Communication method and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method is applied to the electronic equipment, and comprises the following steps: sending retransmission information of a first system information block SIB1 physical downlink control channel PDCCH; determining an available time-frequency domain position of initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1PDCCH; and sending the SIB1PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain position of the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Therefore, by repeatedly sending the SIB1PDCCH at the determined available time-frequency domain position for multiple times, the corresponding transmission performance requirement can be met, the loss of wireless communication is reduced, the downlink coverage is enhanced, and the communication efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Since traditional terrestrial networks cannot provide seamless coverage, especially in places where base stations cannot be deployed, such as the sea, desert, air, etc., with the development of communication technologies, especially the continuous development of new generation mobile communication technologies such as the fifth generation mobile networks (abbreviated as 5G), satellite communication technologies have emerged as the times require.

[0003] Satellite communication technology refers to the communication technology in which radio communication devices on the ground use satellites as relays. A satellite communication system consists of a satellite part and a ground part. The ground part includes network devices such as base stations and terminals. Among them, the terminal can be a user equipment (UE). The base station can communicate with the terminal on the downlink or uplink. Specifically, the uplink is the link for the terminal to send data to the base station, and the downlink is the link for the base station to send data to the terminal. Each base station usually has a coverage range, also known as a coverage area.

[0004] In related technologies, in order to achieve seamless coverage of the network through satellite communication technology, the base station needs to simultaneously send multiple downlink beams. However, the base station cannot concentrate the energy in a certain number of beams, so the signal energy cannot be concentrated, resulting in large losses in wireless communication and limited downlink coverage. Therefore, how to enhance downlink coverage and improve communication efficiency has become a key concern in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a communication method and related devices, which can enhance downlink coverage and improve communication efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, which is applied to network devices such as base stations. The method includes: sending retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; determining the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; and sending the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly sending the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the losses in wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0007] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmission information includes one or more of information indicating whether to retransmit, transmission period information, and maximum retransmission times information.

[0008] In some specific implementation manners, the length of the transmission period is the sum of a target number of time units; determining the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of SIB1 PDCCH includes: determining whether the starting time unit in the transmission period satisfies the following formula,

[0009] (2 μ ×10n f +n s )modT = Offset

[0010] where μ is a positive integer, nf is the system frame number, ns is the time unit number within the radio frame, T is the transmission period, the unit of T is time unit, and offset is the offset value of the time unit; determining the transmission period that satisfies the above formula as the transmission period of SIB1 PDCCH; within the transmission period of SIB1 PDCCH, determining the set of time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of SIB1 PDCCH. Thus, by repeatedly sending SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0011] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using the first time unit within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of SIB1 PDCCH; or, using the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of SIB1 PDCCH. Thus, by repeatedly sending SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0012] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using N1 consecutive OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit as the initial transmission opportunity of SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the initial transmission opportunity within the initial transmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the initial transmission opportunity within the initial transmission time unit through the protocol. Thus, by repeatedly sending SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0013] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of time-domain positions for retransmission includes: determining a retransmission time unit index, where the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and a time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; or, pre-agreeing on the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period through a protocol.

[0014] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmission time unit index corresponds to a retransmission time unit. The method for determining the position of the transmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit includes: taking consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission opportunity for SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit through a protocol. Thus, by repeatedly sending SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0015] In some specific implementation manners, sending the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: sending the retransmission information of SIB1 PDCCH through the master information block MIB message.

[0016] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the available frequency-domain position of the initial transmission includes: determining the frequency-domain position corresponding to CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the initial transmission frequency-domain position of SIB1 PDCCH.

[0017] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of available frequency-domain positions for retransmission includes: determining the configuration of CORESET#0A for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission according to the frequency-domain configuration information of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message; and confirming the set of available frequency-domain positions for retransmission according to the configuration of the retransmitted CORESET#0A.

[0018] In some specific implementation manners, determining the configuration of the CORESET #0A includes: the starting physical resource block index (Start PRB index) of the CORESET #0A is the sum of the Start PRB index of the CORESET #0 and the physical resource block (RB) offset; and / or, the starting subcarrier index (Start SC index) of the CORESET #0A is the sum of the Start SC index of the CORESET #0 and the subcarrier (SC) offset. Thereby, by repeatedly transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available frequency domain positions multiple times, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0019] In some specific implementation manners, the RB offset and / or the SC offset are pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

[0020] In some specific implementation manners, transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission includes: transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH at the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH. Thereby, by repeatedly transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available frequency domain positions multiple times, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0021] In some specific implementation manners, transmitting the retransmission information of the first system information block SIB1 physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) includes: transmitting the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or the secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to terminal devices such as mobile phones and computers. The method includes: receiving the retransmission information of the first system information block SIB1 physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); determining the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; and receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thereby, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times, and by jointly detecting the information of the SIB1 PDCCH for the initial transmission and retransmission, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0023] In some specific implementation manners, receiving the SIB1 PDCCH includes: receiving the initial transmission PDCCH at the initial transmission time-frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH; if the downlink signal quality is less than or equal to the quality threshold, receiving the retransmission SIB1 PDCCH at the retransmission time-frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initial transmission and retransmission SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0024] In some specific implementation manners, the quality threshold is pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

