a robot, a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a machine type communication device, a terminal device in D2D, a terminal device in V2X, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, or a wireless terminal in a smart city. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device. All or part of the functions of the terminal device can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0100] Optionally, the network devices and terminal devices in the embodiments of the present application can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on the surface of water; and can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the network devices and terminal devices.

[0101] Optionally, the network device and the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can communicate through an authorized spectrum, or can communicate through an unlicensed spectrum, or can communicate through both an authorized spectrum and an unlicensed spectrum. The network device and the terminal device can communicate through a spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), or can communicate through a spectrum above 6 GHz, or can communicate using a spectrum below 6 GHz and a spectrum above 6 GHz at the same time. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used between the network device and the terminal device.

[0102] Optionally, the network device and terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general device or a dedicated device, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0103] Optionally, the relevant functions of the network device or terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a single device, or by multiple devices together, or by one or more functional modules within a single device, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. It is understood that the above functions can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0104] For example, the relevant functions of the network device or terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the communication device 400 in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 400 provided in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 400 includes one or more processors 401, a communication line 402, and at least one communication interface (Figure 5 is only illustrative and takes the inclusion of a communication interface 404 and a processor 401 as an example for description), and optionally may also include a memory 403.

[0105] The processor 401 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0106] The communication line 402 may include a path for connecting different components.

[0107] Communication interface 404 can be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. For example, the transceiver module can be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. Optionally, communication interface 404 can also be a transceiver circuit located within processor 401 to implement signal input and output to the processor.

[0108] The memory 403 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a communication line 402. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0109] The memory 403 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 401. The processor 401 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, thereby implementing the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0110] Alternatively, optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 401 may also perform processing-related functions in the HARQ process management method provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 404 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0111] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0112] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 5 .

[0113] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 400 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 401 in Figure 5 and the optional processor 408 (not shown in Figure 5). Each of these processors can be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. The processor here may include but is not limited to at least one of the following: a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, etc., and each computing device may include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing.

[0114] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 400 may further include an output device 405 and an input device 406. The output device 405 communicates with the processor 401 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 405 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 406 communicates with the processor 401 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 406 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0115] The communication device 400 described above may also sometimes be referred to as a communication device, and may be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 400 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, an embedded device, the aforementioned terminal device, the aforementioned network device, or a device having a similar structure to that shown in FIG5 . The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the communication device 400.

[0116] 1 to 5 , the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail by taking the interaction between the network device 30 shown in FIG. 4 and any terminal device 40 as an example.

[0117] It should be noted that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0118] As shown in Figure 6, a HARQ process management method is provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 takes the network device and the first terminal device as the execution subjects of the interaction diagram as an example to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the network device in Figure 6 can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions; the first terminal device in Figure 6 can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The HARQ process management method includes S601-S603:

[0119] S601. A network device determines that first indication information needs to be sent according to usage of HARQ resources in a first HARQ resource pool; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to a first scheduling-free GF resource group.

[0120] S602: The network device sends first indication information to the first terminal device; the first indication information is used to instruct the first terminal device to suspend sending new HARQ processes. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first indication information. The first terminal device is a terminal device configured with a first GF resource group.

[0121] S603. The first terminal device suspends sending new HARQ processes according to the first indication information.

[0122] Based on the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the network device can proactively decide whether to issue the first indication information based on the usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool, so that the first terminal device can suspend the transmission of the HARQ process under the instruction of the first indication information, thereby promptly curbing the momentum of memory expansion on the network side, alleviating the pressure of HARQ resource shortage in the HARQ resource pool, and making room for the network device to handle the expansion of HARQ cache resources. It can be seen that the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application can efficiently manage the HARQ process and improve the overall operating efficiency of the communication system.

[0123] The following is a detailed description of S601-S603.

[0124] In S601, the network device may monitor the usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool, and decide whether to send the first indication information according to the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0125] The first HARQ resource pool is composed of cache resources on the network device side for storing data and / or control information related to the HARQ process (the cache resources here can also be referred to as memory resources occupied by the HARQ process on the network device side).

[0126] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the cache resources within the first HARQ resource pool may also be referred to as resource nodes within the first HARQ resource pool, or as HARQ process cache resources within the first HARQ resource pool, or as HARQ resources within the first HARQ resource pool, or as memory resources within the first HARQ resource pool, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on the specific names of the resources within the first HARQ resource pool.

