Communication method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and device, which are applied to the fields of environmental Internet of Things and the like, and the method comprises the following steps: sending a first message; the first message is used for triggering a first random access opportunity, and the first message indicates a first identifier; receiving a first random access request message from the first terminal device at the first random access opportunity; the first terminal equipment is associated with the first identifier; sending a second message before responding to the first random access request message; the second message indicates a second identifier. Through the method, the message in one process can be located between two messages in the other process, for example, the second message in the second process is located between the first uplink message and the first response message in the first process, so that the network equipment can communicate with the terminal equipment in the process of communicating with the terminal equipment in one process. And communication with another terminal device can be carried out in another process, so that the resource utilization rate can be improved, and the system capacity can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is introduced into a wireless communication system. Tags in the IoT can be used as terminal devices, and base stations can be used as readers. Tags can communicate with base stations. In scenarios such as tag inventory, a reader can page multiple tags through a paging signal. After a tag receives the paging signal, the reader indicates an inventory period through a Query signal. An inventory period includes multiple time slots, and a tag selects a time slot in the inventory period to initiate random access.

[0003] During the random access process, after a reader receives one or more random access requests in a time slot, the reader will only send a collision resolution message to one tag, that is, at most one tag is allowed to successfully access within the same time slot. Before sending the collision resolution message, the reader will not trigger a new random access opportunity, so tags that have not sent random access requests can only wait to access.

[0004] From the above description, it can be seen that according to the current random access process, the number of tags accessing per unit time is small, the random access capacity is not high, and the efficiency of the random access process is low. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to improve communication efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as the environmental Internet of Things. The execution subject of this method is a network device or a module or chip in the network device. Here, the network device is used as an example of the execution subject for description. In this method, a first message is sent; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, and the first message indicates a first identifier; a first random access request message from a first terminal device is received at the first random access opportunity; the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier; before responding to the first random access request message, a second message is sent; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate random access with a terminal device associated with the second identifier.

[0007] Through the above process, the network device can trigger multiple processes in parallel, with each process corresponding to an identifier. Between two messages in the first process corresponding to the first identifier, the message of the second process corresponding to the second identifier can be transmitted. In this way, during the communication process between the network device and the first terminal device associated with the first process, the network device can communicate with the second terminal device associated with the second process, achieving the maximum utilization of the idle time-domain resources between the two messages, improving resource utilization, system capacity, and communication efficiency. Additionally, since each terminal device only responds to the message corresponding to the identifier of its associated process, the message of one process will not interfere with the terminal devices of another process, enhancing system reliability.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the first identifier is used to identify the first process, the second identifier is used to identify the second process, the values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, the first value represents the number of processes, and the first value is indicated by the first message or the third message, where the third message is a message preceding the first message.

[0010] In the above method, the maximum value of the number of processes is configured by the network side, enabling the network side to flexibly configure the number of processes according to the number of terminal devices and the message processing time, reducing the complexity of processing multi-process messages.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the maximum time interval between the first random access request message and the first response message corresponding to the first random access request message is a first time period; where the first time period is greater than or equal to the time required to send the second message and receive the second random access request message from the terminal device.

[0012] In the above method, by configuring the first time period to be greater than or equal to the time required to send the second message and receive the second random access request message from the terminal device, there is sufficient time to transmit the message of another process within the first time period between the two messages, avoiding message transmission conflicts and enhancing system reliability.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the first response message includes the first identifier and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

[0014] In the above method, the first response message including the first identifier enables the terminal device associated with the first identifier to determine to continue processing the message, causing the terminal devices not associated with the first identifier to ignore the message, thereby avoiding interference with the terminal devices associated with other identifiers.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner, the first message is a query message or a query repetition message, and the second message is a query repetition message.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving a second random access request message from a second terminal device at the second random access opportunity; the second terminal device is associated with the second identifier; sending a second response message corresponding to the second random access request message; wherein, the second message and the second random access request message are located between the first random access request message and the first response message.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, the first terminal device is an environmental Internet of Things terminal device.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner, the first message indicating the first identifier includes: the first identifier corresponding to the first process is a preset process, and the first message includes the first identifier; or, the first identifier corresponding to the first process is a non-preset process, and the first message does not include the first identifier.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving a fourth message from a core network device, the fourth message including first data and the first identifier; sending a fifth message to the first terminal device, the fifth message including the first data and the first identifier.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving an uplink message from the first terminal device, the uplink message including the first identifier and uplink data.

[0021] By the above method, since the uplink message of the first terminal device also carries the first identifier, the network side can determine the identifier associated with the first terminal device according to the first identifier, so as to distinguish the devices associated with different identifiers.

[0022] Second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as the Internet of Things for the environment. The execution entity of this method is a terminal device or a module or chip in the terminal device. Here, the terminal device is taken as an example of the execution entity for description. In this method, a first message is received; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, the first message indicates a first identifier, and the first random access opportunity is used to initiate a random access with the terminal device of the first identifier; it is determined to be associated with the first identifier, and a first random access request message is sent at the first random access opportunity; a second message is received; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate a random access with the terminal device of the second identifier; it is determined not to be associated with the second identifier, and the second message is ignored or discarded.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the first identifier is used to identify a first process, the second identifier is used to identify a second process, the values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, the first value represents the number of processes, and the first value is indicated by the first message or a third message, and the third message is a message before the first message.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, the determining to be associated with the first identifier includes: if the first identifier is equal to a third identifier of a process associated with a first terminal device, then it is associated with the first identifier; wherein, the third identifier is determined according to the first value.

[0025] In a possible implementation manner, the determining the third identifier according to the first value includes: taking a value less than or equal to the first value as the third identifier; or, determining the third identifier according to the device identifier of the first terminal device and the first value.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the maximum time interval between the first random access request message and a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message is a first time period; wherein, the first time period is greater than or equal to the time required to send the second message, or, the first time period is greater than or equal to the time required to send the second message and receive a second random access request message from the terminal device.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message from the network device, the first response message includes the first identifier, and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the first message is a query message or a query duplicate message, and the second message is a query duplicate message.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the first terminal device is an environmental Internet of Things terminal device.

[0030] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a communication device, which can implement any method provided in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect. The communication device can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes: a processor configured to support the communication device to execute the corresponding functions of the network device or the terminal device in the above method. The communication device may further include a memory, which can be coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data of the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit for supporting the communication between the communication device and devices such as terminal devices.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules for implementing the steps in the above method respectively. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0033] In a possible implementation manner, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, and these units can execute the corresponding functions in the above method examples. For specific details, refer to the description of the methods provided in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and details will not be elaborated here.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit 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. The processor realizes the functional modules of the methods in any possible implementation manner in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect through logic circuits or by executing computer programs or instructions. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions.

[0035] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which computer programs or instructions are stored. When the computer programs or instructions are executed by a processor, the methods in any possible implementation manner in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect are realized.

[0036] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer program product storing instructions. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to second aspect is implemented.

[0037] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a circuit, which is used to execute the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to second aspect. The circuit may include a chip circuit. Optionally, the circuit may also be coupled to a memory.

[0038] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a chip, which includes a processor. When the processor executes a computer program or instructions, it is used to implement the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to second aspect. Optionally, the chip may further include a memory. The chip may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0039] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a communication device, which includes a processor. The processor implements the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to second aspect through a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instructions.

[0040] In a tenth aspect, there is provided a communication device, which includes a unit or module for executing the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to second aspect.

[0041] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system. The communication system includes: a network device for implementing the method in the foregoing first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect; a terminal device for implementing the method in the foregoing second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. Description of the Drawings

[0042] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an access network device architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an environmental Internet of Things architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an inventory process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication method process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication method process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a communication method process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0055] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The terms "first", "second" and their corresponding term numbers in the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not have to be used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, which is only a way of distinguishing objects with the same attributes when describing the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product or device including a series of units does not have to be limited to those units, but may include other units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0056] The method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various mobile communication systems. For example, it can be the Internet of Things (IoT), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), the 4th generation (4G) communication system (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE)), the 5th generation (5G) communication system (such as 5G New Radio (NR)), or a hybrid architecture of LTE and NR. It can also be 6G or a new communication system emerging in the future development of communications, etc. The communication system can also include a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), or other networks. Exemplarily, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a communication system that supports Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) technology.

[0057] The method and apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application are based on the same or similar technical concepts. Since the principles of the method and apparatus for solving problems are similar, the implementation of the apparatus and the method can be referred to each other, and the repeated parts will not be elaborated.

[0058] Hereinafter, some terms in the embodiments of the present application will be explained first to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0059] The communication device involved in the present application can be a device, equipment, chip, or module capable of communicating with other devices in a wireless and / or wired manner, including but not limited to devices such as network devices and terminal devices.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device is a device in a wireless network, and the network device may also be referred to as a network apparatus, a radio access network device, or an access network device. For example, the network device may be a radio access network (RAN) node that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, and may also be referred to as an access network device. The network device includes but is not limited to: a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, an access network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN), a next generation NodeB in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, etc.; or it may be a module or unit that completes some functions of the base station. For example, it may be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a central unit control plane (CU-CP) module, or a central unit user plane (CU-UP) module. The access network device may be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, or a relay node, a donor node, etc. In the present application, no specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device are limited.

[0061] Such as Figure 1As shown, in some implementations, a network device may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The RAN device, which includes the CU node and the DU node, splits the protocol layers of the gNB in the NR system. The functions of some protocol layers are centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining or all protocol layers are distributed in the DU, with the CU centrally controlling the DU. Further, the CU can be further divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP). Among them, CU-CP is responsible for the control plane functions, mainly including radio resource control (RRC) and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) corresponding to the control plane (i.e., PDCP-C). PDCP-C is mainly responsible for encryption, decryption, integrity protection, data transmission, etc. of the control plane data. CU-UP is responsible for the user plane functions, mainly including the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and the PDCP corresponding to the user plane (i.e., PDCP-U). Among them, SDAP is mainly responsible for processing the data of the core network and mapping the flow to the bearer. PDCP-U is mainly responsible for encryption, decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, data transmission, etc. of the data plane. Among them, CU-CP and CU-UP are connected through the E1 interface. CU-CP represents the gNB and is connected to the core network through the NG interface, and is connected to the DU through the control plane of the F1 interface (i.e., F1-C). CU-UP is connected to the DU through the user plane of the F1 interface (i.e., F1-U). Of course, there is also a possible implementation where PDCP-C is also in CU-UP.

[0062] It can be understood that in different systems, the CU (including CU-CP or CU-UP), or the DU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, the CU may also be referred to as O-CU (open CU), the DU may also be referred to as O-DU, the CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, and the CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, and DU are used as examples in this application for description. The network device may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some functions of the gNB, and the DU implements some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services and implementing the functions of the RRC layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, and physical (PHY) layer. In some deployments, the CU may also be divided into a centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) node and a centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) node. Among them, the CU-CP is responsible for the control plane function, and the CU-UP is responsible for the user plane function.