[0025] In some specific implementation manners, the length of the transmission period is the sum of a target number of time units; determining the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: determining whether the starting time unit in the transmission period satisfies the following formula

[0026] (2 μ ×10n f +n s )modT=Offset

[0027] where μ is a positive integer, n f is the system frame number, n s is the time unit number within the radio frame, T is the transmission period, the unit of T is time unit, and offset is the offset value of the time unit; if it is satisfied, the time window determined by the starting time unit and the duration T is determined as the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH; in the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH, the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH is determined. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initial transmission and retransmission SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0028] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using the first time unit within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH; or, using the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH. Thereby, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initial transmission and the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0029] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using N1 consecutive OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit as an initial transmission occasion of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission occasion specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit through the protocol. Thereby, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initial transmission and the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0030] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of time domain positions of the retransmission includes: determining the retransmission time unit index, where the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and the time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; or, pre-agreeing on the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period through the protocol. Thereby, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initial transmission and the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0031] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmission time unit index corresponds to the retransmission time unit. The method for determining the position of the transmission opportunity in the retransmission time unit includes: taking N2 consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission opportunity of the SIB1 PDCCH, where the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit through a protocol. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times and through combined detection of the information of the initially transmitted and retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0032] In some specific implementation manners, receiving the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the first system information block (SIB1) includes: receiving the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the master information block (MIB) message.

[0033] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the frequency domain position of the initial transmission includes: determining the frequency domain position corresponding to the CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the initial transmission frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times and through combined detection of the information of the initially transmitted and retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0034] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of available frequency domain positions for the SIB1 PDCCH retransmission includes: taking the frequency domain configuration information of the CORESET#0A indicated by the MIB message as the frequency domain configuration information of the CORESET#0A for the SIB1 PDCCH retransmission; and confirming the set of available frequency domain positions for the retransmission according to the frequency domain configuration information of the retransmitted CORESET#0A. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times and through combined detection of the information of the initially transmitted and retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0035] In some specific implementation manners, a method for determining a set of available frequency-domain positions for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission includes: the starting physical resource block index StartPRB index of SIB1 PDCCH retransmission CORESET#0A is the sum of the StartPRB index of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message and the physical resource block RB offset; and / or, the starting subcarrier index Start SC index of CORESET#0A is the sum of the Start SC index of CORESET#0 and the subcarrier SC offset. Thus, by repeatedly receiving SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initially transmitted and retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0036] In some specific implementation manners, the RB offset and / or the SC offset are pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

[0037] In some specific implementation manners, receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission includes: receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the set of available time-domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH. Thus, by repeatedly receiving SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions multiple times, and by performing combined detection on the information of the initially transmitted and retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0038] In some specific implementation manners, receiving the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: receiving the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the primary synchronization signal PSS or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

[0039] In a third aspect, the present application provides a network device. The electronic device includes: a memory for storing a computer program or computer instructions; a processor for executing the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method as in the first aspect.

[0040] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a terminal device. The electronic device includes: a memory for storing a computer program or computer instructions; a processor for executing the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method as in the second aspect.

[0041] Fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes a network device and a terminal device. The network device is used to execute the method of the first aspect, and the terminal device is used to execute the method of the second aspect.

[0042] Sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer storage medium for storing a computer program, which is used to implement the methods of the first aspect and the second aspect when the computer program is executed.

[0043] Seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to electronic devices such as base stations and includes: an information sending module, a position determining module, and a repeated sending module. Among them, the information sending module is used to send the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; the position determining module is used to determine the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; the repeated sending module is used to send the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly sending the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0044] Eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which is applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers and includes: a signal receiving module, a position determining module, and a repeated receiving module. Among them, the signal receiving module is used to receive the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; the position determining module is used to determine the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; the repeated receiving module is used to receive the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0045] Based on the above technical solutions, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0046] The present application provides a communication method and related devices. The method includes: sending the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; determining the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; and sending the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly sending the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved. Description of the Drawings

[0047] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a scenario for communication between a base station and a terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition of another electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0054] Terms such as "first", "second", and "third" in the specification, claims, and drawings of the present application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to limit a specific order.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Exactly speaking, using words such as "exemplary" or "for example" aims to present related concepts in a specific manner.

[0056] The embodiments of the present application are applied to a communication system. Among them, the communication system can be a second-generation (2G) communication system, a third-generation (3G) communication system, an LTE system, a fifth-generation (5G) communication system, or a hybrid architecture of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G, or a 5G New Radio (5GNR) system, as well as new communication systems emerging in the future development of communication, etc.

[0057] The communication system includes a network device and a terminal device. The network device may be a device on the network side for providing network communication functions, and in some cases is also referred to as a network device or a network element. The network device can usually be a base station (including the functional units of the base station, or a combination of the functional units of the base station) or a core network unit. Among them, the core network unit can be a functional unit in the core network, including but not limited to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) unit or a Session Management Function (SMF) unit. The terminal device may be a device accessing the network and is usually a terminal. Refer to Figure 1 , which is a scenario example diagram of communication between a base station and a terminal provided by an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 It includes base station 1 and terminal 2.

