Communication method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication method and device and a storage medium. An access network device configures and / or schedules a plurality of resources of a first signal, so that a terminal can send the first signal at the positions of the plurality of resources within a first time period, and does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period, and the terminal can send the second signal within the first time period by defining the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device. Therefore, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or the activated BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, and the power consumption of the network and the terminal is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, device and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Access network equipment can configure ordinary terminals to send a broadband sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning. The accuracy of the positioning measurement is determined by the bandwidth of the SRS. The larger the bandwidth, the higher the measurement accuracy, and the more accurate the terminal position obtained by the final positioning.

[0003] Compared with ordinary terminals, a reduced-capability terminal (redcap UE) is a simplified terminal with reduced complexity. According to the maximum channel bandwidth capability that the terminal must support, the maximum bandwidth of a single SRS transmission is 20MHz within the frequency range of frequency range 1 (FR1). If it is necessary to obtain a measurement with the same accuracy as a 100MHz bandwidth SRS, the reduced-capability terminal needs to send the SRS multiple times in a row by frequency hopping, so that the frequency hopping transmission of a narrow-bandwidth SRS is equivalent to or similar to the terminal actually sending a wideband SRS.

[0004] A terminal with reduced capability needs a certain conversion time when it switches from a bandwidth position corresponding to one hop to a bandwidth position corresponding to another hop in the frequency domain to send SRS. The position of the first hop or the last hop is outside the initial bandwidth part (BWP) or the activated BWP of the terminal, and the conversion time between the first hop or the last hop may be longer than that between the two intermediate hops. Among them, the initial BWP or the activated BWP is used to send / receive other channels or signals. When the time interval between each two hops of the frequency hopping SRS is relatively long, the terminal needs to switch back and forth between the resource positions of the initial BWP or the activated BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, resulting in high power consumption of the terminal.

[0005] In view of this, how to reduce the power consumption of the terminal when sending the frequency hopping SRS is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method, device and storage medium to reduce power consumption when a terminal sends a signal.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the method is implemented by an access network device, or a chip or circuit used for an access network device.

[0008] The method includes: the access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal to the terminal, the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; and the access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at the position of the multiple resources within a first time period; wherein the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0009] By adopting this method, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal, so that the terminal can send the first signal at the location of multiple resources within a first time period, and does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send the second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

[0011] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the method is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit for a terminal.

[0012] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; and the terminal sends the first signal at the multiple resource positions within a first time period; wherein the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0013] By adopting this method, the terminal configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal through the access network device. The terminal can send the first signal at the location of multiple resources within the first time period, and the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send the second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0014] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signal in the time domain.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a positioning reference signal; and the second signal is a positioning reference signal or an uplink channel.

[0018] With this implementation, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent within the first time period, or does not expect the first signal to overlap with other uplink channels or signals. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal and the second signal are positioning reference signals, and the first signal and the second signal are any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal, or a non-periodic signal.

[0020] With this implementation, when both the first signal and the second signal are periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure more than one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, that is, the access network device can only configure one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, and does not configure other periodic frequency hopping SRS resources 2. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy.

[0021] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are non-periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period, that is, the access network device can only trigger one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device triggers one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, but does not trigger other non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resources 2. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource with overlapping parts.

[0022] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are semi-continuous positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, that is, the access network device can only activate one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, but does not activate other semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resources 2. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource with overlapping parts.

[0023] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the method is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit for a terminal.

[0024] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; and the terminal only sends the first signal within a first time period.

[0025] By adopting this method, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations appear, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0026] In combination with the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal does not send the second signal within the first time period.

[0027] With this implementation, after the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, the terminal only sends the first signal to the access network device within the first time period, and does not send the second signal within the first time period, thereby ensuring the complete sending or receiving of the first signal on multiple resources.

[0028] In combination with the third aspect, in another possible implementation, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type, and the type of the signal includes any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal, or a non-periodic signal.

[0029] With this implementation, assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are periodic signals, the access network device configures more than one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, or more than one periodic frequency hopping resource overlaps, the terminal only sends the earliest periodic frequency hopping SRS sent in the first time period, and discards other periodic frequency hopping SRSs with a later start time. Thus, a complete periodic frequency hopping SRS can be guaranteed to be sent, and other periodic frequency hopping SRSs do not need to be sent, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0030] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are non-periodic signals, the access network device triggers more than one non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, or more than one non-periodic resource overlaps, the terminal only sends the earliest non-periodic signal sent within the first time period, and discards other non-periodic signals with a later start time. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0031] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are semi-persistent signals, the access network device activates more than one semi-persistent signal to be sent in the first time period, or more than one semi-persistent resource overlaps, the terminal only sends the earliest semi-persistent signal sent in the first time period, and discards other semi-persistent signals with a later start time. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0032] In combination with the third aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0033] With this implementation, the access network device triggers a non-periodic signal to be sent in the first time period, and also configures a periodic signal or activates a semi-persistent signal to be sent in the first time period, or the non-periodic resources overlap with the periodic or semi-persistent resources, and since the priority and urgency of the non-periodic signal are higher than the periodic or semi-persistent signal, the terminal only sends the non-periodic signal in the first time period and discards the periodic or semi-persistent signal. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the method is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit for a terminal.