[0063] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving scheduling and indication information from a network device. The terminal device may be referred to as a terminal device, and may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device may be a device including wireless communication functions (providing voice / data connectivity to users). For example, a handheld device with wireless connection functions, or an in-vehicle device, an in-vehicle module, etc. Currently, some examples of terminal devices are: mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, palmtop computer, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in vehicle-to-everything (V2X), wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, or wireless terminal in smart home, device-to-device (D2D) terminal device, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication terminal device, intelligent vehicle, telematics box (or in-vehicle sending unit), machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal device, internet of things (IoT) terminal device, etc. For example, the terminal device may be an in-vehicle device, a vehicle device, an in-vehicle module, a vehicle, an on-board unit (OBU), a roadside unit (RSU), a T-box, a chip, or a system on chip (SOC), etc., and the above chip or SOC may be installed in a vehicle, an OBU, an RSU, or a T-box. The wireless terminal in industrial control may be a camera, a robot, etc. The wireless terminal in smart home may be a TV, an air conditioner, a floor sweeper, a speaker, a set-top box, etc.The terminal device can also be a V2X device. For example, a smart car (or intelligent car), a digital car, an unmanned car (or driverless car or pilotless car or automobile), a self-driving car (or autonomous car), a pure electric vehicle (pure EV or Battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range extended EV (REEV), a plug-in HEV (PHEV), a new energy vehicle, or a road site unit (RSU). The terminal device can also be a device in device-to-device (D2D) communication, such as an electricity meter, a water meter, etc. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a tag in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, so as to realize an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-object interconnection.

[0064] A tag can also be referred to as an electronic tag, an RFID tag, or a tag device. Alternatively, a tag can also be referred to as an AIoT terminal device or an AIoT device. In the present application, a tag can be used as a type of terminal device to communicate with a network device.

[0065] In one classification method, the types of tags can be divided into passive tags, semi-passive tags, and active tags. Among them, passive tags and semi-passive tags can use a communication method based on backscatter, and active tags use a communication method of actively generating a carrier wave.

[0066] In another classification method, tags can be divided into the following three types of devices:

[0067] Device A: It has no energy storage, cannot independently generate signals, and uses backscatter to transmit signals;

[0068] Device B: It has energy storage, but cannot independently generate signals, and uses backscatter to transmit signals. The stored energy can amplify the reflected signals;

[0069] Device C: It has energy storage, can generate signals independently, and has active radio frequency components for transmission.

[0070] The tag in this application can be any one of the above three types of devices.

[0071] The tag uses a low-precision, low-power medium-low frequency ring oscillator or completely no local oscillator to receive the downlink signal. When the tag works, the energy and carrier for communication come from the reader. It communicates based on the reflected carrier. For example, as Figure 2 shown, the reader can send a carrier signal to the tag, and the tag receives the carrier signal through the antenna. The solid line in the figure is the carrier signal sent by the reader, and the dotted line represents the reflected signal transmitted by the tag based on the carrier signal reflection. The tag can adjust the information to be transmitted in the reflected signal. Through the above method, the tag uses a low-precision, low-power medium-low frequency ring oscillator or completely no local oscillator to receive the downlink signal, which can further reduce the power consumption of the tag's downlink reception.

[0072] The tag is a miniature wireless transceiver device, mainly including a built-in tag device antenna, a coupling element, and a chip. The chip of the tag has a storage space that can support the reader to read or write tag data. After the tag receives the radio frequency signal sent by the reader through the antenna, it can realize the coupling of the radio frequency signal through the coupling element, and then in the coupling channel, it can provide energy for the chip of the tag and feedback the data stored in the chip to the reader through the antenna. A communication network composed of a reader and a tag based on the cellular network infrastructure can be called a passive Internet of Things (IoT) network, or an ambient IoT network. The tag device can also be regarded as a kind of terminal device, which can be an active tag device, a passive tag device, or a semi-active tag device.

[0073] The ambient IoT system can be applied to passive or semi-passive IoT scenarios. For example, in the logistics and warehousing scenarios, inventory and tracking of goods can be carried out through tags, and the status of goods can also be monitored during the transportation of goods; for another example, in the industrial manufacturing scenarios, the environment and equipment status can be monitored through tags.

[0074] In the ambient IoT system, the following operations can be performed between the tag and the reader:

[0075] Inventory operation: The inventory operation can also be called the stocktaking operation. This operation can obtain the identification information of the tag. For example, the reader can use commands such as query and acknowledged (ACK) to obtain the identification information of the tag. To facilitate the inventory of tags, the tag includes a total of 4 session identifiers from S0 to S3. Each session identifier corresponds to two inventory states: A and B. The inventory state is indicated by the sessInventoried flag. When the reader selects a tag, the select command sent to it will carry a session identifier, and the tag will store this session identifier. When the reader performs an inventory operation on the tag, the query command sent to it will include this session identifier. At this time, the tag can flip the inventory state corresponding to this session identifier from A to B. If the reader sends a query command again to perform an inventory operation, since the inventory state in the tag is B, the tag will not respond to this reader, thus avoiding the same tag being inventoried multiple times in one inventory cycle.

[0076] Read operation: The read operation can read the electronic product code (EPC), tag identifier (TID), the content stored in the reserved area of the tag, or the content stored in the user storage area, etc. in the storage area of the tag.

[0077] Write operation: The write operation can perform a write operation on the storage area of the tag.

[0078] Kill operation: The kill operation can make the tag never work.

[0079] Lock operation: The lock operation can lock the information of the tag, which can prevent reading or writing operations on this tag. Or, the lock operation can also lock the storage area, which can prevent or allow reading or writing operations on this storage area.

[0080] The above are just examples. Other operations can also be performed between the tag and the reader. They will not be elaborated one by one here.

[0081] Among them, the reader involved in this embodiment can be a device for reading or writing tag information, either handheld or fixed, and can also be understood as a device communicating with the tag. The reader can be a terminal device, a network device, or a device with reading and writing functions. The reader can also be an IAB node or a relay node.

[0082] In this application, predefined content generally refers to information that is defined by a standard, does not require configuration by other devices, and is pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself. Or it can be understood as information that cannot be changed by the network device or other terminal devices. Preconfigured content generally refers to information that is pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, which is determined by the device manufacturer at the time of factory shipment and can be changed through software or hardware.

[0083] (Pre)configuration can be divided into network device (pre)configuration and terminal device (pre)configuration. If it is network device (pre)configuration, it can be (pre)configured through a system information block (SIB) or RRC signaling; if it is terminal device (pre)configuration, it can be (pre)configured according to PC5-RRC signaling.

[0084] Figure 3 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As Figure 3 shown, the communication system includes a network device and a tag. The tag can be an independent device, or the tag can be integrated with the terminal device, that is, the tag is part of the terminal device. In this communication system, the network device can have the function of a reader in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, that is, the network device can communicate with the tag as a reader.

[0085] Figure 4 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As Figure 4 shown, the communication system includes a terminal device and a tag. The tag can be an independent device, or the tag can be integrated with the terminal device. In this communication system, the terminal device can have the function of a reader in an RFID system, that is, the terminal device can communicate with the tag as a reader.

[0086] Figure 5 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of another communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As Figure 5 shown, the communication system includes a network device, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and a tag. The communication system may further include other devices, such as a terminal device and other devices. In this communication system, the network device can have the function of a reader in an RFID system, the IAB node can act as a relay node between the network device and the tag, the tag transmits information to the IAB node, and the IAB node forwards the information to the network device through the uu interface.

[0087] In this application, the communication system including a network device, a terminal device, and a tag can also be a system with a split architecture. In this communication system, as Figure 6 shown, the network device and the terminal device can communicate directly. The network device can also have the function of a reader in an RFID system. There is an uplink connection between the tag and the network device, and a downlink connection between the tag and the terminal device. The terminal device can transmit information to the tag, and the tag then forwards the information to the network device. Or, there is a downlink connection between the tag and the network device, and an uplink connection between the tag and the terminal device. The network device can transmit information to the tag, and the tag then forwards the information to the terminal network device. Among them, the energy required for the tag to send information can be provided by an excitation signal, and the excitation signal can come from the network device or the terminal device.

[0088] In AIoT, before the reader performs an inventory operation on the tag, the tag needs to access the reader through a random access method. After the tag randomly accesses the reader, it can report the identifier of the tag to the reader, so that the reader can determine the presence of tags within the coverage area. For example, as Figure 7 shown, a schematic diagram of an inventory process is shown. The names of the various messages in the following process are only examples, and there may be other message names, which will not be elaborated here.

[0089] Step 701: The reader sends a paging or select signaling for selecting or paging one or a group of tags to access.

[0090] The paging or select signaling includes mask information (mask) or a group identifier. A mask information or a group identifier can match multiple tags. If the mask information included in the tag matches the mask information included in the paging or select signaling, it indicates that the tag is selected. Or if the group identifier included in the tag matches the group identifier included in the paging or select signaling, it indicates that the tag is selected.

[0091] Alternatively, the paging or select command can include a session identifier and / or action indication information. The session identifier can represent the group where the tag is located. For example, the session identifier can include a total of 4 types: S0, S1, S2, and S3. Each session corresponds to two states, and a flag bit can be used to identify the state of the session. The value of the flag bit can be 0 or 1, or other values, such as B or A, etc.

[0092] If the paging or select command includes a session identifier, such as S1, it means to select the tag with the included session identifier of S1. The action indication information instructs the tag paged or selected by select to set the flag bit corresponding to the indicated session identifier (if there is only one, there is no need to indicate only for this session identifier) to the value indicated by the action indication information. For example, if the session identifier is S1 and the value indicated by the action indication information is 0, then the tag will set the flag bit of session identifier S1 to 0 according to the action indication information. For the unselected tags, the flag bit corresponding to S1 will be set to the opposite value, for example, set to 1. Of course, the unselected tags can also not make any change to the flag bit corresponding to S1.

[0093] Step 702: The reader sends a Query signaling, which is used to initialize an inventory cycle.

[0094] The Query signaling includes the value of parameter Q, which is used to determine the total number of time slots included in the inventory cycle indicated by the reader.

[0095] For example, if Q = 4, the total number of time slots included in the inventory cycle is 2 Q 。

[0096] Step 703: The tag selects a time slot to send a random number.

[0097] For example, the tag can send a 16-bit random number (random number 16, RN16).

[0098] Here, taking RN16 as an example, the tag can also send random numbers of other lengths, such as 8-bit random numbers.

[0099] Specifically, the tag can calculate the access time slot range as [0, 2 Q -1] according to the Q value. The tag generates a random number between [0, 2 Q -1] according to the Q value and uses this random number as the initial value of the counter. For example, if Q = 4, the random number generated by the tag is one of [0, 15]. For example, the random number generated by the tag is 10, and the initial value of the counter is 10.

[0100] Whenever the tag receives a QueryRep signaling, the value of the counter is decremented by one. When the value of the counter is equal to 0, the tag can send RN16, which can be used to trigger the random access process and can be used as a random access request message. Among them, the first time slot after the Query signaling is time slot 0. If the random number generated by the tag is 0, it can send RN16 immediately after receiving the Query signaling.

[0101] Step 704: If the reader successfully receives the RN16, it feeds back an acknowledge (ACK) message, which contains the RN16 from the tag.

[0102] This ACK message can also be referred to as a random access response message or a collision resolution message.

[0103] Step 705: When the tag receives the ACK message including its own RN16, it sends uplink data to the reader.