[0058] In the embodiments provided in this application, the base station can be any device with wireless transceiver functions, including but not limited to: evolved base stations (NodeB or eNB or e-NodeB, evolutional Node B) in Long Term Evolution (LTE), base stations (gNodeB or gNB) or transmission receiving points (TRP) in New Radio (NR), base stations evolved by 3GPP in the future, access nodes in Wi-Fi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, etc. The base station can be: a macro base station, a micro base station, a pico base station, a small station, a relay station, or a balloon station, etc. The base station can include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission reception points (TRP). The base station can also be a radio controller, a centralized unit (CU), and / or a distributed unit (DU) in the cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The base station can communicate with the terminal or communicate with the terminal through a relay station. The terminal can communicate with multiple base stations of different technologies. For example, the terminal can communicate with a base station supporting the LTE network, can also communicate with a base station supporting the 5G network, and can also perform dual connection with a base station supporting the LTE network and a 5G network base station.

[0059] In the embodiments provided in this application, the terminal can be in various forms. For example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a vehicle-mounted terminal device, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a wearable terminal device, and so on. Sometimes the terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), an access terminal device, a vehicle-mounted terminal, an industrial control terminal, a UE unit, a UE station, a mobile station, a mobile unit, a remote station, a remote terminal device, a mobile device, a UE terminal device, a terminal device, a wireless communication device, a UE agent, or a UE device, etc. The terminal can also be a fixed terminal or a mobile terminal.

[0060] As described above, since the traditional terrestrial network cannot provide seamless coverage, especially in places where base stations cannot be deployed, such as the sea, desert, air, etc., satellite communication technology has emerged as the times require.

[0061] Satellite communication technology has the following characteristics. First, the communication range of satellite communication technology is large. As long as it is within the range covered by the radio waves emitted by the satellite, communication can be carried out between any two points. For areas that cannot be covered by the current cellular communication system or where the coverage cost is relatively high, satellite communication can be used to solve the communication problem. Second, satellite communication technology is not easily affected by terrestrial disasters and has high reliability. In extreme situations such as disasters (such as earthquakes), when the infrastructure of cellular communication becomes unavailable, satellite communication can be used to quickly establish a communication connection. Third, the latency of satellite communication technology is relatively low and can provide industry applications. For example, for latency-sensitive services with long-distance transmission, the latency of service transmission can be reduced through satellite communication.

[0062] In the related art, in the project discussion of 3GPP R19 NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) proposed by standardization organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), considering using satellite communication technology to achieve seamless network coverage, it is required that the base station transmit multiple downlink beams at the same time. Among them, a beam is a communication resource. The beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams, and the technology for forming the beam can be beamforming technology or other technical means.

[0063] However, since the base station cannot concentrate energy on a few beams, signal aggregation cannot be achieved, which causes huge losses in wireless communication and limits downlink coverage.

[0064] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method and related devices. The method transmits the retransmission information of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of the First System Information Block (SIB1); determines the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; and transmits the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the losses in wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0065] To make the technical solution of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the communication method of the present application will be introduced below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] See Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. This communication method can be executed by a network device in a communication system, and the network device can be a base station or the like. The method includes the following steps:

[0067] S201: The network device transmits the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0068] The message of the First System Information Block (SIB1) is carried on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). Therefore, the network device needs to first search for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) that schedules the SIB1 PDSCH, that is, the SIB1 PDCCH, from the Common Search Space (CSS). Subsequently, the network device transmits the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH to the terminal device. Among them, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, a computer, or the like.

[0069] In the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the retransmission information may include one or more of a message indicating whether to retransmit, a transmission period T and a maximum retransmission number agreed upon by the network device through a protocol. Among them, the length of the transmission period T can be represented by the sum of one or more time units. For example, it can be represented by the number of radio frames (T = 10 ms), or sub-frames (T = 1 ms), or time slots (slot, T = 125 ns). Exemplarily, one transmission period T can be 32 time slots, that is, T = 1 us.

[0070] That is to say, after the network device obtains the message indicating whether to retransmit, the transmission period T and the maximum retransmission number agreed upon by the protocol, it can send the retransmission information composed of the three to the terminal device.

[0071] In the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the retransmission information may also include one or more of the indication retransmission information, the transmission period T indicated by the network device, and the maximum retransmission number. Among them, the indication retransmission information is more detailed information than the message indicating whether to retransmit. For example, it includes time slot offset value information, etc. The present application does not limit this. The transmission period T indicated by the network device is similar to the transmission period T agreed upon by the network device through the protocol, and its length can also be represented by the sum of one or more time units. For example, it can be represented by the number of radio frames, sub-frames or time slots.

[0072] That is to say, after the network device obtains the indication retransmission information, the transmission period T and the maximum retransmission number, it can send the retransmission information composed of the three to the terminal device.

[0073] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH can be sent through the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), or the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), or the Master Information Block (MIB).

