Communication method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving first information; the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not comprise a common search space (CSS) set; and communicating with network equipment through the first downlink BWP. In the method, the network equipment does not configure the CSS set in the first downlink BWP, so that the frequency domain resource overhead of the CSS set can be reduced, and the resource utilization rate can be improved. In addition, since the first downlink BWP does not comprise the CSS set, the terminal device communicating in the first downlink BWP does not need to monitor the CSS set, so that the power consumption of the terminal device can also be saved.

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] In a mobile communication system, in order for a terminal device to receive public information such as a system information block (SIB), the network should configure a common search space set (CSS set) for the terminal device in an active downlink bandwidth part (BWP). The terminal device can receive information such as SIB1 according to the CSS set.

[0003] The resources occupied by the CSS set are pre-configured fixed resources, and these resources can only be used for the CSS set. Whether the terminal device needs to receive public information through the CSS set or not, each BWP configured for the terminal device includes the CSS set, resulting in resource waste. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to improve resource utilization.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method. The execution subject of this method is a terminal device or a module or chip on the terminal device side. Here, the terminal device is taken as an example of the execution subject for description. The method includes: receiving first information; the first information is the configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set, or the uplink BWP configuration corresponding to the first downlink BWP is RACH, and the first downlink BWP only includes a type 1 CSS set; communicating with a network device through the first downlink BWP.

[0006] Through the method provided by this application, the network device does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP, which can reduce the frequency domain resource overhead of the CSS set and improve resource utilization. Since the first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set, the terminal device communicating within the first downlink BWP does not need to monitor the CSS set, which can also save the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: performing initial access through a second downlink BWP, where the second downlink BWP includes N common search space (CSS) sets, and N is an integer greater than 0.

[0008] Since the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, this can ensure that the terminal device can receive public information through the CSS set, ensuring system compatibility and communication efficiency.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH).

[0011] In this method, when the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH, the terminal device may not receive information or messages in the random access process in the first downlink BWP. Therefore, the first downlink BWP may not include a CSS set, saving resource overhead and reducing the power consumption of the terminal device for detecting the CSS set.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH), the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is an active BWP; or, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC idle state or a BWP used in the initial access process.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

[0016] Through the above method, if a BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0 or the common CORESET, the network can configure the CSS set in this BWP to be associated with this CORESET#0 or the common CORESET without additional overhead.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to a bandwidth threshold; wherein, the carrier belongs to FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; the carrier belongs to a frequency range other than FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

[0018] If the bandwidth of the carrier is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, then the bandwidth of the carrier is relatively large, and the number of BWPs included in the carrier with a relatively large bandwidth is relatively large. Therefore, configuring the CSS set in some or all of the BWPs not included therein can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to the time division duplex (TDD) band.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device is a terminal device with reduced capabilities.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device supports unrestricted BWP, or the terminal device does not support multi-CORESET.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method. The execution entity of this method is a network device or a module or chip on the network device side. Here, the network device is taken as an example of the execution entity for description. The method includes: sending first information, where the first information is the configuration information of the first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set, or the random access channel (RACH) is configured for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, and the first downlink BWP only includes a type 1 CSS set; communicating with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending second information; the second information is the configuration information of a second downlink BWP, and the second information indicates that the second downlink BWP includes N common search space (CSS) sets, where N is an integer greater than 0.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the random access channel (RACH) is not configured for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the random access channel (RACH) is not configured for the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP, the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is an active BWP; or, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC idle state or a BWP used during the initial access procedure.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the control resource set CORESET #0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than a bandwidth threshold; where the carrier belongs to FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; if the carrier belongs to a frequency range other than FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending third information to a second terminal device, where the third information is configuration information of a third BWP, the third BWP includes M CSSs, and M is an integer greater than 0; the third BWP is used for the second terminal device to communicate with a network device in the RRC connected state.

[0032] 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 above. 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.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions of the network device, terminal device, or core network device in the method shown above. The communication device may further include a memory coupled to the processor, which stores the necessary program instructions and data of the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit for supporting communication between the communication device and devices such as terminal devices.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules respectively used to implement the steps in the above method. 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.