[0127] In the embodiment of the present application, a resource node in the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to a HARQ process (or, a HARQ process occupies a resource node in the first HARQ resource pool). When a HARQ process occupying a resource node in the first HARQ resource pool is released, the occupied HARQ node returns to an idle state accordingly.

[0128] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool, which can be determined based on the implementation on the network device side and can be a non-fixed and updateable value.

[0129] Optionally, the resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool may have identification information. In one possible implementation, the identification information of the resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool may be the identification information of the terminal device that sends the corresponding HARQ process. For example, the identification information of the resource node 1 in the first HARQ resource pool is UE 1, indicating that the resource node 1 corresponds to the HARQ process sent by UE1. Alternatively, the identification information of the resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool may also be used to indicate the corresponding HARQ process. For example, the identification information of the resource node 1 in the first HARQ resource pool is ID X, where X=Ue-i*32+j, indicating that the resource node 1 corresponds to the j-th HARQ process sent by UEi. For another example, the identification information of the resource node 1 in the first HARQ resource pool is UE1-ID1, indicating that the resource node 1 corresponds to the first HARQ process sent by UE1.

[0130] In the embodiment of the present application, the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to the first GF resource group. The first GF resource group includes at least one GF resource. Optionally, the first GF resource group can be configured by a network device.

[0131] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number and time-frequency domain positions of GF resources in the first GF resource group.

[0132] Optionally, based on the first GF resource group, there are two ways to divide the first HARQ resource pool:

[0133] Method 1: The first HARQ resource pool is oriented to all first terminal devices.

[0134] The first terminal device refers to a terminal device that is configured with at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group and can use the GF resources configured in the first GF resource group to send HARQ processes. In other words, all terminal devices that use the GF resources in the first GF resource group can share the first HARQ resource pool.

[0135] In this manner, each HARQ process sent on a GF resource within the first GF resource group may occupy one HARQ resource within the first HARQ resource pool. For example, the first terminal device sends one HARQ process on GF resource 1 within the first GF resource group and another HARQ process on GF resource 2 within the first GF resource group. These two HARQ processes each occupy one HARQ resource within the first HARQ resource pool.

[0136] In summary, it can be understood that, in the first approach, the use of the first HARQ resource pool follows the following rules:

[0137] (1) Among all first terminal devices, one HARQ process of each first terminal device occupies one HARQ resource in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0138] (2) When the first terminal device initiates a new HARQ process, it enters the first HARQ resource pool and exits the first HARQ resource pool after the HARQ process ends.

[0139] Method 2: Divide the HARQ resource pool according to the identification information of the HARQ process (e.g., the ID of the HARQ process). For all first terminal devices, each first terminal device that initiates a HARQ process with the same identification information shares the same HARQ resource pool. In other words, HARQ processes with different identification information sent by the first terminal device belong to different HARQ resource pools.

[0140] In method 2, the HARQ resource pool corresponding to the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier can be called the first HARQ resource pool, that is, the HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool all correspond to the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier, and the HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool can be occupied by the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier, and HARQ processes with other identification information cannot occupy the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0141] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not impose any specific restrictions on the first identifier. In the case where the terminal device can send multiple HARQ processes with different identification information, the first identifier can be the identification information of any HARQ process. That is to say, for the same GF resource group, there can be multiple first HARQ resource pools corresponding to different first identifiers.

[0142] For example, assuming that the first terminal device 1 sends a HARQ process with ID 1 and a HARQ process with ID 2, and the first terminal device 2 sends a HARQ process with ID 2, the HARQ process with ID 1 can occupy one HARQ resource in the first HARQ resource pool corresponding to ID 1, and two HARQ processes with ID 2 can occupy two HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool corresponding to HARQ ID 2.

[0143] In summary, it can be understood that in the second method, the use of the first HARQ resource pool follows the following rules:

[0144] (1) In all HARQ processes sent by the first terminal device, the HARQ process with identification information of the first identifier occupies one HARQ resource in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0145] (2) When the first terminal device initiates a new HARQ process, it enters the corresponding first HARQ resource pool according to the identification information of the HARQ process, and exits the first HARQ resource pool after the HARQ process ends.