[0104] When the tag receives the ACK message including its own RN16, it determines that the random access is successful, and thus can send uplink data. For example, the uplink data can be the electronic product code (EPC) of the tag. The tag can also flip the flag bit, such as from state A to state B.

[0105] If the ACK message received by the tag does not include its own RN16, the tag ignores the ACK message and determines that the random access fails.

[0106] After the reader receives the uplink data from the tag, it can send a query repetition signaling to trigger the next time slot.

[0107] In the above inventory process, after the reader receives the random number from the tag, if it allows the tag to access, it can only wait for the tag to send uplink data and then trigger the next tag access through the query repetition signaling, that is, at most 1 tag is allowed to access each time. Before sending the collision resolution message, the reader will not trigger a new random access opportunity either. Therefore, the tags that have not sent random access requests can only wait for access, resulting in a small number of tags accessing within a unit time, low random access capacity, and low efficiency of the random access process.

[0108] Therefore, this application provides a method that can improve the random access capacity and the random access efficiency.

[0109] The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for more clearly explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. Those of ordinary skill in the art know that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0110] The method provided by this application is applied to Figures 3 to 6 in the system, and can be implemented by Figures 3 to 6 the terminal device in Figures 3 to 6The network device or the module in the network device implements the method executed by the network device in the embodiments of the present application.

[0111] It can be understood that the present application does not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The method executed by the terminal device in the present application can be applied to the terminal device or the module in the terminal device. The method executed by the network-side device can be applied to the network device or the module in the network device, or can also be applied to the terminal device or the module in the terminal device, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application by running the program recording the code of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0112] In the following, the interaction between the terminal device and the network device is taken as an example for description. In practical applications, the method provided in the present application can also be applicable to the interaction between terminal devices, and the method provided in the present application can also be applicable to the interaction between a tag (or an AIoT device) and a terminal device. Or, it can be understood that in the following various processes, the terminal device can also be replaced by a tag or device A or device B or device C or an AIoT device, and the network device can also be replaced by a reader or a terminal device. In the present application, the message names in the following various embodiments are only examples and do not represent limitations on each message.

[0113] Since it takes a certain amount of time for the network device or the terminal device to process messages, there will be a period of idle time-domain resources between the message sent by the terminal device and the message received by the network device. Similarly, there will also be a period of idle time-domain resources between the message sent by the network device and the message received by the terminal device. In the present application, the network device can configure multiple processes, and the terminal device can independently select a process. The message sent by the network device includes the identifier of the process. For example, the selection message or the query message includes the identifier of a process. The terminal device only responds to the message including the identifier of the process associated with itself and ignores the messages of other processes. Thus, the network device can send the message of another process between the messages of one process, improving the communication efficiency, which will be described in detail below.

[0114] In the present application, since one process is associated with at least one terminal device and the terminal device only responds to the message including the identifier of the process associated with itself, multiple terminal devices within the coverage of the network device or multiple terminal devices selected by the network device can be understood as belonging to different groups, or belonging to different sessions or categories. Therefore, the process in the present application can also be expressed by other nouns, such as grouping or group number, session or category, etc.

[0115] As Figure 8 shown, it is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The method includes:

[0116] Step 801: The network device sends a first message.

[0117] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first message.

[0118] Wherein, the first message indicates a first identifier. The first identifier is used to identify a first process, that is, the first message can be a message in the first process corresponding to the first identifier, and the receiving end of the first message is a terminal device associated with the first process or the first identifier.

[0119] How the first message indicates the first identifier is not limited in this application. For example, if the network device configures multiple processes, each process corresponds to an identifier. The first message can include the first identifier. Or, if the first process corresponding to the first identifier is a preset process, for example, the preset process is the process with the identifier 0, then the first message may not include the first identifier, that is, in the case where the network device configures multiple processes, the message in the preset process may not include the identifier of the preset process.

[0120] In this application, there may be multiple implementation manners for how the network device configures multiple processes. For example, in Implementation Manner 1, the network device can indicate a first value, and the first value represents the number of processes or the maximum value of the process identifiers. The number of processes can represent the number corresponding to the multiple processes configured by the network device; the maximum value of the process identifiers can represent the maximum value that the identifiers of all processes configured by the network device can reach.

[0121] For example, the network device indicates the first value through the first message or the third message, and the third message can be a message sent before the first message, for example, the third message is a selection message.

[0122] In this implementation manner, the identifier of each process in the multiple processes configured by the network device can be less than or equal to the first value. For example, the maximum value of the process identifier is 5, that is, the first value is 5. Assuming that the process identifier starts from 0, then the value range of the process identifier of each process in the multiple processes is [0, 5], and then the terminal device can determine a value within the range of [0, 5] as the identifier of the process associated with itself.

[0123] For another example, the number of processes is 5, that is, the first value is 5. Assuming that the process identifier starts from 0, then the value range of the process identifier of each process in the multiple processes is [0, 4], and then the terminal device can determine a value within the range of [0, 4] as the identifier of the process associated with itself.

[0124] Implementation method 2: The network device can indicate the value range of a process identifier. For example, the network device indicates the value range of a process identifier through the first message or the third message. The terminal device can select a value from the value range as the identifier of the process associated with itself. For example, the minimum process identifier included in the value range indicated by the network device is 3, and the maximum process identifier is 7. The terminal device can select a process identifier between 3 and 7.

[0125] In this application, the value ranges of the process identifiers corresponding to the processes set by different network devices or adjacent network devices are different. It can be understood that the identifiers of the processes configured by different network devices are different, or there is no intersection between the identifiers of the processes configured between overlapping network devices. In this way, even if the coverage areas of different network devices have overlapping regions, the downlink signaling is distinguished by different process identifiers, and the terminal devices under one network device will not respond to the signaling of other network devices. For example, the first network device configures 3 processes, and the value range of the process identifiers of these 3 processes is [0, 2]; the second network device configures 5 processes, and the value range of the process identifiers of these 5 processes is [3, 7]. In this way, among the processes configured by different network devices, there are no processes with the same identifier, and each terminal device only responds to the messages with the identifier of the process associated with itself. In this way, the downlink messages sent by the first network device will not affect the terminal devices in the second network device, and the downlink messages sent by the second network device will not affect the terminal devices in the first network device.

[0126] This application does not limit the specific name and function of the first message (or the operation that the first message instructs the terminal device to perform). The first message can be any message sent by the network device to the terminal device. For example, the first message includes, but is not limited to, any of the following messages:

[0127] The first message is a select message, and the first message is used to select one or a group of terminal devices;

[0128] Alternatively, the first message is a paging message, and the first message is used to page one or a group of terminal devices;

[0129] Alternatively, the first message is a query message, which is used to indicate the total number of time units included in an inventory cycle and trigger a time unit or a random access opportunity. The time unit may include a random access opportunity, and the terminal device may initiate a random access during the random access opportunity. In this case, it can be understood that the first message is used to initialize an inventory cycle, and the first message is also used to trigger the paged or selected terminal device to access the network or initiate a random access. When the first message is used to trigger a time unit or a random access opportunity, the reception time of the first message by the terminal device or the transmission time of the first message by the network device may represent the start time of the time unit or random access opportunity triggered by the first message.

[0130] Alternatively, the first message is a read message, which is used to read the electronic product code (EPC), tag identifier (TID), content stored in the reserved area, or content stored in the user storage area, etc. in the storage area of the terminal device.

[0131] Alternatively, the first message is a write message, which is used to write data to the storage area of the terminal device.

[0132] Alternatively, the first message is a queryrep message, which is used to trigger a time unit or a random access opportunity. The time unit may include a random access opportunity, and the terminal device may initiate a random access during the random access opportunity. In this case, it can be understood that the first message is also used to trigger the paged or selected terminal device to access the network or initiate a random access.

[0133] Alternatively, the first message is an ACK message, which can also be referred to as a contention resolution message or a random access response message.

[0134] The above are just examples. The first message can also be other types of messages, which will not be elaborated one by one here.

[0135] In this application, after the first terminal device receives the first message, if the first terminal device is associated with the first process or the first identifier, then the first terminal device will respond to the first message and / or perform the operations indicated by the first message. If the first terminal device is not associated with the first process or the first identifier, then the first terminal device will ignore or discard the first message. Here, it is described by taking the first terminal device associated with the first process or the first identifier as an example. There may also be other terminal devices associated with the first process or the first identifier. Since the first identifier is used to identify the first process, the first terminal device being associated with the first process is equivalent to the first terminal device being associated with the first identifier.

[0136] This application does not limit how the first terminal device determines the association with the first identifier. For example, assume that the identifier of the process associated with the first terminal device is the third identifier. If the first terminal device determines that the first identifier is equal to the third identifier, then the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier.

[0137] This application does not limit how the first terminal device determines the third identifier. For example, the network device may configure multiple processes. For example, the network device may indicate a first value through a first message or a third message. After the first terminal device obtains the first value, it can determine the third identifier of the process associated with itself according to the first value.

[0138] There may be multiple implementation manners for how the terminal device specifically determines the identifier of the process associated with itself.

[0139] For example, in implementation manner one, the first terminal device uses a second value less than or equal to the first value as the third identifier of the process associated with itself. For example, the maximum value of the process identifier is 5. Assume that the process identifier starts from 0, then the value range of the process identifier is [0, 5]. Then the terminal device can randomly select a value within the range of [0, 5] as the third identifier of the process associated with itself.

[0140] In implementation manner two, the first terminal device determines the third identifier according to the device identifier of the first terminal device and the first value. For example, the third identifier id satisfies the following form: id = DE_ID mod A. Where DE_ID is the device identifier of the first terminal device, and A is the first value. The device identifier may be the serving-temporary mobile subscriber identity (s-TMSI) of the first terminal device, or EPC, or radio network temporary identity (RNTI), or truncated device identifier, etc.

[0141] In implementation manner three, the first message or the third message may indicate a value range of a process identifier. The terminal device may select a value from the value range as the identifier of the process associated with itself. For example, the minimum process identifier is 3 and the maximum process identifier is 7. The terminal device then selects a process identifier between 3 and 7 as the identifier of the associated process. How to select specifically is not limited. For example, a identifier can be randomly selected. Different network devices or neighboring network devices may set different process ranges.

[0142] Implementation method 4: If the first terminal device uses the identifier included in the first message as the identifier of the associated process; the first downlink message is a message for triggering the first terminal device to initiate random access at a time unit or a random access occasion. For example, if the first terminal device determines to initiate random access at time unit a, and when the first terminal device receives downlink message b which is used to trigger time unit a, then the first terminal device uses the identifier included in downlink message b as the identifier of the associated process.

[0143] The above are just examples. The first terminal device can also determine the third identifier in other ways, and no further examples will be given here one by one.

[0144] Step 802: The first terminal device sends a first uplink message.

[0145] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first uplink message.

[0146] The first uplink message may include a first identifier. The first uplink message may be a message in response to the first message. For example, if the first message is a query message, the first uplink message may be a random access request message. If the first message is an acknowledgment message or a contention resolution message or a random access response message, the first uplink message may be a message including uplink data.