[0035] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal; and within a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal, and only sends the second signal.

[0036] By adopting this method, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations appear, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0037] In combination with the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0038] With this implementation, the access network device configures a periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures resources for a non-periodic signal or a semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources for the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal is higher than that of the periodic signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. This ensures that high-priority signals are sent in a timely manner. For example, if the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, emergency positioning requirements are met.

[0039] In combination with the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

[0040] With this implementation, the access network device is configured with a semi-persistent signal, and also with resources for a non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources for the semi-persistent signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal is higher than that of the semi-persistent signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. This ensures that the high-priority signal is sent in a timely manner. For example, if the non-periodic signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, the emergency positioning requirement is met.

[0041] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signal in the time domain.

[0042] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0043] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period.

[0044] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the communication method in any one of the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or the second aspect, the third aspect, and the fourth aspect. The device may be a terminal, or a module applied to a terminal (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the communication method in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect. The device may be an access network device, or a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system) applied to an access network device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of an access network device.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects includes a unit for respectively executing the method in any aspect or any implementation of the first to fourth aspects.

[0047] The communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0048] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect, the processing unit is used to generate resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, and the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; the transceiver unit is used to send the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal; and the transceiver unit is also used to receive the first signal from the terminal at the position of the multiple resources within a first time period; wherein the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0049] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to send configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

[0050] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the second aspect or any one of the implementations of the second aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; the processing unit is used to generate the first signal; and the transceiver unit is also used to send the first signal at the multiple resource positions within a first time period; wherein the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0051] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further used to receive configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0052] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the third aspect or any one of the implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and to receive configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; the processing unit is used to generate the first signal; and the transceiver unit is also used to send only the first signal within a first time period.

[0053] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to not send the second signal within the first time period.

[0054] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the fourth aspect or any one of the implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and to receive configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal; the processing unit is used to generate the second signal; and the transceiver unit is also used for, within a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal, and only sends the second signal.

[0055] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further used to receive configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0056] In another possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects above includes a processor coupled to a memory; the processor is configured to enable the device to perform the corresponding functions in the above communication method. The memory is used to couple with the processor, which stores the necessary programs (instructions) and / or data for the device. Optionally, the communication device may also include a communication interface for implementing communication between the device and other network elements. Optionally, the memory may be located inside the communication device or outside the communication device.

[0057] In another possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects includes a processor and a transceiver, the processor is coupled to the transceiver, and the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction to control the transceiver to receive and send information; when the processor executes the computer program or instruction, the processor is also used to implement the above method through a logic circuit or execute code instructions. The transceiver may be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface, which is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface.

[0058] When the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects is a chip, the sending unit may be an output unit, such as an output circuit or a communication interface; the receiving unit may be an input unit, such as an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication device is a terminal, the sending unit may be a transmitter or a transmitter; the receiving unit may be a receiver or a receiver.

[0059] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program or instruction is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction is executed, the methods described in the above aspects are implemented.

[0060] According to an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the methods described in the above aspects.

[0061] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the communication device described in the fifth aspect and the communication device described in the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an SRS frequency hopping pattern;

[0064] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the switching time of sending SRS for frequency hopping;

[0065] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of configuring frequency hopping SRS transmission for a time division duplex system;

[0066] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A schematic diagram showing the conversion of a resource location for sending a frequency hopping SRS to a resource location for receiving a downlink or sending an uplink;

[0067] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an uplink and downlink communication and positioning system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 7 A flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a first time period of an example of an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Fig. 9A A schematic diagram of receiving a MAC CE carried on a PDSCH in a first time period;

[0071] Fig. 9B A schematic diagram of receiving DCI carried on a PDCCH in a first time period;

[0072] Fig. 10A A schematic diagram of overlapping signal resources according to an example of an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Fig. 10B A schematic diagram of non-overlapping signal resources according to an example of an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] Fig.11 A flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] Fig.12 A flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The solution of the present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Figure 1 A possible, non-limiting system schematic is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g. Figure 1 110a and 110b, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment ( Figure 1 The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 in a wireless manner. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be different physical devices, or may be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical function and the radio access network logical function.