[0074] Among them, both PSS and SSS are special physical layer signals used for radio frame synchronization. The information carried in the MIB message is the most basic information, and this information is related to the decoding of the PDSCH channel. After the network device sends the retransmission information of the SIB PDCCH to the terminal device through the MIB message, the terminal device can only continue to decode the SIB1 message by using the parameters in the MIB message after decoding the MIB message first.

[0075] S202: The network device determines the set of available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission of the SIB1 PDCCH initial transmission.

[0076] Determine the set of available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH, which is divided into the set of available time domain positions and the set of available frequency domain positions for the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH.

[0077] In some specific implementation manners, the frequency domain position corresponding to CORESET #0 indicated by the MIB message can be determined as the initial transmission frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH. Here, CORESET #0 refers to the PDCCH information required for the terminal device to initially decode the SIB1 message, that is, the initial CORESET configuration corresponding to the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH to the terminal device.

[0078] In some specific implementation manners, the following are several ways to determine the set of initial transmission time domain positions of the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH, that is, the set of initial transmission opportunities of SIB1 PDCCH:

[0079] Way 1: Use the set of initial transmission opportunities of the Type0-PDCCH search space specified by the R18 protocol (or previous 3GPP NR protocols) as the set of initial transmission opportunities of the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH.

[0080] Way 2: Agree on a new set of initial transmission opportunities through the protocol as the set of initial transmission opportunities of the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH.

[0081] Way 3: Use the set of initial transmission opportunities of the Type0-PDCCH search space specified by the R18 protocol (or previous 3GPP NR protocols) and agree on a new set of initial transmission opportunities through the protocol as the set of initial transmission opportunities of the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH.

[0082] It should be noted that for ease of understanding, the above embodiments are described by taking the retransmission information of SIB1 PDCCH sent through the MIB message as an example. The situation of sending the retransmission information of SIB1 PDCCH by PSS or SSS is similar to the above method and will not be elaborated here. For the specific ways to determine the CORESET configuration and the set of initial transmission opportunities of the initial transmission of SIB1 PDCCH, this application does not make any limitations.

[0083] It should be noted that this application does not make any limitations on the number of initial transmission opportunities in the set of initial transmission opportunities, which can be one or more.

[0084] S203: The network device determines the set of available time-frequency domain positions for the retransmission of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH.

[0085] Determine the set of available time-frequency domain positions for the retransmission of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, which is divided into the set of available time domain positions and the set of available frequency domain positions for the retransmission of the confirmed retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH.

[0086] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of available time domain positions for the retransmission of the confirmed retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH can be to, according to CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message, use a newly agreed PMO set as the PMO set for the retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH through protocol agreement.

[0087] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of available frequency domain positions for the retransmission of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH can be as follows: First, according to the frequency domain configuration information of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message, determine the configuration of CORESET#0A for the retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; subsequently, according to the configuration of the retransmitted CORESET#0A, confirm the set of available frequency domain positions for the retransmission. Specifically, one or more of the following configurations of CORESET#0A can be agreed through protocol:

[0088] First, agree that the starting PRB index = the starting PRB index of the initial transmission CORESET#0 + RB_Offset. That is, update the identifier (index) of the starting physical resource block (PRB) to the sum of the PRB index of CORESET#0 and the radio bearer (RB) offset.

[0089] Second, agree that the starting subcarrier index = the starting subcarrier index of the initial transmission CORESET#0 + SC_Offset. That is, update the identifier index of the starting subcarrier (SC) to the sum of the SC index of CORESET#0 and the SC offset.

[0090] Third, agree that the number of OFDM symbols = the number of OFDM symbols of the initial transmission CORESET#0 + Delta. That is, update the OFDM symbol number identifier OFDM index to the sum of the OFDM index of CORESET#0 and the OFDM offset Delta.

[0091] It should be noted that the above RB_Offset, SC_Offset, and Delta are all agreed through protocol or configured by the network.

[0092] It can be understood that the above S203 and S204 are the processes of obtaining the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the transmitted SIB1 PDCCH within the transmission period.

[0093] S204: The network device determines the actual time-frequency domain position of the initial transmission SIB1 PDCCH in the set of available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission.

[0094] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the actual time domain position of the initial transmission SIB1 PDCCH is as follows:

[0095] If the transmission period T of the retransmission information in step S201 is in units of time slots, then the time slot where it is located needs to satisfy the following formula (1):

[0096] (2 μ ·10n f +n s ) mod T = Offset slot (1)

[0097] Where μ is a positive integer, nf is the system frame number, ns is the time slot number within the radio frame, T is the transmission period, and offset_slot is the offset value of the time slot. Specifically, offset_slot is configured by the network or agreed upon through a protocol.

[0098] If the time slot in the transmission period T satisfies the above formula (1), then the transmission period that satisfies the above formula is determined as the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH, so as to determine the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH during the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0099] Subsequently, the first time unit (such as a time slot) within the transmission period is used as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH; or, the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period is used as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0100] Subsequently, N1 consecutive OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit are used as the initial transmission opportunity of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative positions of the N1 OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit are the same as the relative positions of the transmission opportunities specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, the relative positions of the N1 OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit are pre-agreed upon through a protocol.