[0147] Wherein, the first terminal device is a passive device or a semi-passive device, or the first terminal device is an environmental Internet of Things terminal device, for example, the first terminal device is a tag.

[0148] Step 803: Before responding to the first uplink message, the network device sends a second message, and the second message indicates a second identifier.

[0149] Correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the second message.

[0150] Wherein, the second identifier is used to identify the second process, that is, the second message may be a message in the second process corresponding to the second identifier, and the receiving end of the second message is the terminal device associated with the second process or the second identifier.

[0151] When the second terminal device determines the association with the second identifier, it receives the second message. How the second terminal device determines the association with the second identifier can refer to the description of how the second terminal device determines the association with the first identifier in step 801, which will not be elaborated here.

[0152] Before a network device sends a second message in response to a first uplink message, the following implementation manners may exist. In one implementation manner, if the network device sends a response message to the first uplink message, before responding to the first uplink message, it may refer to before sending the response message to the first uplink message. In another implementation manner, if the network device does not send a response message to the first uplink message, before responding to the first uplink message, it may refer to before the moment when the interval between the first uplink message and the first uplink message reaches a first duration. Wherein, the first duration is the maximum duration between the first uplink message and the response message corresponding to the first uplink message, and the first duration is pre-configured or preset. To avoid the terminal device waiting indefinitely for a response message, the network device may configure the first duration. If the terminal device does not receive a response message within the first duration after sending an uplink message, it may stop waiting for the response message, determine that it will not receive a response message from the network device, or consider the transmission abnormal or a transmission failure.

[0153] The specific name and function of the second message (or the operation performed by the second message instructing the terminal device) are not limited. The second message may be any message sent by the network device to the terminal device. For details, reference may be made to the description of the first message above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0154] Step 804: The second terminal device sends a second uplink message to the network device.

[0155] Correspondingly, the network device receives the second uplink message.

[0156] The second uplink message may include a second identifier. The second uplink message may be a message in response to the second message. For example, if the second message is a query message, the second uplink message may be a random access request message. If the second message is an acknowledgment message or a contention resolution message or a random access response message, the second uplink message may be a message including uplink data.

[0157] Wherein, the second terminal device is a passive device or a semi-passive device, or the second terminal device is an environmental Internet of Things terminal device, such as device A or device B. For example, the second terminal device is a tag.

[0158] In this application, taking steps 803 and 804 being executed between steps 802 and 805 as an example for description, to ensure that steps 803 and 804 can complete the transmission, when the network device configures the first duration, it may configure the first duration that satisfies the following conditions:

[0159] The first duration is greater than or equal to the duration required to send an uplink message to the terminal device and receive the corresponding downlink message of the uplink message.

[0160] For example, for steps 803 and 804, the first duration is greater than or equal to the duration required to send the second message and receive the second uplink message from the terminal device. If only step 803 is executed between steps 802 and 805, then the first duration is greater than or equal to the duration required to send the second message. Other cases are not elaborated here.

[0161] Step 805: The network device sends a first response message to the first uplink message, and the first response message includes a first identifier.

[0162] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first response message.

[0163] The specific content and function of the first response message are not limited. For example, if the first uplink message is a random access request message, the first response message is an acknowledgement message or a contention resolution message or a random access response message; if the first uplink message is a message including uplink data, the first response message is a query duplicate message.

[0164] Taking another example, if the core network device needs to send data to the terminal device associated with the first identifier, then the core network device can send a fourth message to the core network device, and the fourth message includes the first data and the first identifier. The network device determines, based on the first identifier, that the recipient of the first data is the terminal device associated with the first identifier, and thus can send a fifth message, and the fifth message includes the first data and the first identifier. For the first terminal device, which is associated with the first identifier, after receiving the fifth message, it determines that the fifth message includes the first identifier, and thus can save the first data. For the second terminal device, which is associated with the second identifier, after receiving the fifth message, it determines that the fifth message includes the first identifier, and thus discards or ignores the first data. Herein, the specific content of the first data is not limited, and it can be any data sent by the core network device. The core network device can be a device such as an AMF or an SMF, and this application does not limit this.

[0165] Optionally, in an implementation manner that does not support flag bits, if the terminal device accesses successfully, or accesses successfully and successfully completes data transmission, then it no longer responds to subsequent query messages (messages that trigger a new round of access). Specifically, it can be that it no longer responds to this message within a period of time, and this time can be predefined or configured by the network device.

[0166] The order of the above messages is only an example. In another implementation manner, steps 803 and 804 can also be executed between steps 801 and 802, and this application does not limit this.

[0167] Through the above process, the network device can trigger multiple processes in parallel. The messages in one process can be located between two messages in another process (i.e., in the idle time domain resources between two messages). For example, the second message in the second process is located between the first uplink message and the first response message in the first process. In this way, when the network device communicates with one terminal device in one process, it can communicate with another terminal device in another process, which can improve resource utilization and system capacity. In addition, since each terminal device only responds to the messages of its associated process, the messages of one process will not interfere with the terminal devices of another process, improving system reliability.

[0168] Combined with the previous description, the following describes the previous process through specific examples.

[0169] In Figure 9 the process, the network device can send multiple query messages, each query message is associated with a process, and each terminal device only responds to the messages in the process associated with itself.

[0170] As Figure 9 shown, it is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0171] Step 901: The network device sends a selection message, and the selection message is used to select or page one or a group of terminal devices to access.

[0172] The network device can send a selection message after receiving the first paging message from the core network, and the first paging message is used to page one or a group of terminal devices. The selection message can also be called a paging message or a selection signaling, etc., and the specific message name is not limited.

[0173] The selection message can include a session identifier and / or action indication information. The session identifier can represent the group where the selected terminal device is located. For example, the session identifier can include a total of 4 types: S0, S1, S2, and S3. Each session corresponds to two states, and the flag bit can be used to identify the state of the session. The value of the flag bit can be 0 or 1, or other values, such as B or A, etc. If the selection message includes a session identifier, such as S1, it means that the terminal device including the session identifier S1 is selected.

[0174] The action indication information instructs the terminal device selected by the selected message to set the flag bit corresponding to the indicated session identifier (if there is only one, there is no need to indicate, only for this session identifier) to the value indicated by the action indication information. For example, if the session identifier is S1 and the value indicated by the action indication information is 0, then the terminal device will set the flag bit of session identifier S1 to 0 according to the action indication information. For the unselected terminal device, the flag bit corresponding to S1 is set to the opposite value, for example, set to 1. Of course, the unselected terminal device can also not make any change to the flag bit corresponding to S1.

[0175] Optionally, if there is only one flag bit for the label, then there is no need to indicate which flag bit or which session operation in the selection message. If there are multiple flag bits or multiple session identifiers, there may be action indication information (indicating a certain flag bit).

[0176] The selection message also indicates a first value, and the first value is the maximum value of the number of processes configured by the network device or the maximum value of the process identifier. For example, the selection message includes that the maximum value of the process identifier is 5. Assuming the process identifier starts from 0, it means that the network device has configured 6 processes. Or, the selection message can indicate the value range of the process identifier. For example, the network device has configured 6 processes, and the selection message indicates that the value range of the process identifier is [0, 5]. After receiving the selection message, all selected terminal devices can determine an identifier as the identifier of the process associated with themselves according to the first value or the value range of the process identifier indicated by the selection message. The specific process can refer to the previous description.

[0177] The selection message can also indicate a second duration T2. The second duration T2 can represent the maximum time interval for the terminal device to wait for the downlink message corresponding to the uplink message after sending the uplink message. Optionally, if there are multiple processes, the second duration configured for multi-process is greater than that for single-process. Optionally, the second duration T2 is only configured for multi-process. When there is only one process, the second duration T2 is not configured, and in this case, the second duration T2 can be the value specified by the protocol. Optionally, in different coverage levels, the values of the second duration are different. For example, the second duration configured in the case of high coverage level is less than that in the case of low coverage level.

[0178] The selection message can also include multi-process configuration information. The multi-process configuration information is used to indicate whether to use the multi-process feature, or it can be understood that the multi-process configuration information is used to indicate whether multiple processes are configured. If the selection message does not indicate the first value, there may be only 1 process, and the multi-process configuration information can indicate that multiple processes are not configured.

[0179] The selection message can also include other information, and the content included in the selection message is not limited in this application.

[0180] Optionally, when there are multiple processes, after the terminal device sends uplink data, it starts a timer to determine whether it receives the downlink data of the corresponding process before the timer times out. If it does not receive the data, it is considered that the transmission fails or is abnormal. Among them, the timing duration of the timer is the first duration.

[0181] Step 902: The network device sends a first query message, and the first query message is used to indicate the total number of time units X allocated, where X is an integer greater than 0.

[0182] The first query message includes a first identifier, and the first identifier can be the identifier of the first process. The receiving end of the first query message is the terminal device associated with the first process or the first identifier, and the X time units indicated by the first query message are allocated for the terminal device associated with the first identifier. If a terminal device is not associated with the first identifier, it can ignore or discard the first query message.

[0183] For example, for the first terminal device, which is associated with the first identifier, after receiving the first query message, it determines that the first query message includes the first identifier, so it can determine the total number of time units X and initiate random access by selecting a time unit according to the total number of time units X. For the second terminal device, which is associated with the second identifier, after receiving the first query message, it determines that the first query message includes the first identifier, so it discards or ignores the first query message.

[0184] The present application does not limit how the first query message indicates the total number of time units. For example, the first query message includes the value of a parameter Q, and this parameter Q is used to determine the total number of time units allocated by the network device in an inventory cycle. For example, if Q = 4, then the total number of time units is X = 2 Q = 16, that is, the first query message indicates 16 time units. The first query message can also be called a query signaling or other names.

[0185] In the present application, the time unit can refer to a time slot, or it can refer to a subframe or a frame, etc. The lengths of different time units may be the same or different. For example, in the present application, a time unit is triggered by a trigger message (for example, it can be a query message or a query repetition message), and the length of a time unit in the time domain can be the interval between two adjacent trigger messages. The label determines the specific number of time slots according to the number of received trigger messages or the time unit index carried in the trigger message.

[0186] The first query message may also trigger a first time unit or a first random access opportunity. The first time unit is the first time unit among the X time units indicated by the first query message, and the first time unit includes the first random access opportunity. When the first query message is used to trigger the first time unit or the first random access opportunity, the reception moment when the terminal device receives the first query message, or the transmission moment when the network device sends the first query message, may represent the start moment of the first time unit or the first random access opportunity triggered by the first query message. The terminal device associated with the first identifier may initiate a random access during the first random access opportunity.

[0187] The first query message may further include the specific value of the first flag bit; for example, the selection message indicates that the first flag bit is set to A or 1, and the first query message may include the value of the first flag bit (such as A or 1). If the selection message also indicates a session identifier, the first query message may further include the corresponding session identifier. For example, if the session identifier included in the selection message is S1, the first query message may also include S1. The session identifier and the value of the first flag bit included in the first query message are used to indicate the access of the terminal device that matches the value of the first flag bit.

[0188] For example, the value of the first flag bit is status A, indicating that the first query message is used to select the terminal device with the first flag bit in status A to access the network or initiate a random access. If the flag bit of a terminal device is in status A and matches the first flag bit, then the terminal device can be determined to be selected; if the flag bit of the terminal device is in status B and does not match the first flag bit, then the terminal device can be determined not to be selected and may no longer execute the subsequent steps.