[0081] RAN100 may be a cellular system related to the third generation partnership project (3GPP), for example, a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future evolution system (for example, a 6G mobile communication system). RAN100 may also be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (wireless fidelity, WiFi) system. RAN100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0082] The RAN node 110, which may also be sometimes referred to as an access network device, a RAN entity or an access node, constitutes a part of the communication system to help the terminal achieve wireless access. The multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 1000 may be nodes of the same type or nodes of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN node 110 and the terminal 120 are relative, for example, Figure 1 The network element 120i may be a helicopter or a drone, which may be configured as a mobile base station. For the terminals 120j that access the RAN 100 through the network element 120i, the network element 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the network element 120i is a terminal. The RAN node 110 and the terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example Figure 1 The network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and the network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0083] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (e.g. Figure 1 110a in), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 110b in the example above), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device, etc. For example, the access network device in the vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU).

[0084] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0085] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU are described as examples in this application. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0086] The terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, a smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0087] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device follows a certain protocol layer structure. The protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, or a physical (PHY) layer. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or a physical layer.

[0088] For the network elements in the ORAN system and the corresponding relationship between the protocol layer functions that can be implemented, please refer to the following Table 1:

[0089] Table 1

[0090] ORAN network elements 3GPP protocol layer functions O-CU-CP RRC+PDCP-C O-CU-UP SDAP+PDCP-U O-DU RLC+MAC+PHY-high O-RU PHY-low

[0091] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or movable. Base stations and terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; they can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0092] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative, for example, Figure 1 The helicopter or drone 120i in the figure can be configured as a mobile base station. For the terminal 120j that accesses the wireless access network 100 through 120i, the terminal 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, that is, 110a and 120i communicate through the wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through the interface protocol between base stations. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. Figure 1 110a and 110b in the figure may be referred to as communication devices having base station functions. Figure 1 120a-120j in the figure can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0093] In the embodiments of the present application, the base station is also referred to as an access network device, and the device for implementing the function of the access network device may be an access network device; or it may be a device capable of supporting the access network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. The device may be installed in the access network device or used in combination with the access network device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the device for implementing the function of the access network device is an access network device as an example for explanation, and the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is not limited.

[0094] It can be understood that the present application can be applied between access network equipment and terminals.

[0095] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number and type of each device in the communication system shown are for illustration only, and the present application is not limited thereto. In actual applications, the communication system may also include more terminals, more access network devices, and other network elements, such as core network devices, and / or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions.

[0096] It is understandable that all or part of the functions implemented by one or more of the terminals, access network devices, core network devices, or network elements used to implement artificial intelligence functions can be virtualized, that is, implemented by one or more of the proprietary processors or general-purpose processors and the corresponding software modules. Among them, since the terminal and the access network device involve the interface of air interface transmission, the transceiver function of the interface can be implemented by hardware. Core network equipment, such as operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network elements, can be virtualized. Optionally, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal, access network equipment, core network equipment, or network elements used to implement artificial intelligence functions can be implemented by cloud devices, such as cloud devices in over the top (OTT) systems.

[0097] The following explains several terms involved in the embodiments of the present application:

[0098] (1) Reduced capability terminals:

[0099] Compared with ordinary terminals, a reduced-capability terminal is a simplified terminal with reduced complexity. According to the specified terminal implementation, the maximum channel bandwidth capability that must be supported, within the FR1 frequency range (410MHz-7125MHz), the required capability of the reduced-capability terminal is to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 20MHz, while the required capability of ordinary terminals is to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 100MHz; within the FR2 frequency range (24250MHz-52600MHz), the required capability of the reduced-capability terminal is to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 100MHz, while the required capability of ordinary terminals needs to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 400MHz.

[0100] (2) Frequency hopping transmission for positioning

[0101] For a carrier with a bandwidth of 100MHz within the FR1 range, the access network equipment can configure ordinary terminals to send a broadband SRS (for example, 100MHz) for positioning. The access network equipment directly receives and measures the SRS signal with a bandwidth of 100MHz through several transmission reception points (TRP) deployed at different geographical locations, obtains the time (time of arrival, ToA) from the terminal sending the SRS to the TRP receiving the SRS, and reports the ToA measurement value to the location management function (LMF), which finally calculates the location of the terminal. This process is a method of uplink positioning based on cellular networks. The measurement accuracy of ToA is determined by the bandwidth of the SRS. The larger the bandwidth, the higher the measurement accuracy, and the more accurate the terminal position obtained by the final positioning.

[0102] For a terminal with reduced capability, the maximum bandwidth of a single SRS transmission is 20 MHz. If it is necessary to obtain a measurement quantity with the same or similar accuracy as an SRS with a bandwidth of 100 MHz, the terminal with reduced capability needs to send the SRS by frequency hopping multiple times continuously, so that the frequency hopping transmission of a narrow-bandwidth SRS is equivalent to or similar to the terminal actually sending a wideband SRS, such as Figure 2 The receiving end receives and processes the SRS transmitted by frequency hopping to obtain a measurement result that is equivalent to or similar to that of measuring the SRS with a bandwidth of 100 MHz.