[0035] In a possible implementation manner, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, and these units can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples. For specific descriptions, refer to the methods provided in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and details are not described here.

[0036] 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 implements the functional modules of the method 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.

[0037] 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 implemented.

[0038] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the methods in any possible implementation manner in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect are implemented.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, a circuit is provided, which is used to execute the methods in any possible implementation manner in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect. The circuit may include a chip circuit. Optionally, the circuit may also be coupled to a memory.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, 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 the second aspect. Optionally, the chip may further include a memory. The chip may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0041] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a processor. The processor implements the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to the second aspect through a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instructions.

[0042] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a unit or module for executing the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the foregoing first aspect to the second aspect.

[0043] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system. The communication system includes: a terminal device for implementing the method in the foregoing first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect; a network device for implementing the method in the foregoing second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. Description of the Drawings

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a BWP configuration provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a communication method flow provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a BWP provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a BWP provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a communication device structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a communication device structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication device structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0052] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below 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 "including" and "having" 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. The methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present application are based on the same or similar technical concepts. Since the principles of solving problems by the methods and devices are similar, the implementation of the device and the method can be referred to each other, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0053] The method provided in 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 fourth generation (4G) communication system (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE)), the fifth generation (5G) communication system (such as 5G New Radio (NR)), or a hybrid architecture of LTE and NR, or 6G or new communication systems emerging in the future development of communication. The communication system can also include a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), or other networks.

[0054] Hereinafter, some terms in the embodiments of the present application will be explained first to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device may be a device in a wireless network, and the network device may also be referred to as a network apparatus or 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 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, an access network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN), a next generation NodeB in a 6th 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 or a donor node, etc. In the present application, the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the network device are not limited.

[0056] In some implementations, a network device may include one or more of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The RAN device including 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 part or all protocol layers are distributed in the DU, and the DU is centrally controlled by the CU. 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 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 and decryption of control plane data, integrity protection, data transmission, etc. CU-UP is responsible for 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 and decryption of the data plane, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, data transmission, etc. 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of this application can be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving scheduling and indication information from a network device. The terminal device can be referred to as a terminal device, and can also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device can 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 phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, palmtop computers, mobile internet devices (MID), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in vehicle networking, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grid, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart city, or wireless terminals in smart home, device-to-device (D2D) terminal devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication terminal devices, intelligent vehicles, in-vehicle systems (or in-vehicle sending units) (telematics box, T-box), machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal devices, internet of things (IoT) terminal devices, etc. For example, the terminal device can 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-mentioned chip or SOC can be installed in a vehicle, an OBU, an RSU, or a T-box. The wireless terminal in industrial control can be a camera, a robot, etc. The wireless terminal in smart home can 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 (smart car or intelligent car), a digital car, an unmanned car (unmanned car or driverless car or pilotless car or automobile), a self-driving car (self-driving car or autonomous car), a pure electric vehicle (pure EV or Battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (hybrid electric vehicle, HEV), a range extended electric vehicle (range extended EV, REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (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 terminal device 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.

[0059] The terminal device in the present application can be divided into a first type of terminal device and a second type of terminal device. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, a UE with low complexity, and the second type of terminal device can be a UE with non-low complexity. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, a reduced capability UE (REDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device can be a legacy UE, such as an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) UE. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, an enhanced reduced capability UE (EREDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device can be a legacy UE, such as an eMBB UE. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, an enhanced reduced capability UE (EREDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device can be a reduced capability UE (REDCAP UE).

[0060] The first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device have different characteristics, and the characteristics include one or more of the following:

[0061] Bandwidth, the number of supported or configured resources, the number of transmit antenna ports and / or receive antenna ports, the number of radio frequency channels, the number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes, the supported peak rate, application scenarios, latency requirements, processing capabilities, protocol versions, duplex modes, services, etc. The following provides a detailed description of the first feature.