[0189] For another example, the first query message includes the session identifier S1, and the value of the first flag bit is status A, which is used to indicate that the terminal device with the flag bit corresponding to the session identifier S1 in status A accesses the network or initiates a random access. If the flag bit corresponding to the session identifier S1 of a terminal device is in status A and matches the first flag bit, then the terminal device can be determined to be selected; if the flag bit corresponding to the session identifier S1 of a terminal device is in status B and does not match the first flag bit, then the terminal device can be determined not to be selected and may no longer execute the subsequent steps.

[0190] The first query message may further include other information, and the content included in the first query message is not limited in this application.

[0191] Step 903: The first terminal device sends a first random access request message to the network device during the first time unit or the first random access opportunity.

[0192] Correspondingly, the network device receives a first random access request message in a first time unit or a first random access opportunity. The first random access opportunity is within the first time unit.

[0193] The first random access request message is used to initiate random access. The first random access request message sent by the first terminal device may include a 16-bit random number RN16, or an 8-bit random number, or a random number of multiple bits indicated in a paging message or a selection message, and may also include information such as a random access preamble. This application does not limit this. The first random access request message further includes a first identifier, so that the network device can determine the process associated with the first terminal device according to the first identifier.

[0194] In this application, after the first terminal device receives the first query message, if the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier, then the first terminal device will determine whether to send the first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity. If the first terminal device is not associated with the first identifier, then the first terminal device will ignore or discard the first message. Here, the case where the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier is used as an example for description. There may also be other terminal devices associated with the first identifier.

[0195] This application does not limit how the first terminal device determines the identifier of the process associated with itself. For example, the first terminal device may determine an identifier (such as the first identifier) as the identifier of the process associated with itself according to the maximum value of the number of processes indicated in the selection message or the maximum value of the process identifiers or the value range of the process identifiers. The specific process can refer to the description in step 801 and will not be elaborated here. Correspondingly, if the first terminal device determines that the identifier it selects is the same as the first identifier, it determines that it is associated with the first identifier and determines that it is the receiver of the first query message. The first terminal device can respond to the first query message.

[0196] One implementation is that the identifiers of the processes configured by different network devices are different, or there is no intersection between the identifiers of the processes configured between overlapping network devices. In this way, even if the coverage ranges of different network devices have overlapping areas, the downlink signaling is distinguished by different process identifiers, and the terminal devices under one network device will not respond to the signaling of other network devices. For example, the first network device configures 3 processes, and the value range of the process identifiers of these 3 processes is [0, 2]; the second network device configures 5 processes, and the value range of the process identifiers of these 5 processes is [3, 7]. In this way, among the processes configured by different network devices, there are no processes with the same identifier, and each terminal device only responds to the message with the identifier of the process associated with itself. In this way, the downlink message sent by the first network device will not affect the terminal devices in the second network device, and the downlink message sent by the second network device will not affect the terminal devices in the first network device.

[0197] In another implementation, if the network device sends a selection message and then sends a sixth message, and if the sixth message indicates the maximum number of processes or the maximum process identifier or the value range of the process identifier, then the first terminal device may re-determine the identifier of a process associated with itself according to the sixth message, and the first terminal device may determine the time unit for initiating random access according to the updated identifier. The specific process will not be elaborated here.

[0198] This application describes the example where the first terminal device sends a first random access request message in the first time unit. The first terminal device may also send the first random access request message in other time units. This application does not limit in which time unit the first terminal device specifically sends the first random access request message.

[0199] For example, the first terminal device may determine the time unit for sending the first random access request message in the following manner. The first query message includes Q, and the first terminal device determines that the total number of time units indicated by the first query message according to Q is 2 Q , assuming that these time units are numbered starting from 0, then the index range of these time units is [0, 2 Q -1]. The first terminal device generates a random number within [0, 2 Q -1] according to the value of Q. The first terminal device may determine the time unit for sending the first random access request message according to this random number. Specifically, there may be the following implementation manners.

[0200] Implementation manner 1: The first terminal device uses this random number as the initial value of the first counter. Whenever the first terminal device receives a QueryRep message including the first identifier, the value of the first counter is decremented by 1. When the value of the first counter is equal to 0, the first terminal device may send a first random access request. Among them, the first time unit triggered by the first query message is time unit 0. If the random number generated by the first terminal device is 0, the first random access request message may be sent after receiving the first query message.

[0201] Implementation manner 2: The first terminal device starts counting the first counter from 0. Every time it receives a QueryRep message including the first identifier, the value of the first counter is incremented by 1. When the value of the first counter is equal to this random number, the first terminal device may send a first random access request message.

[0202] Implementation method 3: The time unit index is carried in the first query duplicate message. If the received time unit index matches the random number generated by the first terminal device, the first terminal device can send the first random access request message. For example, if the random number generated by the terminal device is 5, and a query duplicate message including the first identifier and a time unit index of 5 is received, then the time unit index matches the random number, and the first terminal device can send the first random access request message. Among them, if the query duplicate message includes the index of the time unit, for one process, the index carried in the first query duplicate message sent by the network device is 1, the index carried in the second query duplicate message sent by the network device is 2, and so on for other cases.

[0203] Among them, the query duplicate message can be used to trigger a time unit, or the query duplicate message can be used to trigger the update of the time unit. It can be understood that the reception time of the query duplicate message is the end time of the previous time unit and the start time of the next time unit. Among them, the query message can also be used to trigger time unit 0. It can be understood that the first time unit after the query message is time unit 0, and the reception time of the query message is the start time of time unit 0. If the random number generated by the first terminal device is 0, the time unit for initiating random access is time unit 0. After receiving the query message, the first terminal device sends the first random access request message in time unit 0.

[0204] In one time unit, multiple terminal devices may send random access request messages. For example, if the random numbers generated by two terminal devices are the same, then these two terminal devices will send random access request messages in the same time unit or random access opportunity. In this application, an example is described where a terminal device sends a first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity, and other cases will not be elaborated.

[0205] Optionally, when there are multiple processes, after the first terminal device sends the first random access request message, it starts a timer to determine whether a response message corresponding to the first random access request message is received before the timer times out. If no response message is received, it is considered that the transmission fails or is abnormal. Among them, the timing duration of the timer is the first duration.

[0206] Assume that the number of processes selected for message configuration is greater than 2. Then, before the network device responds to the first random access request message, it may send a message related to the second process corresponding to the second identifier, which may specifically include step 904 and step 905. Among them, in one implementation, if the network device sends a response message to the first random access request message, "before responding to the first random access request message" may refer to before sending the response message to the first random access request message. In another implementation, if the network device does not send a response message to the first random access request message, "before responding to the first random access request message" may refer to before the moment when the interval from the first random access request message reaches the first time duration.

[0207] Step 904: The network device sends a second query message, and the second query message is used to indicate the total number of time units Y allocated, where Y is an integer greater than 0.

[0208] The second query message includes a second identifier, and the second identifier may be the identifier of the second process. The receiving end of the second query message is the terminal device associated with the second process or the second identifier, and the Y time units indicated by the second query message are allocated for the terminal device associated with the second identifier. If a terminal device is not associated with the second identifier, it may ignore or discard the second query message.

[0209] For example, for the first terminal device, which is associated with the first identifier, after receiving the second query message and determining that the second query message includes the second identifier, it discards or ignores the first query message. For the second terminal device, which is associated with the second identifier, after receiving the second query message and determining that the second query message includes the second identifier, it can determine the total number of time units Y and initiate random access at a selected time unit according to the total number of time units Y.

[0210] This application does not limit how the second query message indicates the total number of time units Y, and reference may be specifically made to the description in step 902.

[0211] The second query message may also trigger a second time unit or a second random access opportunity. The second time unit is the first time unit among the Y time units indicated by the second query message, and the second time unit includes the second random access opportunity. When the second query message is used to trigger the second time unit or the second random access opportunity, the receiving moment when the terminal device receives the second query message, or the sending moment when the network device sends the second query message, may represent the starting moment of the second time unit or the second random access opportunity triggered by the second query message. The terminal device associated with the second identifier may initiate random access during the second random access opportunity.

[0212] The second query message may also include the specific value of the second flag bit and may also include a session identifier. For details, please refer to the description in step 902 and will not be elaborated here.

[0213] The second query message may also include other information. The content included in the second query message is not limited in this application.

[0214] Step 905: The second terminal device sends a second random access request message to the network device in the second time unit or the second random access opportunity.

[0215] Correspondingly, the network device receives the second random access request message in the second time unit or the second random access opportunity. The second random access opportunity is within the second time unit.

[0216] The second random access request message is used to initiate random access. The second random access request message sent by the second terminal device may include a 16-bit random number RN16, or an 8-bit random number, or a random number of multiple bits indicated in a paging message or a selection message, and may also include information such as a random access preamble. This application is not limited thereto. The second random access request message also includes a second identifier, so that the network device can determine the process associated with the second terminal device according to the second identifier.

[0217] The second terminal device may determine an identifier (such as the second identifier) as the identifier of the process associated with itself according to the maximum value of the number of processes indicated in the selection message, or the maximum value of the process identifier, or the value range of the process identifier. For the specific process, please refer to the description in step 801 and will not be elaborated here. Correspondingly, if the second terminal device determines that the identifier it selects is the same as the second identifier, it determines that it is associated with the second identifier and determines itself as the receiver of the second query message. The second terminal device may respond to the second query message.

[0218] This application describes the case where the second terminal device sends a second random access request message in the second time unit. The second terminal device may also send a second random access request message in other time units. This application does not limit in which time unit the second terminal device specifically sends the second random access request message. For details, please refer to the description in step 903 and will not be elaborated here.

[0219] Step 906: The network device sends a first random access response message.

[0220] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first random access response message. The random access response message may also be referred to as a contention resolution message or an acknowledgment message.

[0221] Here, an example is given where the network device successfully receives the first random access request message and allows the first terminal device to perform random access. If the network device does not successfully receive the first random access request message, the first random access response message may not be sent.

[0222] In this application, the first random access response message includes a first identifier and may also include part or all of the content of the first random access request message. If the first terminal device determines that the first random access response message includes the first identifier, it determines that it is the receiver of the first random access response message. If the first terminal device determines that the first random access response message includes part or all of the content of the first random access request message, it determines that the random access is successful. For the second terminal device, which is associated with a second identifier, after receiving the first random access response message, if it determines that the first random access response message includes the first identifier, it discards or ignores the first random access response message.

[0223] If the first terminal device determines that the random access is successful, it may send uplink data to the network device.

[0224] Step 907: The first terminal device sends a first uplink message to the network device.

[0225] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first uplink message.

[0226] Among them, the first uplink message may include the first identifier and the first uplink data. The first uplink data may include at least one of the following: the EPC of the first terminal device, the TID of the first terminal device, the content stored in the reserved area of the first terminal device, the content stored in the user storage area of the first terminal device, etc. The first uplink data may also include other data, which is not limited in this application.

[0227] Optionally, other uplink data or messages sent by the first terminal device may also carry the identifier of the process associated with the first terminal device, such as including the first identifier.