[0103] The terminal with reduced capability obtains the configuration information sent by the access network device, including the position of the starting physical resource block (PRB) of the first hop in the time domain in the frequency domain, the bandwidth of each hop, the number of overlapping resources in the frequency domain between two consecutive hops (such as the number of overlapping PRBs), the time slot offset and starting symbol of the first hop in the time domain, the time slot offset and starting symbol of each hop after the first hop, the number of consecutive symbols of each hop, and the total number of hops. The pattern of the frequency hopping SRS can be uniquely determined by these configuration information, such as Figure 2 After obtaining the configuration information, the terminal sends the SRS according to the frequency hopping pattern.

[0104] In addition, if Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of the switching time of frequency hopping to send SRS. When the terminal with reduced capability sends SRS according to the frequency hopping pattern, the terminal needs switching time when switching from the bandwidth position corresponding to one hop to the bandwidth position corresponding to another hop in the frequency domain to send SRS. In particular, considering that the position of the first hop or the last hop is outside the initial BWP or activated BWP of the terminal, or the subcarrier spacing, bandwidth or cyclic prefix (CP) size of the first hop and the initial BWP or activated BWP are different, the switching time of the first hop or the last hop is longer than the switching time between the two intermediate hops (switching time T0 in the figure), and the possible values ​​include {100us, 140us, 200us, 300us, 500us}, which are applicable to FR1 and FR2. The longest possible values ​​of the switching time between two consecutive intermediate hops (switching time T1 in the figure) include {35us, 70us, 125us}. The value depends on the capability of the terminal.

[0105] It is understandable that the configuration of the terminal by the access network device to send SRS in a frequency hopping manner may not be limited to terminals with reduced capabilities. For ordinary terminals, in order to reduce power consumption of the terminal, the activated BWP of the terminal may be configured to be smaller, and the SRS can only be sent within the activated BWP. Therefore, the bandwidth that the SRS can be sent is limited by the bandwidth of the activated BWP, and the need to send broadband SRS to achieve high-precision positioning cannot be met.

[0106] When the terminal is configured to send the positioning SRS by frequency hopping, the terminal sends the SRS according to the above-mentioned frequency hopping pattern. Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the time-division multiplexing (TDD) system configuration frequency hopping SRS transmission shown in the figure, the time slot used for sending downlink and the time slot used for sending uplink in the TDD system are time-division staggered in the time domain (the figure is described by taking uplink (UL): downlink (DL) = 2:8, subcarrier space (SCS) = 30kHz as an example), considering the flexibility of the access network equipment in configuring the frequency hopping pattern, it is possible that the continuous time slots used for sending uplink cannot enable the terminal to continuously complete the frequency hopping transmission of SRS, and the last hop needs to be sent in the uplink time slot of the next TDD cycle. Therefore, before completing the last hop, the terminal needs to receive the downlink channel or signal in the downlink time slot.

[0107] Or whether it is a TDD system or a frequency-division multiplexing (FDD) system, considering the flexibility of the access network device in configuring the frequency hopping pattern, between every two hops, the access network device may schedule / configure the terminal to receive a downlink channel or signal, or schedule / configure the terminal to send an uplink channel or signal. Whether receiving a downlink or sending an uplink, the terminal needs to switch time from the resource position of sending the frequency hopping SRS to the resource position of receiving a downlink or sending an uplink, such as Figure 5A and Figure 5B If the time required to switch from the position of sending SRS to the position of receiving downlink or sending uplink, and then switch from the position of receiving downlink or sending uplink to the position of sending SRS in the next hop is less than the time domain interval between the two hops, then the terminal can switch the position to receive downlink or send uplink without affecting the frequency hopping SRS transmission.

[0108] When the time interval between two hops of the frequency hopping SRS is relatively long, the terminal needs to switch back and forth between the resource positions of the data activation BWP or the initial BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, resulting in high power consumption of the terminal.

[0109] In response to the above problems, the present application provides a communication solution, which clarifies the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device so that the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or the activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; or the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior to reduce its own power consumption.

[0110] The communication solution of the present application can be used in a variety of communication scenarios, such as uplink and downlink communication and uplink positioning scenarios. Figure 6 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of an uplink and downlink communication and positioning system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal can perform uplink and downlink communications with its serving base station, and the terminal can also send an uplink positioning reference signal SRS to a neighboring base station for uplink positioning.

[0111] like Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0112] S701. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal.