[0062] Bandwidth, or channel bandwidth, or the maximum channel bandwidth supported or configured by the terminal device. The bandwidths of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device are different. For example, the bandwidth of the first type of terminal device can be 20 MHz, 10 MHz, or 5 MHz, and the bandwidth of the second type of terminal device can be 100 MHz. It can be understood that with the development of communication technologies, the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the first type of terminal device may no longer be 20 MHz, 10 MHz, or 5 MHz, but may evolve into a wider or narrower bandwidth, such as 3 MHz, 25 MHz, or 50 MHz.

[0063] The number of supported or configured resources. The resources can be resource blocks (RBs), resource elements (REs), subcarriers, RB groups, REG bundles, control channel elements, subframes, radio frames, time slots, mini time slots, and / or symbols. The number of supported or configured resources of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device is different. For example, the number of resources supported by the first type of terminal device is 48 RBs, and the number of resources supported by the second type of terminal device is 96 RBs.

[0064] The number of transmit antenna ports and / or receive antenna ports, that is, the number of transmit antenna ports and / or receive antenna ports of the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example, the number of transmit antenna ports of the first type of terminal device can be 1, and the number of receive antenna ports can be 2. The number of transmit antenna ports of the second type of terminal device can be 2, and the number of receive antenna ports can be 4.

[0065] The number of radio frequency channels, that is, the number of radio frequency channels of the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example, the number of radio frequency channels of the first type of terminal device can be 1, and the number of radio frequency channels of the second type of terminal device can be 2.

[0066] The number of HARQ processes, that is, the number of HARQ processes supported by the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example, the number of HARQ processes of the first type of terminal device can be 8, and the number of HARQ processes of the second type of terminal device can be 16.

[0067] The supported peak rate, i.e., the maximum peak rates of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device are different. For example, the maximum peak rate supported by the first type of terminal device can be 100 Mbps, and the peak rate supported by the second type of terminal device can be 200 Mbps.

[0068] Application scenarios, i.e., the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device are for different application scenarios. For example, the first type of terminal device is applied to industrial wireless sensing, video surveillance, wearable devices, etc., and the second type of terminal device is applied to mobile communication, video web surfing, etc.

[0069] Latency requirements, i.e., the requirements for transmission latency of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device are different. For example, the latency requirement of the first type of terminal device can be 500 milliseconds, and the latency requirement of the second type of terminal device can be 100 milliseconds.

[0070] Processing capabilities, i.e., under different subcarrier space (SCS) conditions, the processing timings and speeds of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device for channels or data are different. For example, the first type of terminal device does not support complex operations, and the complex operations can include: artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) rendering. The second type of terminal device supports complex operations, or it can be understood that the processing capability of the first type of terminal device is lower than that of the second type of terminal device.

[0071] Protocol version (Release), that is, the first type of terminal device and the second terminal device belong to terminal devices of different protocol versions. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is Release 17 and protocol versions after Release 17, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is a protocol version before Release 17. For example, Release 15 or Release 16. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is the protocol version of Release 18, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is a protocol version before Release 18, such as Release 15 or Release 16 or Release 17. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is Release 17 and protocol versions after Release 17, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is a protocol version before Release 17. For example, Release 15 or Release 16. For example, the first type of terminal device is a low-complexity terminal with a protocol version supported by Release 17 and protocol versions after Release 17. The second type of terminal device is a non-low-complexity terminal device with a protocol version before Release 17.

[0072] Duplex mode, the duplex mode includes half-duplex and full-duplex. For example: the first type of terminal device operates in a half-duplex mode, and the second type of terminal device operates in a full-duplex mode.

[0073] Services, the services include but are not limited to Internet of Things applications, such as video surveillance, mobile broadband (MBB), etc. For example: the service supported by the first type of terminal device is real-time video surveillance, and the service supported by the second type of terminal device is mobile broadband. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0074] It should be understood that other types of terminal devices, or future new types of terminal devices that also support the technical solution of the present application, are also within the protection scope of the present application.

[0075] The first terminal device in the present application may be an example of the first type of terminal device, and the second terminal device may be an example of the second type of terminal device.

[0076] In the present application, the predefined content generally refers to the information that is defined by the 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 can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. The pre-configured content generally refers to the information pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, which is determined by the factory equipment manufacturer and can be changed through software or hardware.