[0228] If the second terminal device's random access is successful, steps 908 and 909 may also be included.

[0229] Step 908: The network device sends a second random access response message.

[0230] Correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the second random access response message. The random access response message may also be referred to as a contention resolution message or an acknowledgement message.

[0231] Here, an example is given where the network device successfully receives the second random access request message and allows the second terminal device to perform random access. If the network device does not successfully receive the second random access request message, the second random access response message may not be sent.

[0232] In this application, the second random access response message includes a second identifier and may also include part or all of the content of the second random access request message. If the second terminal device determines that the second random access response message includes the second identifier, it determines that it is the receiver of the second random access response message. If the second terminal device determines that the second random access response message includes part or all of the content of the second random access request message, it determines that the random access is successful. For the first terminal device, which is associated with the first identifier, after receiving the second random access response message, if it determines that the second random access response message includes the second identifier, it discards or ignores the second random access response message.

[0233] If the second terminal device determines that the random access is successful, it may send uplink data to the network device.

[0234] Optionally, when there are multiple processes, after the second terminal device sends the second random access request message, it starts a timer and determines whether it receives the response message corresponding to the second random access request message before the timer expires. If it does not receive the response message, it considers the transmission to fail or be abnormal. The timing duration of the timer is the first duration.

[0235] Step 909: The second terminal device sends a second uplink message to the network device.

[0236] Correspondingly, the network device receives the second uplink message.

[0237] The second uplink message may include a second identifier and second uplink data. The second uplink data may include at least one of the following: the EPC of the second terminal device, the TID of the second terminal device, the content stored in the reserved area of the second terminal device, the content stored in the user storage area of the second terminal device, etc. The second uplink data may also include other data, which is not limited in this application.

[0238] Optionally, other uplink data or messages sent by the second terminal device may also carry the identifier of the process associated with the second terminal device, such as including the second identifier.

[0239] Step 910: The network device sends a first query duplicate message, and the first query duplicate message includes the first identifier.

[0240] The first query duplicate message triggers a time unit or a random access opportunity in the first process corresponding to the first identifier. For example, at this time, the first query duplicate message triggers the second time unit or random access opportunity in X time units.

[0241] The terminal device associated with the first identifier may initiate random access in the time unit or random access opportunity triggered by the first query duplicate message, and the specific process will not be elaborated here.

[0242] Optionally, after the first terminal device sends the first uplink message or receives the first query repetition message, the flag bit can be updated. For example, if the flag bit of the first terminal device when receiving the selection message is in state A, then the first terminal device can update the flag bit to state B. If the selection message includes a session identifier, then the first terminal device updates the flag bit corresponding to the session identifier to state B. In this way, it is not necessary to respond to the query repetition message including the first identifier again. If the first terminal device experiences a random access failure, collision, or other situation, the flag bit of the first terminal device remains unchanged. Therefore, it can respond to the query repetition message including the first identifier again, that is, initiate random access in the time unit or random access opportunity triggered by the query repetition message including the first identifier.

[0243] Optionally, after the second terminal device sends the second uplink message or receives the second query repetition message, the flag bit can be updated. For example, if the flag bit of the second terminal device when receiving the selection message is in state A, then the second terminal device can update the flag bit to state B.

[0244] Optionally, in an implementation manner that does not support flag bits, if the terminal device accesses successfully, or accesses successfully and successfully completes data transmission, it will no longer respond to subsequent query messages (messages that trigger a new round of access). Specifically, it can be that it does not respond to this message for a period of time, and this time can be predefined or configured by the network device.

[0245] In the above process, two processes are taken as an example. If the number of processes is greater than 2, then between step 903 and step 906, and between step 907 and step 910, messages of other processes can also be included, which will not be elaborated here.

[0246] Taking two processes as an example, in the above process, step 904 and step 905 are executed between step 903 and step 906. To ensure that step 904 and step 905 can complete the transmission, when the network device configures the first duration, it can configure the first duration that meets the following conditions:

[0247] The first duration is greater than or equal to the duration required to send the second query message and receive the second random access request message from the terminal device.

[0248] If only step 803 is executed between step 802 and step 805, then the first duration is greater than or equal to the duration required to send the second message. Other situations will not be elaborated.

[0249] The order of the above messages is only an example. In another implementation, step 904 and step 905 can also be executed between step 902 and step 903, and step 908 and step 909 can also be executed between step 906 and step 907. This application does not limit this.

[0250] Through the above process, the network device can trigger multiple processes in parallel. Between two messages in the first process, messages of the second process can be transmitted. In this way, when the network device communicates with the first terminal device in the first process, it can communicate with the second terminal device in the second process, which can improve resource utilization and system capacity. In addition, since each terminal device only responds to messages of its associated process, messages of one process will not interfere with terminal devices of another process, improving system reliability.

[0251] In Figure 10 the process, when the network device configures multiple processes, it can send only 1 query message, and multiple processes are associated with this query message, but each process is associated with a different query repetition message.

[0252] As Figure 10 shown, it is a schematic diagram of a communication method process provided by an embodiment of this application. The method includes:

[0253] Step 1001: The network device sends a selection message, and the selection message is used to select or page one or a group of terminal devices to access.

[0254] The network device can send a selection message after receiving a first paging message from the core network, and the first paging message is used to page one or a group of terminal devices. The selection message can also be called a paging message or a selection signaling, etc. The specific message name is not limited.

[0255] For the specific content of the selection message, reference can be made to the description in step 901, which will not be elaborated here. Compared with the selection message in step 901, the selection message in step 1001 may not indicate the maximum value of the number of processes configured for the network device or the maximum value of the process identifier, nor may it indicate the value range of the process identifier.

[0256] Step 1002: The network device sends a first query message, and the first query message is used to indicate the total number of time units X allocated, where X is an integer greater than 0.

[0257] The X time units indicated by the first query message are allocated for all processes. All selected terminal devices can select one time unit from the X time units to send an uplink message.

[0258] The first query message may indicate a first value, where the first value is the maximum number of processes configured by the network device or the maximum value of the process identifier. For example, the first query message includes that the maximum value of the process identifier is 5. Assuming that the process identifier starts from 0, it means that the network device has configured 6 processes. Alternatively, the first query message may indicate the value range of the process identifier. For example, the network device has configured 6 processes, and the first query message indicates that the value range of the process identifier is [0, 5]. After receiving the first query message, all selected terminal devices may determine an identifier as the identifier of the process associated with themselves according to the first value indicated by the first query message or the value range of the process identifier. The specific process may refer to the previous description.

[0259] The first query message may also trigger a first time unit or a first random access opportunity. The first time unit is the first time unit among the X time units indicated by the first query message, and the first time unit includes the first random access opportunity.

[0260] For example, in Implementation Mode 1, the first query message may include the identifier of a process. For example, it includes the first identifier. At this time, the first time unit or the first random access opportunity triggered by the first query message is used for the terminal device associated with the first identifier to send a random access request message.

[0261] Implementation Mode 2: The first query message may not include the identifier of any process. At this time, the first query message is associated with a preset process. For example, the preset process is the first process among all the processes configured by the network device. In this implementation mode, the first time unit or the first random access opportunity triggered by the first query message is used for the terminal device associated with the first process (i.e., the preset process) to send a random access request message. The terminal devices associated with other processes ignore the first time unit or the first random access opportunity and may send random access requests through the random access opportunities triggered by query repetition messages or other messages carrying the corresponding process identifiers. Among them, the preset process may be preset or pre-configured. In this application, the first process is used as an example of the preset process for description.

[0262] Implementation Mode 3, the first query message may not include the identifier of any process. At this time, the first query message is associated with all the processes configured by the network device. At this time, the first time unit or the first random access opportunity triggered by the first query message is the first time unit or multiple random access opportunities of all the processes configured by the network device, and may be used for the terminal device associated with any process among all the processes configured by the network device to send a random access request message.

[0263] In another implementation, Implementation 4: The first query message may not include the identifier of any process, and the first query message is not associated with any process. Or it can be understood that the first query message is not used to trigger the first time unit or the first random access opportunity. In this implementation, only the query repetition message or other messages include the process identifier, which is used to trigger the random access opportunity or time slot corresponding to the corresponding process. For example, after the network device sends the first query message, when it sends the query repetition message carrying the first identifier again, the query repetition message can trigger a time unit or a random access opportunity for the terminal device associated with the first process corresponding to the first identifier to send a random access request message.

[0264] Another implementation, Implementation 5: The terminal device receives a selection message or a paging message, and the selection message or the paging message may include the value range of the process identifier or the maximum identifier of the process.

[0265] The terminal device receives the first query message, and the first query message indicates the maximum number of time units for the terminal device to access. The maximum number of time units indicated by the first query message can be used for multiple processes, that is, the total number of time units of multiple processes is indicated by the first query message. The terminal device randomly selects a time unit to be accessed and waits for the selected time unit to arrive, and accesses in the selected time unit. The specific calculation of the index of the time unit can be determined by the number of received query repetition messages or the information carried by the query repetition message. For example, the query repetition message may carry the identifiers of different processes, that is, the calculation of the number of time units is only determined according to the number of received query repetition messages or the information carried by the query repetition message, without ignoring the possible process identifiers. When the selected time unit arrives, the process identifier carried in the query repetition message of the time unit is triggered as the process identifier associated with the downlink or its own process identifier, then the terminal device determines that it has received the downlink message associated with its own process and ignores the downlink messages of other processes. Optionally, the process identifier may also be carried in the uplink message sent by the terminal device.

[0266] For example, the first query message includes Q, and the total number of time units indicated by the first query message is 2 Q or Q. Assuming that these time units are numbered starting from 0, then the index range of these time units is [0, 2 Q - 1] or [0, Q]. Assuming that the network device configures 2 processes, then these 2 processes share 2 Q or Q time units. The first terminal device generates a random number between [0, 2 Q - 1] or [0, Q] according to the value of Q, and the first terminal device uses this random number as the initial value of the first counter.

[0267] Implementation method 1: Whenever the first terminal device receives a query repetition message, regardless of whether the process identifier carried in the query repetition message is the same as the identifier of the process associated with itself, the value of the first counter is decremented by 1. For example, when receiving a query repetition message including process identifier = 0, the value of the first counter is decremented by 1; when receiving a query repetition message including process identifier = 1, the value of the first counter is also decremented by 1. When a query repetition message is received such that the value of the first counter equals 0, if the query repetition message includes process identifier = 1, the first terminal device determines that the identifier 1 is the identifier associated with the first terminal device (i.e., uses identifier 1 as the identifier of the process associated with itself), and only processes messages or data associated with this process (the process with identifier 1) in subsequent downlink transmissions. If the query repetition message includes process identifier = 0, the first terminal device determines that the identifier 0 is the identifier associated with the first terminal device (i.e., uses identifier 0 as the identifier of the process associated with itself), and only processes messages or data associated with this process (the process with identifier 0) in subsequent downlink transmissions.