[0113] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules the terminal to send a first signal on multiple resources. Therefore, the access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal. Among them, the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal. Among them, the time domain positions of multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. Exemplarily, the first signal can be the SRS sent by the above-mentioned frequency hopping. The SRS is used for uplink positioning. Further, the access network device can also configure the SRS pattern. The SRS can be periodic, non-periodic or semi-continuous.

[0114] Exemplarily, the access network device may send resource configuration information of the first signal to the terminal through radio resource control (RRC) signaling or the like.

[0115] Exemplarily, the access network device may send resource scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal via downlink control information (DCI) or the like, so as to activate the configured resources of the first signal.

[0116] S702. The terminal sends a first signal to the access network device at multiple resource locations within a first time period. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at multiple resource locations within the first time period.

[0117] After receiving the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, the terminal sends the first signal to the access network device at multiple resource locations within a first time period in consideration of the need to meet positioning accuracy requirements. The first time period may also be referred to as a first time window.

[0118] The above-mentioned first time period may be pre-defined by the protocol, or pre-negotiated by the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. Then, further, the method may also include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information of the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information of the first time period. The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number (SFN) of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period may be periodic. The configured first time period is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0119] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signal in the time domain.

[0120] Since the above-mentioned first time period and multiple resources of the first signal are configured to the terminal by the access network device, the access network device can configure a suitable first time period and multiple resources of the first signal, so that the terminal sends the first signal on multiple first resources within the first time period according to the configuration.

[0121] In order to avoid the terminal having to switch back and forth between the resource positions of the data activation BWP or the initial BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, resulting in high power consumption of the terminal, in this embodiment, the access network device does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send the second signal in the first time period. In other words, in the first time period, if there are multiple resources configured and / or scheduled for the first signal, the terminal only sends the first signal in the first time period, and does not send other uplink channels or signals. It can be understood that if there are multiple resources configured and / or scheduled for the first signal in the first time period, the terminal will not send other uplink channels or signals. Fig. 9A The reception of the downlink channel (the media access control element (MAC CE) carried on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)) as shown in Fig. 9B The reception of the downlink signal (DCI carried on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) shown is not affected, that is, the terminal can complete the reception of the downlink channel or signal within the first time period. However, the uplink channel or signal activated by the MAC CE or scheduled by the DCI cannot appear in the first time period. Alternatively, the uplink channel or signal activated by the MAC CE or scheduled by the DCI appears in the first time period, and the terminal does not send the uplink channel or signal within the first time period.

[0122] The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure the redundant resources other than the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent in the first time period, that is, the access network device can only configure the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent in the first time period, but does not configure the multiple resources of the second signal to be sent in the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve the positioning accuracy. For example, the access network device does not configure the following: Fig. 10A The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure overlapping signal resources to be sent in the first time period. The access network device can be configured as follows: Fig. 10BThe non-overlapping signal resources shown (the multiple R1 signals and the multiple R2 signals do not overlap in frequency domain position within the first time period).

[0123] In one example, the first signal is a positioning reference signal, and the second signal is a positioning reference signal. The first signal and the second signal are any of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-persistent signal, or a non-periodic signal.

[0124] For example, when both the first signal and the second signal are periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure more than one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, that is, the access network device can only configure one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, and does not configure other periodic frequency hopping SRS resources 2 to be sent in the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy.

[0125] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are non-periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period, that is, the access network device can only trigger one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device triggers one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, but does not trigger other non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resources 2 to be sent within the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one overlapping non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period.

[0126] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are semi-continuous positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, that is, the access network device can only activate one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, and does not activate other semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resources 2 to be sent in the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one overlapping semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period.

[0127] It can be understood that the second signal may be a frequency hopping signal like the first signal, or may not be a frequency hopping signal.

[0128] In another example, the first signal is a positioning reference signal, and the second signal is an uplink channel. The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent within the first time period, or does not expect the first signal to overlap with other uplink channels or signals within the first time period. Overlap means that there are other uplink channels or signals within the span of a complete frequency hopping SRS pattern. Among them, the second signal can be an uplink positioning reference signal SRS but without frequency hopping, or other SRS other than the uplink positioning reference signal SRS (for example, for beam management, channel measurement based on codebook or non-codebook downlink transmission, or channel measurement for antenna switching, etc.), or a physical uplink shared channel (physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH), or a physical uplink control channel (physical uplink control channel, PUCCH), or an uplink physical random access channel (physical random access channel, PRACH), or an uplink scheduling request (scheduling request, SR). For example, the access network device only configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, but does not configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent in the first time period, or overlaps with other uplink channels or signals in the first time period. For another example, the access network device may only activate one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, but does not configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent in the first time period, or overlaps with other uplink channels or signals in the first time period. For another example, the access network device may only activate one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent in the first time period, but does not configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent in the first time period, or overlaps with other uplink channels or signals in the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate or schedule more than one overlapping uplink channel or signal to be sent in the first time period.