[0077] Figure 1 shows the architecture of a possible communication system to which the communication method provided by this application is applicable. As Figure 1 shown, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may further include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one network device (such as Figure 1 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1 120a - 120j in

[0078] , collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may further include other RAN nodes, for example, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (

[0079] not shown in Figure 1 ). The terminal device 120 is connected to the network device 110 wirelessly. The network device 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or by wire. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the network devices 110 in the RAN 100 may be different physical devices respectively, or may be the same physical device integrating the core network logic function and the radio access network logic function.

[0080] In the initial access phase, the network device configures an initial BWP for the terminal device to perform random access, including an initial downlink BWP (initial DL BWP) and an initial uplink BWP (initial UL BWP). Among them, the initial downlink BWP is determined by the frequency domain of control resource set (CORESET) #0 configured by the master information block (MIB) in the initial access phase, and the maximum bandwidth does not exceed 20 MHz. The initial uplink BWP is configured through system information block 1 (SIB1).

[0081] After initial access, the terminal device enters the RRC connected state. The network device can flexibly configure at least one user-level BWP for each terminal device according to the bandwidth capability reported by the terminal device. If the terminal device receives multiple BWP configurations, at the same time, the terminal device can only operate on one of the BWPs, and this BWP is called the active BWP. Since the terminal device performs data transmission based on the BWP, most of the parameters for the terminal device's data transmission are configured based on the BWP, such as physical layer parameters, high-layer parameters, etc. The BWP configuration is within the corresponding carrier bandwidth, that is, the uplink BWP is configured within the uplink carrier bandwidth, and the downlink BWP is configured within the downlink carrier bandwidth.

[0082] The network device can send control information through the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the terminal device needs to blindly detect the PDCCH. In the NR system, to facilitate the terminal device to blindly detect the PDCCH, a search space set and a control resource set (CORESET) are defined, and one search space set corresponds to one CORESET.

[0083] The search space set is divided into a CSS set and a user equipment specific search space set (UE specific searchspace set, USS set). The network device needs to configure the CSS set in each BWP configured for the terminal device, and the resources occupied by the CSS set are pre-configured fixed resources. For example, Figure 2 as shown, the network device configures 5 BWPs for the terminal device in the downlink carrier, namely BWP #0 to BWP #4. BWP #0 is the initial BWP, and BWP #0 includes CORESET #0; the CSS sets are included in all of BWP #1 to BWP #4.

[0084] The CSS set can include the following types:

[0085] The Type0 Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) Control State Set (CSS), which can also be simply referred to as the Type0 CSS, is used to indicate the resources of System Information Block 1 (SIB1).

[0086] The Type0A PDCCH CSS, which can also be simply referred to as the Type0A CSS, is used to indicate the resources of other SIBs (such as SIB2, SIB3, etc.).

[0087] The Type1 PDCCH CSS, which can also be simply referred to as the Type1 CSS, is used to indicate the information transmitted during the random access procedure.

[0088] The Type2 PDCCH CSS, which can also be simply referred to as the Type2 CSS, is used to indicate the information related to paging.

[0089] The Type3 PDCCH CSS, which can also be simply referred to as the Type3 CSS, is used to indicate the information for broadcast, multicast, and unicast; here, "indicate" can also be understood as "schedule".

[0090] The network device configures at least one CSS in each Bandwidth Part (BWP), which will increase the overhead of system resources. Moreover, since the resources occupied by the CSS are pre-configured fixed resources, it also limits the flexibility of resource allocation by the network device.

[0091] The method provided in this application is applied to Figure 1 When the network architecture in Figure 1 the method executed by the network device in this application can also be executed by Figure 1 the network device or a module on the network device side (such as a chip), or can be executed by a control subsystem including network device functions. The control subsystem including network device functions here can be a control center in the above application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be executed by

[0092] the terminal device or a module on the terminal device side (such as a chip or a modem), or can be executed by a device including terminal device functions.

[0093] It can be understood that the present application does not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution entity of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, and it can be applied to modules on the terminal device or network device side, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application by running a program recorded with the code of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. In the following, the interaction between the terminal device and the network device is taken as an example for description.