[0146] It is understandable that when the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool are fully occupied, all first terminal devices sharing the first HARQ resource pool cannot initiate HARQ processes that would occupy HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool, which can affect data transmission by the terminal devices. Based on this, the network device can determine whether to issue the first indication information based on the resource usage of the first HARQ resource pool. The first indication information is used to instruct the suspension of sending new HARQ processes, which is described in detail in S602 and is not elaborated here.

[0147] Optionally, the network device may determine whether to issue the first indication information based on the overall usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool. Alternatively, the network device may determine whether to issue the first indication information based on the usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool by a single terminal device. The following describes in detail how the network device determines whether to issue the first indication information based on the resource usage of the first HARQ resource pool.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the network device may determine whether the number of HARQ resources currently occupied by all first terminal devices in the first HARQ resource pool meets a first preset threshold, and if so, issue the first indication information. Alternatively, the network device may determine whether the number of HARQ resources currently occupied by a certain first terminal device in the first HARQ resource pool meets a second preset threshold, and if so, issue the first indication information.

[0149] In another possible implementation, the network device may predict the resource usage in the first HARQ resource pool. If the network device predicts that the number of HARQ resources occupied by all first terminal devices in the first HARQ resource pool will meet a third preset threshold, it determines to send the first indication information. For example, the network device may predict the number of resources occupied by all first terminal devices in the first HARQ resource pool after a preset time period (for example, after a prediction of 5 seconds). If the network device predicts that the number of resources occupied by all first terminal devices in the first HARQ resource pool after the preset time period meets the third preset threshold, it determines to send the first indication information. Alternatively, if the network device predicts that the number of HARQ resources occupied by a certain first terminal device in the first HARQ resource pool will meet a fourth preset threshold, it determines to send the first indication information.

[0150] Optionally, in this implementation, the network device can predict the usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool based on the configured algorithm model and combined with relevant information (such as the current usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool, the historical usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool, etc.).

[0151] Optionally, the first preset threshold, the second preset threshold, the third preset threshold, or the fourth preset threshold may be fixed or updated. For example, when memory resources are insufficient, the network device may lower the preset threshold to avoid resource shortage.

[0152] Optionally, the first preset threshold, the second preset threshold, the third preset threshold, or the fourth preset threshold may be set based on factors such as an application scenario, the size of cache resources available to the network device, or service requirements, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any specific restrictions on their values. Exemplarily, the third preset threshold may be the number of HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool, and the network device determines to send the first indication information when predicting that the first HARQ resource pool will be full.

[0153] Optionally, the first preset threshold, the second preset threshold, the third preset threshold, and the fourth preset threshold may be different. For example, the second preset threshold may be 5. If the network device determines that the number of HARQ resources occupied by a terminal device in the first HARQ resource pool is greater than or equal to 5, the network device determines that the first indication information needs to be sent. The first preset threshold may be 25. If the network device determines that the number of occupied HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool is greater than or equal to 25, the network device determines that the first indication information needs to be sent.

[0154] Optionally, the first preset threshold and the third preset threshold may be the same. The second preset threshold and the fourth preset threshold may be the same.

[0155] Optionally, when the first HARQ resource pool is divided based on the above-mentioned method 1, the network device may monitor the overall usage of the resources in the first HARQ resource pool, or may monitor the usage of the resources in the first HARQ resource pool by a single terminal device, to determine whether to send the first indication information. When the first HARQ resource pool is divided based on the above-mentioned method 2, the network device may predict the overall usage of the resources in the first HARQ resource pool to determine whether to send the first indication information. Of course, the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit how the network device monitors or predicts the usage of the resources in the first HARQ resource pool according to different division methods.

[0156] Optionally, the network device may monitor or predict the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool in real time. Alternatively, the network device may periodically monitor or predict the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool. For example, the network device may monitor the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool every 5 seconds, or may continuously monitor the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0157] In S602, after determining that first indication information needs to be sent based on the usage of HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool, the network device sends the first indication information to the first terminal device. The first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending new HARQ processes. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first indication information.

[0158] Optionally, the network device may send the first indication information in the form of broadcast, multicast or unicast.

[0159] If the network device sends the first indication information by broadcasting, the network device may broadcast the first indication information to the terminal device currently communicating, and more than the first terminal device may receive the first indication information.