[0129] According to a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application, an access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of a first signal, so that a terminal can send a first signal at a location of multiple resources within a first time period, and does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between an initial BWP or an activated BWP and a frequency-hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency-hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency-hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0130] The above embodiments describe that by clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption.

[0131] The following embodiments will describe that the terminal itself explicitly performs uplink transmission behavior to reduce its own power consumption.

[0132] like Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0133] S1101. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal and configuration or scheduling information of a second signal to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal from the access network device.

[0134] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal, and configures and / or schedules resources of the second signal. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal to the terminal. That is, in addition to configuring multiple resources for the first signal, the access network device also configures resources for the second signal; or, the resources of the second signal overlap with at least one resource of the multiple resources of the first resource. Among them, "configuration" can be sending configuration information through RRC signaling, etc.; "scheduling" can be scheduling through DCI, etc.

[0135] It is understandable that the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal may be located in the same message or in different messages. This embodiment does not limit the order in which the access network device sends the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, nor does it limit the order in which the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal.

[0136] The resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. The first signal may be a frequency hopping signal, such as an uplink positioning reference signal SRS transmitted by frequency hopping. For the meaning of "overlap", please refer to the above description.

[0137] Among them, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal. In other words, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is earlier than that of the second signal, or the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is the same as the time domain position of the resources of the second signal.

[0138] In one example, the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type. For example, the first signal is a periodic signal (such as an SRS transmitted by frequency hopping), and the second signal is also a periodic signal; the first signal is a semi-persistent signal, and the second signal is also a semi-persistent signal; the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is also a non-periodic signal.

[0139] In another example, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0140] S1102. The terminal sends a first signal only to the access network device in the first time period. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first signal in the first time period.

[0141] After the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, the terminal only sends the first signal to the access network device within the first time period, and does not send the second signal within the first time period. This ensures the complete sending or receiving of the first signal on multiple resources. When the first signal is a frequency-hopping SRS, the access network device can receive an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency-hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy.

[0142] In the first example above, assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are periodic signals, the access network device configures more than one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent in the first time period, or more than one periodic frequency hopping resource overlaps in the first time period, and the terminal only sends the earliest periodic frequency hopping SRS sent in the first time period, and discards other periodic frequency hopping SRSs with later start transmission time. Thus, a complete periodic frequency hopping SRS can be guaranteed to be sent, and other periodic frequency hopping SRSs do not need to be sent, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0143] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are non-periodic signals, the access network device triggers more than one non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, or more than one non-periodic resource overlaps within the first time period, the terminal only sends the earliest non-periodic signal sent within the first time period, and discards other non-periodic signals with a later start time. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0144] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are semi-persistent signals, the access network device activates more than one semi-persistent signal to be sent in the first time period, or more than one semi-persistent resource overlaps in the first time period, the terminal only sends the earliest semi-persistent signal sent in the first time period, and discards other semi-persistent signals with a later start time. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0145] In another example, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal. In addition to triggering a non-periodic signal to be sent in the first time period, the access network device also configures a periodic signal or activates a semi-continuous signal to be sent in the first time period, or non-periodic resources overlap with periodic or semi-continuous resources in the first time period. Since the priority and urgency of the non-periodic signal are higher than those of the periodic or semi-continuous signal, the terminal only sends the non-periodic signal in the first time period and discards the periodic or semi-continuous signal. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0146] The above-mentioned first time period may be pre-defined by the protocol, or pre-negotiated by the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. Further, the method may also include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information of the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information of the first time period. The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period may be periodic. The configured first time period is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0147] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the second signal in the time domain.

[0148] Exemplarily, when the second signal is an SRS sent by frequency hopping, the second signal is sent at multiple resource locations, then the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest second signal in the time domain among the second signals, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest second signal in the time domain among the second signals.

[0149] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0150] Another embodiment in which the terminal specifies the uplink transmission behavior to reduce its own power consumption will be described below.

[0151] like Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0152] S1201. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal and configuration or scheduling information of a second signal to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal from the access network device.

[0153] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal, and configures and / or schedules resources of the second signal. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal to the terminal. That is, in addition to configuring multiple resources for the first signal, the access network device also configures resources for the second signal; or, the resources of the second signal overlap with at least one resource of the multiple resources of the first resource. Among them, "configuration" can be sending configuration information through RRC signaling, etc.; "scheduling" can be scheduling through DCI, etc.

[0154] It is understandable that the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal may be located in the same message or in different messages. This embodiment does not limit the order in which the access network device sends the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, nor does it limit the order in which the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal.