[0094] As Figure 3 shown, it is a schematic diagram of the process of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the method includes:

[0095] Step 301: The network device sends the first information.

[0096] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first information.

[0097] Among them, the first information is the configuration information of the first downlink BWP, and the first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set, that is, the network device does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Or, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP configures RACH, and the first downlink BWP only includes a type 1 CSS set. The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP can also be configured by the network device, and the specific configuration method is not limited in the present application.

[0098] By this method, the network device does not configure a CSS set or only configures a type 1 CSS set in the first downlink BWP, which can reduce the frequency domain resource overhead of the CSS set and improve resource utilization. The first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set, and the terminal device communicating within the first downlink BWP does not need to monitor the CSS set. In this way, the power consumption of the terminal device is also saved. Here, monitoring can also be understood as detection, blind detection, blind decoding, etc.

[0099] Exemplarily, the first information is RRC configuration information. For example, the first information is BWP dedicated information. For example, the first information is BWP-DownlinkDedicated information. After the first terminal device enters the RRC connected state, the network device can send the first information.

[0100] Exemplarily, the network device may send second information, where the second information is the configuration information of a second downlink BWP. The second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, and N is an integer greater than 0. The first terminal device may determine the second downlink BWP based on the second information. Among them, the second information may be carried in the MIB or SIB. For example, when the second information is carried in the MIB, the second BWP includes the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. For another example, when the second information is carried in the SIB, the second BWP is the initial BWP. For yet another example, when the second information is carried in the SIB, the second BWP is the RedCap independent initial BWP.

[0101] Exemplarily, when the first terminal device is in the RRC disconnected state (such as the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state), it performs initial access through the second BWP and receives system information and information during the random access procedure in the second BWP. Exemplarily, in the RRC disconnected state, the first terminal device receives system information, paging messages, and information during the random access procedure in the second BWP. It should be noted that during the initial access procedure, the second BWP can be understood as the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. If the network device does not configure an independent initial BWP for the low-complexity terminal device, during the initial access procedure, the second BWP can be understood as the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. If the network device configures an independent initial BWP for the low-complexity terminal device, during the initial access procedure, the second BWP can be understood as the independent initial BWP.

[0102] After the first terminal device performs initial access through the second downlink BWP, it may receive RRC configuration information, such as receiving the first information. The first terminal device may switch from the second downlink BWP to the first BWP according to the first information.

[0103] Exemplarily, the first downlink BWP may be the active BWP, or the first downlink BWP is a BWP with a dedicated configuration. Or, the first downlink BWP is the BWP used by the first terminal device in the RRC connected state. For example, the first downlink BWP is a non-initial BWP.

[0104] Exemplarily, the second downlink BWP is the initial BWP, or the second downlink BWP is the BWP used by the first terminal device in the RRC disconnected state, or the second downlink BWP is the BWP used by the first terminal device during the initial access procedure.

[0105] Optionally, the network device may also send third information, which is the configuration information of a third downlink BWP. The third BWP includes M CSSs, where M is an integer greater than 0. The third BWP is the BWP configured by the network device for the second terminal device and can be used by the second terminal device to communicate with the network device when in the RRC connected state. For the specific content of the third information, reference may be made to the description of the first information and will not be elaborated here.

[0106] Among them, the second terminal device may be a second type of terminal device, or a terminal device with complex capabilities, or a terminal device that does not support the first capability, or a terminal device that supports the second capability. The definition of the second type of terminal device may refer to the previous description and will not be elaborated here.

[0107] In one implementation, the random access channel (RACH) is not configured for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP. For example, if the network device does not configure RACH for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, the network device also does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Correspondingly, if the network device does not configure RACH for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, the first terminal device does not expect to configure a CSS set within the first downlink BWP. In this application, "not configured" may also be replaced with descriptions such as "not including".