[0268] Implementation method 2: Each query repetition message sent by the network device includes the sequence number of the time unit triggered by the query repetition message. The sequence number can also be referred to as an index or other descriptions. Whenever the first terminal device receives a query repetition message, it determines whether it is the time unit it has selected to access based on the sequence number of the time unit carried in the query repetition message, while ignoring the process identifier carried in the query repetition message. When the received query repetition message carries a time unit sequence number that is the same as the time unit it has selected to access, it determines that the process identifier carried in the query repetition message is the identifier of the process associated with the first terminal device, and ignores messages carrying other process identifiers in subsequent downlink messages. For example, the network device allocates X time units through a query message. The query message triggers the first time unit among the X time units. The first query repetition message sent by the network device triggers the second time unit among the X time units, and the sequence number of the time unit it carries is 1, and so on for other cases. The first terminal device generates a random number between [0, 2 Q -1] or [0, Q]. If the sequence number of the time unit carried in the received query repetition message is the same as this random number, it takes the identifier of the process included in the query repetition message as the identifier of the process associated with the first terminal device, and only processes downlink messages including this identifier in subsequent transmissions, ignoring messages carrying other process identifiers.

[0269] The first query message may also include other information. For example, reference can be made to the description in step 902, which will not be elaborated here.

[0270] Step 1003: The first terminal device sends a first random access request message to the network device in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity.

[0271] Correspondingly, the network device receives a first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity. The first random access opportunity is within the first time unit.

[0272] If the first query message is implementation method 1 in step 1002, the first query message includes a first identifier. When the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier, the first terminal device sends a first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity.

[0273] If the first query message is implementation method 2 in step 1002, the first query message does not include the identifier of any process, but the first query message is associated with a preset process. When the first terminal device is associated with the preset process, the first terminal device sends a first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity.

[0274] If the first query message is implementation method 3 in step 1002, the first query message does not include the identifier of any process, and the first query message is associated with all processes configured by the network device. Then, the first terminal device may send a first random access request message in the first time unit or the first random access opportunity.

[0275] The first random access request message is used to initiate random access. The first random access request message sent by the first terminal device may include a 16-bit random number RN16, or an 8-bit random number, or a random number of multiple bits indicated in a paging message or a selection message, and may also include information such as a random access preamble. This application does not limit this. The first random access request message further includes a first identifier, so that the network device can determine the process associated with the first terminal device according to the first identifier.

[0276] Optionally, other uplink data or messages sent by the first terminal device may also carry the identifier of the process associated with the first terminal device, such as including the first identifier.

[0277] This application does not limit how the first terminal device determines the identifier of the process associated with itself. For example, the first terminal device may determine an identifier (such as the first identifier) as the identifier of the process associated with itself according to the maximum value of the number of processes indicated by the first query message, or the maximum value of the process identifier, or the value range of the process identifier. The specific process may refer to the description in step 801 and will not be elaborated here.

[0278] For another example, if the first terminal device determines to initiate random access at the first time unit or the first random access opportunity, the first terminal device may use the identifier included in the message that triggers the first time unit or the first random access opportunity as the identifier of the associated process. At this time, the first terminal device uses the identifier included in the first query message as the identifier of the associated process.

[0279] This application describes the example where the first terminal device sends the first random access request message at the first time unit. The first terminal device may also send the first random access request message at other time units. This application does not limit at which specific time unit the first terminal device sends the first random access request message. How the first terminal device determines the time unit for sending the first random access request message can refer to the description in step 801 and will not be elaborated here.

[0280] Assume that the number of processes configured in the selection message is greater than 2. Then, before responding to the first random access request message, the network device may send a message related to the second process corresponding to the second identifier, which may specifically include step 1004 and step 1005. Among them, in one implementation, if the network device sends a response message to the first random access request message, before responding to the first random access request message may mean before sending the response message to the first random access request message. In another implementation, if the network device does not send a response message to the first random access request message, before responding to the first random access request message may mean before the moment when the interval from the first random access request message is the first duration arrives.

[0281] Step 1004: The network device sends a first query repetition message, and the second query repetition message includes the second identifier.

[0282] The second query repetition message triggers a time unit or a random access opportunity in the second process corresponding to the second identifier. For example, at this time, the second query repetition message triggers the second time unit or the random access opportunity among X time units.

[0283] The terminal device associated with the second identifier may initiate random access in the time unit or the random access opportunity triggered by the second query repetition message, and the specific process will not be elaborated here.

[0284] Step 1005: The second terminal device sends a second random access request message to the network device at the second time unit or the second random access opportunity.

[0285] Correspondingly, the network device receives the second random access request message at the second time unit or the second random access opportunity. Among them, the second random access opportunity is within the second time unit.

[0286] Among them, the second random access request message is used to initiate random access. The content included in the second random access request message can refer to the description in step 906 and will not be elaborated here. The second random access request message further includes a second identifier, so that the network device can determine the process associated with the second terminal device according to the second identifier.

[0287] The second terminal device can determine an identifier (such as the second identifier) as the identifier of the process associated with itself according to the maximum value of the number of processes indicated by the selection message or the maximum value of the process identifier or the value range of the process identifier. The specific process can refer to the description in step 801 and will not be elaborated here. Correspondingly, if the second terminal device determines that the identifier it selects is the same as the second identifier, it determines that it is associated with the second identifier and determines that it is the receiver of the second query message.

[0288] This application describes the example where the second terminal device sends the second random access request message in the second time unit. The second terminal device can also send the second random access request message in other time units. This application does not limit in which time unit the second terminal device specifically sends the second random access request message, which can refer to the description in step 1003 and will not be elaborated here.

[0289] Step 1006: The network device sends a first random access response message.

[0290] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first random access response message.

[0291] Here, the example is described where the network device successfully receives the first random access request message and allows the first terminal device to perform random access. If the network device does not successfully receive the first random access request message, it may not send the first random access response message.

[0292] In this application, the first random access response message includes a first identifier and may also include part or all of the content of the first random access request message. If the first terminal device determines that the first random access response message includes the first identifier, it determines that it is the receiver of the first random access response message. If the first terminal device determines that the first random access response message includes part or all of the content of the first random access request message, it determines that the random access is successful.

[0293] If the first terminal device determines that the random access is successful, it can send uplink data to the network device.

[0294] Step 1007: The first terminal device sends a first uplink message to the network device.

[0295] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first uplink message.

[0296] Among them, the first uplink message may include a first identifier and first uplink data. The first uplink data may include at least one of the following: the EPC of the first terminal device, the TID of the first terminal device, the content stored in the reserved area of the first terminal device, the content stored in the user storage area of the first terminal device, etc. The first uplink data may also include other data, which is not limited in this application.

[0297] If the second terminal device successfully performs random access, steps 1008 and 1009 may further be included.

[0298] Step 1008: The network device sends a second random access response message.

[0299] Correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the second random access response message. The random access response message may also be referred to as a contention resolution message or an acknowledgement message.

[0300] Here, an example is described where the network device successfully receives the second random access request message and allows the second terminal device to perform random access. If the network device does not successfully receive the second random access request message, the second random access response message may not be sent.

[0301] In this application, the second random access response message includes a second identifier and may also include part or all of the content of the second random access request message. If the second terminal device determines that the second random access response message includes the second identifier, it determines that it is the receiver of the second random access response message. If the second terminal device determines that the second random access response message includes part or all of the content of the second random access request message, it determines that the random access is successful.

[0302] If the second terminal device determines that the random access is successful, it may send uplink data to the network device.

[0303] Step 1009: The second terminal device sends a second uplink message to the network device.

[0304] Correspondingly, the network device receives the second uplink message.

[0305] Among them, the second uplink message may include a second identifier and second uplink data. The second uplink data may include at least one of the following: the EPC of the second terminal device, the TID of the second terminal device, the content stored in the reserved area of the second terminal device, the content stored in the user storage area of the second terminal device, etc. The second uplink data may also include other data, which is not limited in this application.

[0306] Optionally, other uplink data or messages sent by the second terminal device may also carry an identifier of a process associated with the second terminal device, such as including the second identifier.

[0307] Step 1010: The network device sends a second query repetition message, and the second query repetition message includes a first identifier.

[0308] The second query repetition message triggers a time unit or a random access opportunity in the first process corresponding to the first identifier. For example, at this time, the second query repetition message triggers the third time unit or the random access opportunity in X time units.

[0309] The terminal device associated with the first identifier can initiate a random access in the time unit or random access opportunity triggered by the second query repetition message, and the specific process will not be elaborated here.

[0310] Optionally, after the second terminal device sends the first uplink message or receives the second query repetition message, the flag bit can be updated. For example, when the first terminal device receives the selection message, the flag bit is in state A, then the first terminal device can update the flag bit to state B. If the selection message includes a session identifier, then the first terminal device updates the flag bit corresponding to the session identifier to state B. In this way, it is not necessary to respond to the query repetition message including the first identifier again. If the first terminal device fails to access or collides, etc., the flag bit of the first terminal device remains unchanged, so it can respond to the query repetition message including the first identifier again, that is, initiate a random access in the time unit or random access opportunity triggered by the query repetition message including the first identifier.

[0311] Optionally, after the second terminal device sends the second uplink message or receives the second query repetition message, the flag bit can be updated. For example, when the second terminal device receives the selection message, the flag bit is in state A, then the second terminal device can update the flag bit to state B.

[0312] Optionally, in an implementation manner that does not support flag bits, if the terminal device accesses successfully, or accesses successfully and successfully completes data transmission, it will no longer respond to subsequent query messages (messages that trigger a new round of access). Specifically, it can be that it does not respond to this message within a period of time, and this time can be predefined or configured by the network device.

[0313] In the above process, two processes are taken as examples. If the number of processes is greater than 2, then between step 1003 and step 1006, and between step 1007 and step 1010, messages of other processes can also be included, which will not be elaborated here.

[0314] The order of the above various messages is only an example. In another implementation manner, step 1004 and step 1005 can also be executed between step 1002 and step 1003, and step 1008 and step 1009 can also be executed between step 1006 and step 1007. This application does not limit this.

[0315] In the above process, when the network device configures multiple processes, only one query message is sent, but different processes are distinguished by the identifiers in the query duplicate messages, which can reduce the sending overhead of the query messages and improve resource utilization.

[0316] In each of the above embodiments of the present application, if only one device or terminal device is working under one process at the same time, the network device can save the corresponding relationship between the process identifier and the core network direct interface identifier. When subsequent downlink data arrives, the data can be sent to the terminal device of this process according to the saved association relationship, and at this time, this terminal device is also the only receiver of this data.

[0317] It can be understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or the network device includes the corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in the present application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed in the way of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraint conditions of the technical solution.

[0318] The following is a schematic structural diagram of a possible communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments.

[0319] As Figure 11 shown, the communication device 1100 includes a processing unit 1110 and a communication unit 1120. The communication device 1100 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in each of the above method embodiments shown.

[0320] In one implementation, the communication device 1100 is used to implement the following functions:

[0321] The processing unit is used to send a first message through the communication unit; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, and the first message indicates a first identifier;

[0322] The processing unit is used to receive a first random access request message from a first terminal device through the communication unit at the first random access opportunity; the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier; before responding to the first random access request message, send a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate random access with the terminal device of the second identifier.