[0155] The resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. The first signal is a frequency hopping signal, such as an uplink positioning reference signal SRS sent by frequency hopping. The second signal can be a frequency hopping signal, or it can be a non-frequency hopping signal. For the meaning of "overlap", please refer to the above description.

[0156] Among them, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal. In other words, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is earlier than that of the second signal, or the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is the same as the time domain position of the resources of the second signal.

[0157] In one example, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0158] In another example, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

[0159] S1202. In the first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal, and only sends the second signal.

[0160] After the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, the terminal does not send the first signal within the first time period and only sends the second signal.

[0161] In the above first example, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal. That is, the access network device configures the periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures the resources of the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources of the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal overlap with the resources of the periodic signal within the first time period. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal is higher than that of the periodic signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. Thereby, the timely sending of the high-priority signal is guaranteed. For example, the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, which can be a frequency-hopping SRS or a non-frequency-hopping SRS, which meets the emergency positioning requirements.

[0162] In the above second example, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal. That is, the access network device configures the semi-continuous signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures the resources of the non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources of the semi-continuous signal overlap with the resources of the periodic signal within the first time period. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal is higher than that of the semi-continuous signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. Thereby ensuring the timely sending of high-priority signals. For example, the non-periodic signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, which can be a frequency-hopping SRS or a non-frequency-hopping SRS, which meets the emergency positioning requirements.

[0163] The above-mentioned first time period may be pre-defined by the protocol, or pre-negotiated by the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. Further, the method may also include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information of the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information of the first time period. The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period may be periodic. The configured first time period is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0164] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the second time period is the ending position of the latest second signal in the time domain.

[0165] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0166] It is understandable that the present application uses access network devices and terminals as examples of the execution subjects of the interactive illustrations, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interactive illustrations. For example, the access network device in the method provided by the present application may also be a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the access network device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the access network device; the terminal in the method provided by the present application may also be a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the terminal, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions.

[0167] In the present application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be that A sends it directly to B, or that A sends it to B indirectly through other entities. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be that entity B directly receives the information sent by entity A, or that entity B indirectly receives the information sent by entity A through other entities. Entities A and B here can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules inside the RAN nodes or terminals. The sending and receiving of information can be information interaction between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, information interaction between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between two RAN nodes, for example, information interaction between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information interaction between different modules inside a device, for example, information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or information interaction between a base station chip and other modules in the base station.

[0168] It can be understood that in the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the access network device can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used for the access network device; the methods and / or steps implemented by the terminal can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used for the terminal.

[0169] The above mainly introduces the scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, which is used to implement the above various methods. The communication device can be an access network device in the above method embodiment, or a component that can be used for the access network device; or, the communication device can be a terminal in the above method embodiment, or a component that can be used for the terminal. It can be understood that in order to implement the above functions, the communication device includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiment disclosed in this article, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application.

[0170] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the communication device 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 unit. The above integrated module 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 function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0171] Based on the same concept of the above communication method, the present application also provides the following communication device:

[0172] Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a possible structure of a communication device. It is understood that the communication device 130 includes necessary means such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to implement the present solution. The communication device 130 may be Figure 1 The RAN node or terminal in the communication device 130 may also be a component (such as a chip) in these devices, to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The communication device 130 includes one or more processors 131 (one processor is illustrated in the figure). The processor 131 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process the communication protocol and the communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device (such as a RAN node, a terminal, or a chip, etc.), execute the software program, and process the data of the software program.

[0173] Optionally, in one design, the processor 131 may include a program 133 (sometimes also referred to as code or instruction), and the program 133 may be executed on the processor 131 so that the communication device 130 performs the method described in the above embodiment. In another possible design, the communication device 130 includes a circuit ( Fig.13 (not shown), the circuit is used to implement the functions of the access network device or terminal in the above embodiments.

[0174] Optionally, the communication device 130 may include one or more memories 132 (one memory is illustrated in the figure), on which a program 134 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 134 can be run on the processor 131, so that the communication device 130 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0175] Optionally, the processor 131 and / or the memory 132 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module 137, 138, and the AI ​​module is used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio access network intelligent controller (RAN intelligent controller, RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0176] Optionally, data may also be stored in the processor 131 and / or the memory 132. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0177] Optionally, the communication device 130 may further include a transceiver 135 and / or an antenna 136. The processor 131 may also be sometimes referred to as a processing unit, which controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or a terminal). The transceiver 135 may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc., which is used to implement the transceiver function of the communication device through the antenna 136.