[0101] It should be noted that the above embodiments are described with the transmission period T in units of time slots. If the transmission period T of the retransmission information in step S201 is in units of radio frames or sub-frames, it is similar to the above formula and will not be elaborated here.

[0102] S205: The network device initially transmits the SIB1 PDCCH at the actual time-frequency domain position of the initial transmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0103] After determining the actual time-frequency domain position of the actual initial transmission of the SIB1 PDCCH, the SIB1 PDCCH can be initially transmitted at this actual time-frequency domain position.

[0104] S206: The network device confirms the actual time-frequency domain position of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH from the set of available time-frequency domain positions for retransmission.

[0105] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of time-domain positions for retransmission is as follows: Determine the retransmission time unit index. The retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and the time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; or, the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is pre-agreed by the protocol.

[0106] Moreover, each retransmission time unit index has a corresponding retransmission time unit. Then, the method for confirming the transmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is as follows: Take N2 consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission opportunity for the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is pre-agreed by the protocol.

[0107] S207: The network device repeatedly transmits the SIB1 PDCCH at the actual time-frequency domain position of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH.

[0108] At the actual time-frequency domain position of the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH, the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH is transmitted sequentially from front to back until the maximum number of retransmissions is reached.

[0109] It should be noted that, in order to reduce the complexity of subsequent blind detection by the terminal device and save blind detection resources, before repeatedly transmitting the SIB1 PDCCH, the network device can also constrain the PDCCH candidate set (candidate PDCCH) within the search space.

[0110] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmitted PDCCH candidate set can be constrained to be the same as the initial transmission PDCCH candidate set, thereby reducing the complexity of subsequent blind detection by the terminal device. Exemplarily, if the initial transmission PDCCH candidate set is 1, the retransmitted PDCCH candidate set can also be constrained to 1.

[0111] In some other specific implementation manners, the retransmission PDCCH candidate set can be constrained to be associated with the initial transmission PDCCH candidate set, so that a uniquely corresponding retransmission PDCCH candidate set can be deduced from the initial transmission PDCCH candidate set. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific deduction rule.

[0112] In summary, the present application discloses a communication method, which is applied to network devices such as base stations. The method includes: sending retransmission information of a physical downlink control channel PDCCH of a first system information block SIB1; determining available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; and sending the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission. Thus, by repeatedly sending the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0113] See Figure 3 , which is a schematic diagram of another communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication method can be executed by a terminal device in a communication system. The terminal device can include a mobile phone, a computer, etc. The method includes the following steps:

[0114] S301: The terminal device receives retransmission information of a physical downlink control channel PDCCH of a first system information block SIB1.

[0115] S302: The terminal device determines whether the downlink signal quality is less than or equal to a quality threshold. If so, S303 is executed. If not, S305 is executed.

[0116] It can be understood that the quality threshold is a threshold for determining whether the signal quality meets the requirements, and is a threshold pre-configured by the terminal device through a protocol or configured by the network. The present application does not limit the specific magnitude of the quality threshold.

[0117] In some specific implementation manners, the measurement indicators of the signal quality include the reference signal received power SS-RSRP (Synchronization Signals Reference Signal Received Power) and the reference signal received quality SS-RSRQ (Synchronization Signals Reference Signal Received Quality), etc. Among them, the RSRP is used to evaluate the signal strength between the terminal device and network devices such as base stations. The higher the value, the stronger the received signal, and the unit is dBm (decibel milliwatt). The RSRQ measures the quality of the received reference signal. The higher the value, the better the received signal quality, and the unit is dB (decibel).

[0118] S303: The terminal device determines the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0119] S304: The terminal device receives the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission.

[0120] Only when the downlink signal quality is less than or equal to a preset quality threshold, it is necessary to repeatedly receive the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times. Thus, by repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions and by jointly detecting the information of the initial transmission and retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0121] S305: The terminal device only receives the initial transmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0122] If the downlink signal quality is higher than the preset quality threshold, only the initial transmission of the SIB1 PDCCH can be received.

[0123] It should be noted that the above S302 and S305 are optional steps in the embodiments of the present application. The communication method of the embodiments of the present application may not execute the above S302 and S305 either.

[0124] In some specific implementation manners, the length of the transmission period is the sum of a target number of time units; determining the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: determining whether the starting time unit in the transmission period satisfies the following formula (2)

[0125] (2 μ ×10n f +n s )modT=Offset (2)

[0126] where μ is a positive integer, nf is the system frame number, ns is the time unit number within the radio frame, T is the transmission period, the unit of T is time unit, and offset is the offset value of the time unit; if it is satisfied, the time window determined by the starting time unit and the duration T is determined as the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH; in the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH, the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH is determined.

[0127] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using the first time unit within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH; or, using the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0128] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: using N1 consecutive OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit as an initial transmission occasion of the SIB1 PDCCH, where the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission occasion specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit through a protocol.