[0160] If the network device sends the first indication information by multicasting, the network device can add all first terminal devices into a multicast group, and send the first indication information to the first terminal devices in the multicast group. Alternatively, the network device can also add the first terminal device that needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process into a multicast group, and send the first indication information to the first terminal device in the multicast group. In which, when the network device decides to send the first indication information based on the usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool by a single terminal device, the first terminal device that needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process is the single terminal device. In which, when the network device decides to send the first indication information based on the overall usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool, the first terminal devices that need to suspend sending a new HARQ process are all first terminal devices.

[0161] If the network device sends the first indication information via unicast, the network device may send the first indication information to each first terminal device via unicast. Alternatively, the network device may send the first indication information to each first terminal device that needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process via unicast. The first terminal device that needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process can refer to the above description.

[0162] Optionally, the first indication information may be carried, or in other words, be carried in a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) or DCI.

[0163] The following describes the first instruction information in detail in combination with different situations.

[0164] If the first HARQ resource pool is divided based on the first method, the first indication information may include at least one of the following information:

[0165] The identifier of the first terminal device or the identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs, so that the first terminal device that receives the first indication information can determine that it needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process based on the identification information in the first indication information. Other terminal devices that receive the first indication information can determine that they do not need to suspend sending the HARQ process based on the identification information therein. The identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs can be an identification information that the network device divides all first terminal devices into a group and assigns to the group. In other words, the group includes all terminal devices that are configured with GF resources in the first GF resource group.

[0166] Optionally, when the network device decides to send the first indication information based on the usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool by a single terminal device, the first indication information may include the identifier of the corresponding first terminal device. When the network device decides to send the first indication information based on the overall usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool, the first indication information may include the identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0167] First duration. The first duration is the duration of the first timer. Specifically, after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, it starts the first timer with the first duration under the instruction of the first indication information, and suspends sending new HARQ processes during the operation of the first timer.

[0168] In this case, the first terminal device suspends the transmission of a new HARQ process according to the first indication information, which refers to a HARQ process whose identification information is different from the identification information of the previously transmitted HARQ process (specifically, the HARQ process previously transmitted on the GF resource within the first GF resource group). In other words, after receiving the first indication information, the first terminal device can still complete the transmission corresponding to the previously transmitted HARQ process.

[0169] Optionally, in a scenario where a new HARQ process is used to transmit new data, and retransmitted data can be transmitted through a previously sent HARQ process, after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, it can also transmit the retransmitted data packet through the previously sent HARQ process. For example, if the first terminal device sends a HARQ process with ID 1 on GF resource 1 within the first GF resource group, the first terminal device suspends the new HARQ process after receiving the first indication information, but the HARQ process with ID 1 can exist. If the first terminal device determines that the data previously transmitted through the HARQ process with ID 1 needs to be retransmitted, the data can still be retransmitted through the HARQ process with ID 1.

[0170] Optionally, if the first indication information includes a first duration, the first indication information may also include a second duration. The second duration is the maximum value of the random extension duration during which the first terminal device suspends sending a new HARQ process before restarting to send a new HARQ process after the first timer expires. After receiving the first indication information, the first terminal device may determine a first random extension duration that is less than or equal to the second duration based on the second duration, and after the first timer expires, it may still suspend sending a new HARQ process within the first random extension duration.

[0171] For example, assuming that in the first indication information, the first duration is 10 and the second duration is 5, and the time units of both are milliseconds (ms), after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, it starts the first timer with a duration of 10ms, and suspends the sending of the HARQ process during the operation of the first timer. At the same time, the first terminal device randomly determines a number in the range of 0-5. Assuming that the random number is 3, the first terminal device extends the suspension of the sending of the HARQ process by an additional 3ms after the 10ms timing of the first timer ends. That is to say, after receiving the first indication information, the first terminal device suspends the sending of the HARQ process within 13ms. After these 13ms have passed, the first terminal device restarts the sending of the HARQ process and can re-send the HARQ process on the GF resources in the first GF resource group.

[0172] The first indication information instructs the first terminal device to randomly back off through the second time duration, thereby avoiding the scenario in which multiple terminal devices compete for sending through GF resources at the same time in a short period of time after the first time duration ends, thereby avoiding the rapid expansion of memory resources on the network side in a short period of time after the pause ends. It can be seen that this scheme not only protects the memory resources on the network side, but also improves the success rate of terminal device transmission through random avoidance.