[0178] like Fig.14 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1400 includes a processor 1401. Optionally, the communication device 1400 may also include an interface circuit 1402 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the processor 1401 and the interface circuit 1402 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the interface circuit 1402 can be a transceiver or an input-output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1400 may also include a memory 1403 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the memory 1403 is used to store instructions executed by the processor 1401, or to store input data required for the processor 1401 to run instructions, or to store data generated after the processor 1401 runs instructions. Among them, the processor 1401 is used to implement the above Fig.13 The functions of the processor 131 in the embodiment shown; and the interface circuit 1402 is used to implement the above Fig.13 Functionality of transceiver 135 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0179] When the above communication device is a chip applied to an access network device, the chip implements the functions of the access network device in the above method embodiment. The chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the access network device, and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device; or the chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the access network device, and the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal.

[0180] When the above communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiment. The chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal; or the chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device.

[0181] like Fig.15 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application, the communication device 1500 includes a transceiver unit 1501 and a processing unit 1502.

[0182] When the communication device is used to implement the functions of the terminal, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Figure 7 The functions of the terminal in steps S701 and S702 shown in FIG. 1; or the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Fig.11 The functions of the terminal in steps S1101 and S1102 shown in FIG. 1; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Fig.12 The functions of the terminal in steps S1201 and S1202 are shown.

[0183] When the communication device is used to implement the function of the access network device, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Figure 7 The functions of the access network device in steps S701 and S702 shown in FIG. 1; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Fig.11 The functions of the access network device in steps S1101 and S1102 shown in FIG. 1; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the following steps: Fig.12 The functions of the access network device in steps S1201 and S1202 are shown.

[0184] For the specific implementation of the transceiver unit 1501 and the processing unit 1502, reference may be made to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0185] In addition, it should be noted that the aforementioned transceiver unit and / or processing unit can be implemented through a virtual module, for example, the processing unit can be implemented through a software function unit or a virtual device, and the transceiver unit can be implemented through a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing unit or the transceiver unit can also be implemented through a physical device, for example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit can be an input-output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operations); the processing unit is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0186] The division of modules in this application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. In addition, each functional module in each example of this application may be integrated into one processor, or may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules.

[0187] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0188] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0189] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the above embodiments.

[0190] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the above-mentioned communication device.

[0191] The embodiment of the present application also provides a circuit, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute the method shown in the above embodiment. The circuit may include a chip circuit.

[0192] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to an access network device, the access network device module implements the functions of the access network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The access network device module receives information from other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device; or, the access network device module sends information to other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal. The access network device module here can be a baseband chip of the access network device, or it can be a CU, DU or other module, or it can be a device under the O-RAN architecture, such as an open CU, an open DU and other devices.

[0193] It should be noted that the above units or one or more of the units can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of the two. When any of the above units 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.

[0194] In this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in this application may be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0195] When the above units or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (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.

[0196] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, including: at least one processor and an interface, the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor runs a computer program or instruction in the memory, the chip system executes a method in any of the above method embodiments. Optionally, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0197] The memory in the present application may also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc., or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM).

[0198] At least one (item) involved in this application indicates one (item) or more (items). More than one (item) refers to two (items) or more than two (items). "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. In addition, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe each object in this application, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each object from each other.

[0199] The terms "including" and "having" mentioned above and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any method or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0200] A network element in a communication system can send a signal to another network element or receive a signal from another network element. The signal may include information, signaling, or data, etc. The network element may also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a terminal, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The network element is used as an example for description in this application. For example, a communication system may include at least one terminal and at least one access network device. The access network device may send a downlink signal to the terminal, and / or the terminal may send an uplink signal to the access network device. In addition, it can be understood that if a plurality of terminals are included in the communication system, the plurality of terminals may also send signals to each other, that is, the signal sending network element and the signal receiving network element may both be terminals.

[0201] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loading and executing computer program instructions on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is 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. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center.

[0202] 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 may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in a claim. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0203] It is understood that the various numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0204] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0205] The components in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided and deleted according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can combine or combine the different embodiments and features of the different embodiments described in this specification.

[0206] In the present application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples may reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples may reference each other.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal, where the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; The access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at the location of the plurality of resources within a first time period; The terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send a second signal within the first time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes: sending configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

3. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, where the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; The terminal sends the first signal at the multiple resource locations within a first time period; The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method also includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: a starting system frame number of the first time period, a starting time slot, a starting symbol, a period of the first time period, and a duration of the first time period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signals in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signals in the time domain.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first signal is a positioning reference signal; The second signal is a positioning reference signal or an uplink channel.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal are positioning reference signals, and the first signal and the second signal are any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-persistent signal or a non-periodic signal.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; The terminal only sends the first signal in a first time period.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal does not send the second signal in the first time period.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type, and the type of the signal includes any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal or a non-periodic signal.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal; In a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal and only sends the second signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the second signal in the time domain.

17. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, characterized in that The method also includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: a starting system frame number of the first time period, a starting time slot, a starting symbol, a period of the first time period, and a duration of the first time period.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises means for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-18 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 is implemented.

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