[0129] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the set of time domain positions of the retransmission includes: determining the retransmission time unit index, where the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and a time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; or, pre-agreeing on the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period through a protocol.

[0130] In some specific implementation manners, the retransmission time unit index corresponds to the retransmission time unit, and the method for determining the position of the transmission occasion within the retransmission time unit includes: using N2 consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission occasion of the SIB1 PDCCH, where the relative position of the retransmission occasion within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission occasion specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the retransmission occasion within the retransmission time unit through a protocol.

[0131] In some specific implementation manners, receiving the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: receiving the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the master information block MIB message.

[0132] In some specific implementation manners, the method for determining the frequency domain position of the initial transmission includes: determining the frequency domain position corresponding to the CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the initial transmission frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH.

[0133] In some specific implementation manners, a method for determining a set of available frequency-domain positions for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission includes: using the frequency-domain configuration information of CORESET#0A indicated by the MIB message as the frequency-domain configuration information of CORESET#0A for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission; and determining the set of available frequency-domain positions for retransmission according to the frequency-domain configuration information of the retransmitted CORESET#0A.

[0134] In some specific implementation manners, a method for determining a set of available frequency-domain positions for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission includes: the starting physical resource block index (StartPRB index) of CORESET#0A for SIB1 PDCCH retransmission is the sum of the StartPRB index of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message and the physical resource block (RB) offset; and / or, the starting subcarrier index (Start SC index) of CORESET#0A is the sum of the Start SC index of CORESET#0 and the subcarrier (SC) offset.

[0135] In some specific implementation manners, the RB offset and / or the SC offset are pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

[0136] In some specific implementation manners, receiving SIB1 PDCCH at available time-frequency domain positions for initial transmission and / or retransmission includes: receiving SIB1 PDCCH at a set of available time-domain positions for SIB1 PDCCH initial transmission and / or retransmission.

[0137] In some specific implementation manners, receiving retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the first system information block (SIB1) includes: receiving the retransmission information of SIB1 PDCCH through the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or the secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

[0138] In summary, the present application discloses a communication method, which is applied to terminal devices such as mobile phones and computers. By repeatedly receiving SIB1 PDCCH at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0139] Based on the foregoing communication method, the present application further provides an electronic device for executing the foregoing communication method. This will be described below in conjunction with embodiments.

[0140] See Figure 4 , which is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The electronic device may be a network device, including but not limited to a base station and a core network unit. Figure 4A simplified schematic diagram of the base station structure is shown. The base station includes a part 410, a part 420, and a part 430. The part 410 is mainly used for baseband processing and controlling the base station, etc.; the part 410 is usually the control center of the base station and can usually be called a processor, which is used to control the base station to execute the processing operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The part 420 is mainly used for storing computer program codes and data. The part 430 is mainly used for the transceiver of radio frequency signals and the conversion between radio frequency signals and baseband signals; the part 430 can usually be called a transceiver module, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc. The transceiver module of the part 430 can also be called a transceiver or a transceiver, etc., and it includes an antenna 433 and a radio frequency circuit (not shown in the figure), where the radio frequency circuit is mainly used for radio frequency processing. Optionally, the devices used to implement the receiving function in the part 430 can be regarded as a receiver, and the devices used to implement the sending function can be regarded as a transmitter, that is, the part 430 includes a receiver 432 and a transmitter 431. The receiver can also be called a receiving module, a receiver, or a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitter can be called a transmitting module, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0141] The part 410 and the part 420 may include one or more single boards, and each single board may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is used to read and execute the programs in the memory to implement the baseband processing function and the control of the base station. If there are multiple single boards, the single boards can be interconnected to enhance the processing ability. As an optional implementation manner, it can also be that multiple single boards share one or more processors, or multiple single boards share one or more memories, or multiple single boards share one or more processors at the same time.

[0142] For example, in one implementation manner, the transceiver module of the part 430 is used to execute the transceiver-related processes performed by the base station (network device) in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor of the part 410 is used to execute the processing-related processes performed by the base station in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0143] It should be understood that Figure 4 only for example and not limitation, the above network device including a processor, a memory, and a transceiver may not depend on Figure 4 the shown structure.

[0144] Refer to Figure 5 , this figure is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition of another electronic device provided by the embodiment of the present application. The electronic device may be a terminal device, and the terminal device may be a terminal, including but not limited to electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart wearable devices (such as smart watches). Taking a mobile phone as an example below, the electronic device may include a processor 510, an external memory interface 520, an internal memory 521, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 530, and a wireless communication module 540, etc.

[0145] It can be understood that the structure illustrated in this embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device. In other embodiments, the electronic device may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0146] The processor 510 may include one or more processing units. For example, the processor 510 may include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Among them, different processing units may be independent devices or integrated in one or more processors.

[0147] It can be understood that the interface connection relationship between the modules illustrated in this embodiment is only for illustrative purposes and does not constitute a structural limitation on the electronic device. In other embodiments of the present application, the electronic device may also adopt different interface connection methods or a combination of multiple interface connection methods as described in the above embodiments.