[0108] Among them, when the network device configures a BWP for the first terminal device, it may configure an uplink BWP and a downlink BWP for uplink transmission and downlink transmission respectively. For a TDD system, the uplink BWP and the downlink BWP appear in pairs. For example, the center frequency points of a pair of uplink BWP and downlink BWP are the same. In this application, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may refer to the uplink BWP among the uplink BWPs configured for the first terminal device that has the same center frequency point as the first downlink BWP; or the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may refer to the first downlink BWP and this uplink BWP as a pair of BWPs for the first terminal device to perform uplink transmission and downlink transmission.

[0109] Optionally, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may be the uplink BWP in a normal uplink carrier or the uplink BWP in a supplementary uplink carrier.

[0110] Exemplarily, if the random access channel (RACH) is configured for the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, the first downlink BWP does not include any one or more of the type 0 CSS set, the type 1 CSS set, the type 2 CSS, and the type 3 CSS set. Among them, "configured" may also be replaced with descriptions such as "including".

[0111] In one implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with RACH, the N CSS sets included in the second downlink BWP do not include a type 1 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set.

[0112] In one implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the third downlink BWP is not configured with RACH, the M CSS sets included in the third downlink BWP do not include a type 1 CSS set, and / or the M CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set. Since RACH is configured by the network device according to resources and services, if the uplink BWP corresponding to a downlink BWP is configured with RACH, then in order to enable the terminal device to perform corresponding downlink transmissions within the downlink BWP, the downlink BWP may include a type 1 CSS set. If the uplink BWP corresponding to a downlink BWP is not configured with RACH, then the downlink BWP may not include a type 1 CSS set.

[0113] In one implementation, if the network device determines that the first terminal device is a first type of terminal device or a reduced-capability terminal device or a terminal device supporting a first capability or a terminal device not supporting a second capability, then it does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Correspondingly, for the first terminal device being a first type of terminal device or a reduced-capability terminal device or a terminal device supporting a first capability or a terminal device not supporting a second capability, the first terminal device does not expect to configure a CSS set within the first downlink BWP. It can also be understood that the terminal device expects to configure a CSS set within the downlink BWP, except for the first type of terminal device or the reduced-capability terminal device or the terminal device supporting a first capability or not supporting a second capability.

[0114] Among them, the definition of the first type of terminal device can refer to the previous description and will not be elaborated here. How the network device determines the type or supported capabilities of the first terminal device is not limited in this application. For example, during the initial access process or after access, the first terminal device may report capability information to the network device, and this capability information indicates that the first terminal device is a first type of terminal device, or it may also indicate that the first terminal device supports a first capability and / or does not support a second capability, etc.

[0115] In this application, the first capability is BWP without restriction. The second capability is multiple CORESET.

[0116] For example, the first capability is BWP unrestricted, which means that the BWP may not include a synchronous signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block, SSB) and / or CORESET #0. The first terminal device supports BWP unrestricted, which means that the first terminal device supports not including SSB and / or CORESET #0 within the BWP.

[0117] For example, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may mean that within the BWP, the terminal device can be configured with 3 or more CORESETs. Alternatively, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may mean that within the initial BWP, the terminal device can be configured with 3 or more CORESETs; or, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may mean that within the BWP, excluding CORESET #0, the terminal device can be configured with 2 or more CORESETs. For example, the BWP described herein does not include a cell defining (CD)-SSB and / or CORESET #0.

[0118] Currently, except for CORESET #0, at most 1 more CORESET can be configured within a BWP. If the current BWP does not include CORESET #0, then this BWP can only be associated with CORESETs other than this CORESET #0. However, to activate a BWP or a UE-specific BWP, it may be necessary to configure a USS set for the transmission of unicast signals. But if there must be a CSS set within the BWP, then both the CSS set and the USS set need to be associated with the only one CORESET within the BWP, which greatly limits the flexibility of network configuration. If the terminal device supports configuring multiple CORESETs (i.e., supports the second capability), then the network can flexibly configure the CSS set according to requirements. Therefore, in this application, if the first terminal device does not support multiple CORESETs (i.e., does not support the second capability), then the CSS set may not be configured within the BWP, reducing resource overhead.