[0173] If the first HARQ resource pool is divided based on the second method, the first indication information may include at least one of the following information:

[0174] The identifier of the group to which the first terminal device belongs is used so that the first terminal device that receives the first indication information can determine that it needs to suspend sending a new HARQ process based on the identifier information in the first indication information. Other terminal devices that receive the first indication information can determine that they do not need to suspend sending a new HARQ process based on the identifier information therein. For details, please refer to the above introduction and will not be elaborated here.

[0175] The first duration is the duration of the first timer. For details, please refer to the above introduction and will not be elaborated here.

[0176] First identifier. After receiving the first indication information, the first terminal device may suspend sending a new HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier based on the first identifier therein. It is understandable that, based on the monitored or predicted usage of the HARQ resources in one or more first HARQ resource pools, the first indication information may include one or more corresponding first identifiers.

[0177] In this case, the first terminal device suspends sending a new HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier according to the first identifier in the first indication information, specifically in the following cases:

[0178] If the first terminal device has already sent a HARQ process with identification information of the first identifier on the GF resources within the first GF resource group before receiving the first indication information, the terminal device can still complete the transmission (for example, retransmission) corresponding to the HARQ process with the first identifier after receiving the first indication information. If the first terminal device has not sent a HARQ process with identification information of the first identifier on the GF resources within the first GF resource group before receiving the first indication information, the terminal device suspends the use of the first identifier to send new HARQ processes after receiving the first indication information.

[0179] Optionally, if the first indication information includes the first duration, the first indication information may further include a second duration. Detailed information can be found in the above description and will not be elaborated here.

[0180] Optionally, the network device may further send a second indication message to the first terminal device, where the second indication message is used to instruct the first terminal device to resume sending the HARQ process (or restart sending the HARQ process). Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the second indication message. It is understandable that because the first terminal device suspends sending the corresponding HARQ process under the instruction of the first indication message, correspondingly, the first terminal device restarts sending the previously suspended HARQ process according to the instruction of the second indication message, that is, the new HARQ process that is suspended. For details, please refer to the above introduction to the first indication message.

[0181] The following describes in detail different situations in which the first terminal device restarts the HARQ process according to the second indication information, depending on whether the first indication information includes the first duration and whether it includes the second duration.

[0182] The first indication information includes the first duration but does not include the second duration: after receiving the second indication information, the first terminal device immediately releases the pause and restarts the HARQ process. In other words, the first terminal device ends the first timer in advance after receiving the second indication information.

[0183] The first indication information includes a first duration and a second duration: in one possible implementation, after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, it immediately releases the pause and restarts the HARQ process. In other words, after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, it ends the first timer in advance and does not enable the second duration. In another possible implementation, after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, it ends the first timer in advance and enables the second duration, that is, based on the second duration, it determines the random extension duration before restarting the HARQ process after the first timer ends.

[0184] The first indication information does not include the first duration (naturally does not include the second duration): after receiving the second indication information, the first terminal device immediately releases the pause and restarts the HARQ process.

[0185] Optionally, the second indication information may be signaling different from the first indication information. After the first terminal device receives the second indication information, it ends the first timer in advance according to the instruction of the second indication information. Alternatively, the second indication information may be used to enable the indication information in the first indication information for resuming the sending HARQ process. After the first terminal device receives the second indication information, it enables the corresponding indication information in the first indication information and restarts the sending HARQ process.

[0186] Based on this solution, the network device can use the second indication information to enable the first terminal device that receives the second indication information to unpause in advance, and can restart the HARQ process on the GF resource in advance, thereby helping to improve the utilization efficiency of the GF resource.

[0187] In S603, after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, it suspends the sending of the corresponding HARQ process according to the first indication information until the suspension is released, and the first terminal device can restart the sending of the HARQ process. Specifically, how the first terminal device suspends the sending of the corresponding HARQ process according to the first indication information can be referred to the relevant introduction of the first indication information in S602, which will not be expanded here. During the suspension period, if the first terminal device has a new data packet to send, the first terminal device can use the identification information that has not been suspended (i.e., the identification information not carried in the first indication information) to initiate a new HARQ process.