[0323] In one implementation, the communication device 1100 is used to implement the following functions:

[0324] A communication unit, configured to receive a first message; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, the first message indicates a first identifier, and the first random access opportunity is used to initiate a random access with a terminal device of the first identifier;

[0325] A processing unit, configured to determine an association with the first identifier;

[0326] The communication unit is configured to send a first random access request message at the first random access opportunity; receive a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate a random access with a terminal device of the second identifier;

[0327] The processing unit is configured to determine that there is no association with the second identifier, and ignore or discard the second message.

[0328] For a more detailed description of the above processing unit 1110 and communication unit 1120, reference can be directly made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details are not repeated here.

[0329] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is only a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or physically separated. And the units in the device can all be implemented in the form of software called by a processing element; they can also all be implemented in the form of hardware; or some units can be implemented in the form of software called by a processing element, and some units can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, each unit can be a separately established processing element, or can be integrated in a certain chip of the device. In addition, it can also be stored in a memory in the form of a program, and the function of the unit is called and executed by a certain processing element of the device. In addition, these units can be fully or partially integrated together or independently implemented. Here, the processing element can also be a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the operations of the above method or the above units can be implemented through the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor element or in the form of software called by the processing element.

[0330] In one example, the units in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods. For example: one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. Again, when the units in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element may be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processors that can call programs. Again, these units may be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0331] The above unit for receiving is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the receiving unit is the interface circuit of the chip for receiving signals from other chips or devices. The above unit for sending is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to send signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the sending unit is the interface circuit of the chip for sending signals to other chips or devices.

[0332] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device of the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, see Figure 12 , Figure 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1200 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication device 1200 includes a processor 1201 and a transceiver 1202. The communication device 1200 may be a terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1200 may be a network device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 12 Only the main components of the communication device 1200 are shown. In addition to the processor 1201 and the transceiver 1202, the communication device 1200 may further include a memory 1203 and an input / output device (not shown in the figure).

[0333] Optionally, the processor 1201 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of software programs. The memory 1203 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1202 may include a radio frequency circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and the processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., is mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0334] Optionally, the processor 1201, the transceiver 1202, and the memory 1203 may be connected through a communication bus.

[0335] After the communication device is powered on, the processor 1201 may read the software program in the memory 1203, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be wirelessly transmitted, the processor 1201 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and then outputs a baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1201. The processor 1201 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0336] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna may be independent of the communication device and arranged in a remote form.

[0337] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can conceive that the above communication device 1100 may adopt Figure 12 the form of the communication device 1200 shown.

[0338] As an example, Figure 11 the function / implementation process of the processing unit 1110 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the processor 1201 in the communication device 1200 shown calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1203. Figure 11 the function / implementation process of the communication unit 1120 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the transceiver 1202 in the communication device 1200 shown.

[0339] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device in the present application may adopt Figure 13 the composition structure shown, or include Figure 13The components shown. Figure 13 It is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1300 provided by this application.

[0340] As Figure 13 shown, the communication device 1300 includes at least one processor 1301. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface 1302.

[0341] When the program instructions involved are executed in the at least one processor 1301, the communication device 1300 can implement the method provided in any of the foregoing embodiments and any possible design therein. Alternatively, the processor 1301 is used to implement the method provided in any of the foregoing embodiments and any possible design therein through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0342] The communication interface 1302 can be used to receive program instructions and transmit them to the processor. Alternatively, the communication interface 1302 can be used for the communication device 1300 to communicate with other communication devices, such as to interact control signaling and / or service data, etc. Exemplarily, the communication interface 1302 can be used to receive signals from other devices outside the communication device 1300 and transmit them to the processor 1301 or send signals from the processor 1301 to other communication devices outside the communication device 1300.

[0343] Optionally, the communication interface 1302 can be a code and / or data read / write interface circuit, or the communication interface 1302 can be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver, or a pin of a chip.

[0344] Optionally, the communication device 1300 can further include at least one memory 1303, and the memory 1303 can be used to store the program instructions and / or data involved as required. It should be noted that the memory 1303 can exist independently of the processor 1301 or be integrated with the processor 1301. The memory 1303 can be located inside the communication device 1300 or outside the communication device 1300, without limitation.

[0345] Optionally, the communication device 1300 can further include a power supply circuit 1304, and the power supply circuit 1304 can be used to supply power to the processor 1301. The power supply circuit 1304 can be located within the same chip as the processor 1301, or in another chip outside the chip where the processor 1301 is located.

[0346] Optionally, the communication device 1300 can further include a bus, and each part in the communication device 1300 can be interconnected through the bus.

[0347] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can conceive that the above Figure 11 shown communication device 1100 can adopt the form of Figure 13 shown communication device 1300.

[0348] As an example, Figure 11 the function / implementation process of the processing unit 1110 in Figure 13 can be implemented by the processor 1301 in the shown communication device 1300 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1303. Figure 11 the function / implementation process of the communication unit 1120 in Figure 13 can be implemented by the communication interface 1302 in the shown communication device 1300.

[0349] It should be noted that Figure 13 the shown structure does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device or network device. For example, in some other embodiments of the present application, the terminal device or network device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or have different component arrangements. The shown components can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0350] When the above communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and this information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or, the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and this information is sent by the terminal to the base station.

[0351] When the above communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station module receives information from other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and this information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or, the base station module sends information to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and this information is sent by the base station to the terminal. Here, the base station module can be the baseband chip of the base station, or a DU or other modules, and here the DU can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0352] It can be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), 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.

[0353] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented in a hardware manner or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions may be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules may be stored in a random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, register, hard disk, removable hard disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in the ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may be located in a base station or a terminal. Of course, the processor and the storage medium may also exist as discrete components in a base station or a terminal.

[0354] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, 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 programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are executed in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable devices. The computer program or instructions can 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 program or instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center in a wired or wireless manner. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0355] In various embodiments of the present application, if there is no special description and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be cross-referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0356] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Therefore, the present application can take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0357] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing devices to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing devices generate for implementing in the processFigure 1 means for the functions specified in one or more processes and / or blocks Figure 1 or blocks.

[0358] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one Figure 1 or more processes and / or blocks Figure 1 or blocks.

[0359] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalent technologies, this application is also intended to include these changes and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, it includes: sending a first message; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, and the first message indicates a first identifier; receiving a first random access request message from a first terminal device at the first random access opportunity; the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier; before responding to the first random access request message, sending a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate random access with a terminal device associated with the second identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the method further includes: sending a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the first identifier is used to identify a first process, the second identifier is used to identify a second process, the values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, the first value represents the number of processes, and the first value is indicated by the first message or a third message, and the third message is a message preceding the first message.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that, the maximum time interval between the first random access request message and the first response message corresponding to the first random access request message is a first time period; wherein, the first time period is greater than or equal to the time required to send the second message and receive a second random access request message from a terminal device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, the first response message includes the first identifier and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the first message is a query message or a query repetition message, and the second message is a query repetition message.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, the method further includes: receiving a second random access request message from a second terminal device at the second random access opportunity; the second terminal device is associated with the second identifier; sending a second response message corresponding to the second random access request message; wherein, the second message and the second random access request message are located between the first random access request message and the first response message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the first terminal device is an environmental Internet of Things terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, the method further includes: receiving a fourth message from a core network device, the fourth message includes first data and the first identifier; sending a fifth message to the first terminal device, the fifth message includes the first data and the first identifier.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, the method further includes: Receive an uplink message from the first terminal device, where the uplink message includes the first identifier and uplink data.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, it includes: Receiving a first message; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, the first message indicates a first identifier, and the first random access opportunity is used to initiate random access with a terminal device of the first identifier; Determining to be associated with the first identifier and sending a first random access request message at the first random access opportunity; Receiving a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access opportunity, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access opportunity is used to initiate random access with a terminal device of the second identifier; Determining not to be associated with the second identifier and ignoring or discarding the second message.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first identifier is used to identify a first process, the second identifier is used to identify a second process, values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, the first value represents the number of processes, and the first value is indicated by the first message or a third message, and the third message is a message before the first message.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The determining to be associated with the first identifier includes: If the first identifier is equal to a third identifier of a process associated with a first terminal device, then it is associated with the first identifier; wherein, the third identifier is determined according to the first value.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The determining the third identifier according to the first value includes: Taking a value less than or equal to the first value as the third identifier; Or, determining the third identifier according to the device identifier of the first terminal device and the first value.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, A maximum duration between the first random access request message and a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message is a first duration; wherein, the first duration is greater than or equal to a duration required for sending the second message and receiving a second random access request message from a terminal device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message from the network device, where the first response message includes the first identifier and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, The first message is a query message or a query repetition message, and the second message is a query repetition message.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, it includes: A processing unit, configured to send a first message through a communication unit; the first message is used to trigger a first random access opportunity, and the first message indicates a first identifier; The processing unit is configured to receive, via the communication unit, a first random access request message from a first terminal device at the first random access occasion; the first terminal device is associated with the first identifier. Before responding to the first random access request message, send a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access occasion, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access occasion is used to initiate random access with a terminal device associated with the second identifier.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, the communication unit is further configured to: send a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein, the first identifier is used to identify a first process, the second identifier is used to identify a second process, values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, the first value represents the number of processes, and the first value is indicated by the first message or a third message, and the third message is a message preceding the first message.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 20, wherein, a maximum time duration between the first random access request message and a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message is a first time duration; wherein, the first time duration is greater than or equal to a time duration required for sending the second message and receiving a second random access request message from a terminal device.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein, the first response message includes the first identifier and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein, the communication unit is further configured to: receive a second random access request message from a second terminal device at the second random access occasion; the second terminal device is associated with the second identifier; send a second response message corresponding to the second random access request message; wherein, the second message and the second random access request message are located between the first random access request message and the first response message.

24. A communication apparatus, wherein, comprises: a communication unit, configured to receive a first message; the first message is used to trigger a first random access occasion, the first message indicates a first identifier, and the first random access occasion is used to initiate random access with a terminal device associated with the first identifier; a processing unit, configured to determine association with the first identifier; the communication unit, configured to send a first random access request message at the first random access occasion; receive a second message; the second message is used to trigger a second random access occasion, the second message indicates a second identifier, and the second random access occasion is used to initiate random access with a terminal device associated with the second identifier; the processing unit, configured to determine non - association with the second identifier and ignore or discard the second message.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein, The first identifier is used to identify a first process, and the second identifier is used to identify a second process. Values of the first identifier and the second identifier are both less than or equal to a first value, where the first value represents the number of processes and is indicated by the first message or a third message, and the third message is a message before the first message.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein, the processing unit is specifically configured to: if the first identifier is equal to a third identifier of a process associated with a first terminal device, associate with the first identifier; wherein the third identifier is determined according to the first value.

27. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein, the communication unit is further configured to: receive a first response message corresponding to the first random access request message from the network device, where the first response message includes the first identifier and part or all of the content of the first random access request.

28. A communication system, wherein, it includes: a network device and a terminal device; the network device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10; the terminal device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

29. A communication apparatus, wherein, it includes a processor and a memory; the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory, so that the communication apparatus implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, it stores a computer program or instruction, and when the computer program or instruction runs on a computer, the computer implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

31. A chip, wherein, it includes a processor, and the processor is coupled to a memory and configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory, so that the chip implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

32. A computer program product, wherein, when a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17 is executed.

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