[0148] The external memory interface 520 may be used to connect to an external memory card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the electronic device. The external memory card communicates with the processor 510 through the external memory interface 520 to implement the data storage function. For example, files such as music and videos are saved in the external memory card.

[0149] The internal memory 521 can be used to store computer-executable program codes, and the executable program codes include instructions. The processor 510 executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 521. The internal memory 521 can include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area can store an operating system, application programs required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.). The data storage area can store data created during the use of the electronic device (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.). In addition, the internal memory 521 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, a universal flash storage (UFS), etc. The processor 510 executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 521, and / or the instructions stored in the memory provided in the processor.

[0150] The wireless communication function of the electronic device can be implemented by the antenna 1, the antenna 2, the mobile communication module 530, the wireless communication module 540, the modulation and demodulation processor, and the baseband processor, etc.

[0151] The antenna 1 and the antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in the electronic device can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be multiplexed to improve the utilization rate of the antennas. For example, the antenna 1 can be multiplexed as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antenna can be used in combination with a tuning switch.

[0152] The mobile communication module 530 can provide solutions for wireless communications including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G, etc. applied to the electronic device. The mobile communication module 530 can include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 530 can receive electromagnetic waves through the antenna 1, filter, amplify, etc. the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the modulation and demodulation processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 530 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modulation and demodulation processor, and convert it into electromagnetic waves through the antenna 1 and radiate it out. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 530 can be provided in the processor 510. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 530 and at least some modules of the processor 510 can be provided in the same device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the electronic device initiates or receives a call request through the mobile communication module 530 and the antenna 1.

[0154] In addition, an operating system runs on the above components. For example, iOS operating system, Android operating system, Windows operating system, etc. Application programs can be installed and run on the operating system. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the sake of convenient and concise description, the explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant content in any of the above-mentioned electronic devices can refer to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0155] This application also provides a communication system, which may include Figure 4 the network devices shown (such as base stations and other network devices) and Figure 5 the terminal devices shown (such as mobile phones and other terminals).

[0156] In this application, a terminal or a network device may include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. Among them, the hardware layer may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and a memory (also called main memory). The operating system of the operating system layer may be any one or more computer operating systems that implement service processing through processes. For example, Linux operating system, Unix operating system, Android operating system, iOS operating system, or windows operating system, etc. The application layer may include applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, instant messaging software, etc.

[0157] See Figure 6 , which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 is applied to electronic devices such as base stations and includes: an information sending module 601, a position determining module 602, and a repeated sending module 603.

[0158] Among them, the information sending module 601 is used to send the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; the position determining module 602 is used to determine the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; the repeated sending module 603 is used to send the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission.

[0159] In summary, this application discloses a communication device. By repeatedly sending the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available time-frequency domain positions, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0160] See Figure 7, this figure is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. This communication device 700 is applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers, and includes: a signal receiving module 701, a position determining module 702, and a repeated receiving module 703.

[0161] Among them, the signal receiving module 701 is used to receive the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; the position determining module 702 is used to determine the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; the repeated receiving module 703 is used to receive the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions of the initial transmission and / or retransmission.

[0162] In summary, the present application discloses a communication device. By repeatedly receiving the SIB1 PDCCH multiple times at the determined available retransmission time-frequency domain positions and by combining and detecting the information of the SIB1 PDCCH in the initial transmission and retransmission, the corresponding transmission performance requirements can be met, the loss of wireless communication can be reduced, the downlink coverage can be enhanced, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0163] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices, and apparatuses can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0164] The above is the case. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a network device, the method includes: Sending retransmission information of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of a first System Information Block (SIB1); Determining available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; Sending the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The retransmission information includes one or more of information indicating whether retransmission is performed, transmission period information, and maximum retransmission times information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The length of the transmission period is the sum of a target number of time units; determining the available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: Judging whether the starting time unit in the transmission period satisfies the following formula, (2 μ ×10n f +n s ) mod T = Offset where μ is a positive integer, n f is the system frame number, n s is the time unit number within the radio frame, T is the transmission period, the unit of T is time unit, and offset is the offset value of the time unit; If it is satisfied, determining the time window determined by the starting time unit and the duration T as the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH; Determining a set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH in the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: Taking the first time unit within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH; Or, taking the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: Taking N1 consecutive Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols within the initial transmission time unit as an initial transmission occasion of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission occasion specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; Or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the initial transmission occasion within the initial transmission time unit through a protocol.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein The method for determining the set of time domain positions of the retransmission includes: Determining a retransmission time unit index, and the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and a time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; Or, pre-agreeing on the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period through a protocol.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The retransmission time unit index corresponds to a retransmission time unit, and the method for determining the position of the transmission occasion within the retransmission time unit includes: Taking N2 consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission occasion of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the retransmission occasion within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission occasion specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; Or, pre-agreeing on the relative position of the retransmission occasion within the retransmission time unit through a protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein Sending the retransmission information of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of the first System Information Block (SIB1) includes: Sending the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through a Master Information Block (MIB) message.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for determining the frequency domain position of the initial transmission includes: Determine the frequency-domain position corresponding to CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the initial transmission frequency-domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The method for determining the set of available frequency-domain positions for retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: Use the frequency-domain configuration information of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the frequency-domain configuration information of CORESET#0A for retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; Based on the frequency-domain configuration information of the retransmitted CORESET#0A, confirm the set of available frequency-domain positions for the retransmission.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein The method for determining the set of available frequency-domain positions for retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: The starting physical resource block index Start PRB index of the retransmitted CORESET#0A of the SIB1 PDCCH is the sum of the Start PRB index of CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message and the physical resource block RB offset; And / or, the starting subcarrier index Start SC index of the CORESET#0A is the sum of the Start SC index of the CORESET#0 and the subcarrier SC offset.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The RB offset and / or the SC offset are pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

13. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Sending the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission includes: Send the SIB1 PDCCH at the set of available time-domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein Sending the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: Send the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the primary synchronization signal PSS or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Receive the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1; Determine the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; Receive the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, Receiving the SIB1 PDCCH includes: Receive the initial transmission PDCCH at the initial transmission time-frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH; If the downlink signal quality is less than or equal to the quality threshold, receive the retransmitted SIB1 PDCCH at the retransmission time-frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The quality threshold is pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein The retransmission information includes one or more of the information indicating whether retransmission is performed, the transmission period information, and the maximum retransmission times information.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein The length of the transmission period is the sum of a target number of time units; determining the set of available time-domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: Judge whether the starting time unit in the transmission period satisfies the following formula, (2 μ × 10n f + n s ) mod T = Offset Wherein, μ is a positive integer, nf is the system frame number, ns is the time unit number within a radio frame, T is the transmission period, the unit of T is a time unit, and offset is the offset value of the time unit; If the condition is met, the time window determined by the starting time unit and the duration T is determined as the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH; In the transmission period of the SIB1 PDCCH, determine the set of available time domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein The method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: Taking the first time unit within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH; Or, taking the first configured time unit of the PDCCH Type0 search space within the transmission period as the initial transmission time unit of the SIB1 PDCCH.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The method for determining the time domain position of the initial transmission includes: Taking N1 consecutive OFDM symbols within the initial transmission time unit as an initial transmission opportunity of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the initial transmission opportunity within the initial transmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; Or, the relative position of the initial transmission opportunity within the initial transmission time unit is pre-agreed through a protocol.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein The method for determining the set of time domain positions of the retransmission includes: Determining the retransmission time unit index, and within each transmission period, the retransmission time unit index is the sum of the initial transmission time unit index and the time unit offset, and the time unit offset is a sequence value; Or, the retransmission time unit index within each transmission period is pre-agreed through a protocol.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein The retransmission time unit index corresponds to the retransmission time unit, and the method for determining the position of the transmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit includes: Taking N2 consecutive OFDM symbols within the retransmission time unit as a retransmission opportunity of the SIB1 PDCCH, and the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is the same as the relative position of the transmission opportunity specified by the PDCCH Type0 search space within the corresponding time unit; Or, the relative position of the retransmission opportunity within the retransmission time unit is pre-agreed through a protocol.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein Receiving the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: Receiving the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the master information block MIB message.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein The method for determining the frequency domain position of the initial transmission includes: Determining the frequency domain position corresponding to CORESET#0 indicated by the MIB message as the initial transmission frequency domain position of the SIB1 PDCCH.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein The method for determining the set of available frequency domain positions for the retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH includes: Taking the frequency domain configuration information of CORESET#0A indicated by the MIB message as the frequency domain configuration information of CORESET#0A for the retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH; Confirm the set of available frequency-domain positions for the retransmitted CORESET #0A according to the frequency-domain configuration information of the retransmitted CORESET #0A.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein, The method for determining the set of available frequency-domain positions for the SIB1 PDCCH retransmission includes: The starting physical resource block index Start PRB index of the SIB1 PDCCH retransmission CORESET #0A is the sum of the Start PRB index of CORESET #0 indicated by the MIB message and the physical resource block RB offset; And / or, the starting subcarrier index Start SC index of the CORESET #0A is the sum of the Start SC index of the CORESET #0 and the subcarrier SC offset.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein The RB offset and / or the SC offset are pre-agreed by the protocol or configured by the network.

29. The method according to claim 19, wherein Receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the available time-frequency domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission includes: Receiving the SIB1 PDCCH at the set of available time-domain positions for the initial transmission and / or retransmission of the SIB1 PDCCH.

30. The method according to claim 15, wherein Receiving the retransmission information of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH of the first system information block SIB1 includes: Receiving the retransmission information of the SIB1 PDCCH through the primary synchronization signal PSS or the secondary synchronization signal SSS.

31. A network device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: A memory for storing a computer program or computer instructions; A processor for executing the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

32. A terminal device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: A memory for storing a computer program or computer instructions; A processor for executing the computer program or computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the electronic device executes the method according to any one of claims 15 to 30.

33. A communication system, characterized in that, The system includes a network device and the terminal device. The network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and the terminal device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 15 to 30.

34. A computer storage medium for storing a computer program, which when executed is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

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