[0188] The first terminal device restarts the HARQ process when any of the following conditions or situations are met:

[0189] 1. The pause time configured by the network device for the first terminal device has expired, and the first terminal device has not received any new first indication information before the expiration of the pause time. The pause time is determined based on the first duration and the optional second duration in the first indication information. For details, please refer to the above description of the first indication information in S602.

[0190] 2. The first terminal device receives the second instruction information sent by the network device and ends the pause in advance. How the first terminal device ends the pause according to the second instruction information can be specifically referred to the introduction of the first and second instruction information in S602 above.

[0191] After the first terminal device restarts the HARQ process, it can send the HARQ process on the GF resources in the configured first GF resource group.

[0192] Optionally, after restarting the HARQ process, the first terminal device may randomly select a transmission unit within the configured GF resources to send a new HARQ process. Alternatively, the first terminal device may select the nearest transmission unit within the configured GF resources to send a new HARQ process.

[0193] The following describes the HARQ process management method provided by an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG7 , it is assumed that the first terminal device includes UE0 and UE1. After UE0 obtains information 1, it sends information 1 to the network device through the HARQ process with HARQ ID 0 (hereinafter referred to as HARQ process 0). At this time, HARQ process 0 occupies one resource node in the first HARQ resource pool. Afterwards, UE1 obtains information 2 and sends information 2 to the network device through the HARQ process with HARQ ID 3 (hereinafter referred to as HARQ process 3). At this time, HARQ process 3 occupies one resource node in the first HARQ resource pool. Based on the current usage of resources in the first HARQ resource pool, the network device predicts that the resources in the first HARQ resource pool will be full and needs to send first indication information. The network device sends the first indication information to all first terminal devices (including UE0 and UE1), instructing to suspend sending new HARQ processes within 10 seconds. During this 10-second suspension period, all first terminal devices suspend sending new HARQ processes. On the network device side, the network device can process the occupied resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool, for example, by sending feedback information corresponding to the HARQ process, so that the first terminal device receiving the feedback information releases the corresponding HARQ process. Accordingly, the occupied resource nodes can return to the idle state. As shown in Figure 6, some occupied resource nodes in the first HARQ resource pool return to the idle state during the pause period. During the pause period, UE0 obtains information 3 and caches information 3. After the pause period ends, it sends information 3 to the network device through the HARQ process with HARQ ID 1 (hereinafter referred to as HARQ process 1). At this time, HARQ process 1 occupies a resource node in the first HARQ resource pool.

[0194] Optionally, before S601, the HARQ process management method provided in the embodiment of the present application may further include the following steps:

[0195] The network device sends first configuration information to the first terminal device, where the first configuration information is used to configure GF resources in a first GF resource group for the first terminal device.

[0196] Specifically, the first configuration information may include any of the following configuration information: the time-frequency position of the GF resource in the first GF resource group, the period of the GF resource in the first GF resource group, the number of repetitions K and the redundant version of the repetitions (the number of repetitions refers to the number of times the same content data packet can be repeatedly sent under one HARQ process), power control, modulation and coding scheme, antenna port, number of HARQ processes (which can also be understood as the maximum number of HARQ IDs allowed), etc.

[0197] Optionally, the first terminal device to be configured (or the first terminal device before receiving the first configuration information) may be in an RRC activated state (RRC Inactive state) or an RRC connected state (RRC Connected State).

[0198] Optionally, the first configuration information can be carried in RRC high-level signaling (this situation can also be called CG configuration type is type1), or the first configuration information can also be carried in DC, and CG configuration is performed through DCI activation / deactivation (this situation can also be called CG configuration type is type2).

[0199] It is understood that in the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the network device may also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) applicable to the network device. The methods and / or steps implemented by the terminal device may also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) applicable to the terminal device.

[0200] The above description mainly describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various devices. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device, which is used to implement the various methods described above. The communication device can be the network device in the above method embodiments, or a device that includes the above network device, or a component that can be used in a network device. Alternatively, the communication device can be the terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a device that includes the above terminal device, or a component that can be used in a terminal device. It will be understood that in order to implement the above functions, the communication device includes the corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for performing each function. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in combination with the various exemplary units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0201] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the communication device can be divided according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0202] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 800. The communication device 800 includes a transceiver module 801 and a processing module 802. The transceiver module 801, which may also be referred to as a transceiver module or a transceiver unit, is used to implement transceiver functions and may be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0203] Taking the communication device as the network device in the above method embodiment as an example, in one possible design, the processing module 802 is used to determine the need to send the first indication information based on the usage of the HARQ resources in the first HARQ resource pool; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to the first scheduling-free GF resource group; the transceiver module 801 is used to send the first indication information to the first terminal device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process; the first terminal device is a terminal device configured with at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group.

[0204] Taking the communication device as the first terminal device in the above method embodiment as an example, in one possible design, the transceiver module 801 is used to receive the first indication information from the network device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process; the processing module 802 is used to suspend the sending of a new HARQ process according to the first indication information.

[0205] In this embodiment, the communication device 800 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. Here, "module" can refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0206] In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art may appreciate that the communication device 800 may take the form of the communication device 400 shown in FIG. 4 .

[0207] For example, the processor 401 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4 can call the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403 to enable the communication device 400 to execute the HARQ process management method in the above-mentioned method embodiment. Specifically, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 801 and the processing module 802 in FIG8 can be implemented by the processor 401 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 802 in FIG8 can be implemented by the processor 401 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 801 in FIG8 can be implemented by the communication interface 404 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4.

[0208] Since the communication device 800 provided in this embodiment can execute the above-mentioned HARQ process management method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0209] It should be noted that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented by software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into an SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a logic circuit that implements dedicated logic operations.

[0210] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a DSP chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0211] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the method in any of the above method embodiments is executed. In one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. Optionally, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0212] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software programs, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of computer program products.

[0213] The present application provides a computer program product comprising one or more computer instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, enables any method of the embodiments of the present application to be executed.

[0214] When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device.

[0215] The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which, when executed on a communication device, enables any method of the embodiment of the present application to be executed.

[0216] Computer instructions can be transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. A computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media. Available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital versatile discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid state drives (SSDs)).

[0217] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0218] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Provided that such modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process management method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determining, based on usage of HARQ resources in a first HARQ resource pool, that first indication information needs to be sent; wherein the first HARQ resource pool corresponds to a first scheduling-free GF resource group; The first indication information is sent to the first terminal device; the first indication information is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process; the first terminal device is a terminal device configured with at least one GF resource in the first GF resource group.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first indication information includes a first duration, where the first duration is the running duration of the first timer; The first indication information is used to instruct to suspend sending a new HARQ process, including: The first indication information is used to instruct to suspend sending the new HARQ process during the running of the first timer.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first indication information also includes a second duration, where the second duration is the maximum value of a randomly extended duration for suspending sending the new HARQ process after the first timer expires and before restarting sending the new HARQ process.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send second indication information to the first terminal device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the resumption of sending the new HARQ process.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of a group to which the first terminal device belongs.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The HARQ resources included in the first HARQ resource pool correspond to the HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first indication information includes the first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate the suspension of sending a new HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in a media access control layer control element MACCE or downlink control information DCI.

9. A HARQ process management method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving first indication information from a network device, wherein the first indication information is used to instruct to suspend sending a new HARQ process; According to the first indication information, suspend sending the new HARQ process.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first indication information includes a first duration, where the first duration is the running duration of the first timer; The suspending sending the new HARQ process according to the first indication information includes: The sending of the new HARQ process is suspended while the first timer is running.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The first indication information further includes a second duration, where the second duration is a maximum value of a randomly extended duration for pausing sending the new HARQ process after the first timer expires and before restarting sending the new HARQ process. The method further includes: After the first timer expires, a scheduling-free GF resource is selected to resend the new HARQ process within a first random extension duration, wherein the first random extension duration is less than or equal to the second duration.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving the second indication information from the network device, where the second indication information is used to instruct to resume sending the new HARQ process; Resume sending the new HARQ process according to the second indication information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that: The first indication information includes an identifier of the first terminal device or an identifier of a group to which the first terminal device belongs.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: The first indication information includes a first identifier; the first identifier is used to indicate to suspend sending a new HARQ process whose identification information is the first identifier.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that: The first indication information is carried in a media access control layer control element MACCE or downlink control information DCI.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; or a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes: a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and the processor is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory; when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A computer program is stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15 is executed.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15 is executed.

20. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a network device and a first terminal device; the network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and the first terminal device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 9 to 15.

Images