[0119] Exemplarily, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of a common CORESET. Among them, CORESET #0 and / or the common CORESET may be configured by the network device through SIB, and the specific configuration process is not limited in this application. The non-overlap of the two frequency domain resources can be understood as that the two frequency domain resources do not overlap completely, or can be understood as that the two frequency domain resources partially overlap, or can be understood as that the two frequency domain resources do not completely overlap.

[0120] For example, as Figure 4 shown, there is no overlapping part between the frequency-domain resources of the first BWP and those of CORESET #0. In this case, it can be considered that the frequency-domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with those of CORESET #0.

[0121] For another example, as Figure 5 shown, the frequency-domain resources of the first BWP partially overlap with those of CORESET #0, that is, the frequency-domain resources of the first downlink BWP partially overlap with those of CORESET #0. In this case, it can also be considered that the frequency-domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with those of CORESET #0.

[0122] Exemplarily, the second downlink BWP includes the frequency-domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency-domain resources of a common CORESET.

[0123] Exemplarily, the third downlink BWP includes the frequency-domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the third downlink BWP includes the frequency-domain resources of a common CORESET.

[0124] Through the above method, if the frequency-domain resources of CORESET #0 or the frequency-domain resources of a common CORESET are included in the BWP, the network can configure the CSS set in the BWP to be associated with that CORESET #0 or the common CORESET without additional overhead.

[0125] Exemplarily, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold. Or, the maximum configurable bandwidth of the first downlink BWP is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold.

[0126] For example, if the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, the network device may not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. For example, if the maximum configurable bandwidth of the first downlink BWP is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, the network device may not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Correspondingly, the first terminal device does not expect to configure a CSS set within the first downlink BWP.

[0127] For another example, if the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is less than the bandwidth threshold, the network device should configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Correspondingly, the first terminal device expects to configure a CSS set within the first downlink BWP.

[0128] The present application does not limit the value of the bandwidth threshold. For example, if the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to frequency range (FR) 1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz. If the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to a frequency range other than FR1, such as FR2 or FR3, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz. For example, the bandwidth threshold is related to the maximum channel bandwidth supported or configured by the terminal device. For example, the bandwidth threshold is equal to the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the terminal device. For example, the bandwidth threshold is equal to twice the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the terminal device.

[0129] For example, if the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR1, the bandwidth threshold is 20 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 40 MHz. For example, if the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located does not belong to FR1, the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz. For example, if the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR2, the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz. For example, if the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR3, the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz.

[0130] If the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is narrow, the number of BWPs is likely to be small. Therefore, even if a CSS set is configured in each BWP, it will not cause too much resource overhead. However, in a carrier with a large bandwidth, the number of BWPs included is large. Therefore, not configuring the CSS set in some or all of the BWPs can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0131] Exemplarily, the first downlink BWP belongs to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band. Or the first terminal device operates in the TDD frequency band. Optionally, the frequency band to which the first downlink BWP belongs is an asymmetric frequency band. Optionally, the asymmetric frequency band is an unpaired spectrum. For example, the first terminal device operates in an unpaired spectrum. Here, "operates" can also be replaced with descriptions such as "operates (operation)".

[0132] Since the TDD frequency band has a large bandwidth and the number of BWPs included in a carrier with a large bandwidth is large, not configuring the CSS set in some or all of the BWPs can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0133] Exemplarily, the first downlink BWP belongs to the first cell. The first cell is a primary cell (PCell) or a primary secondary cell (PSCell).

[0134] Exemplarily, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the BWP, except for the first terminal device. Here, the terminal device can be replaced with "terminal devices other than the first type of terminal device", for example, the terminal device is the second terminal device.

[0135] For example, the second terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the BWP, but the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the BWP. For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the BWP, but the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the BWP.

[0136] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except when the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device is not configured with a RACH. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but when the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device is not configured with a RACH, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0137] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except when the downlink BWP of the first terminal device does not include a complete first CORESET. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but when the downlink BWP of the first terminal device does not include a complete first CORESET, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP. In this application, the first CORESET is CORESET#0 and / or the common CORESET.

[0138] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except when the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device is not configured with a RACH and the downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but when the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device is not configured with a RACH and the downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0139] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except for the first terminal device operating in an asymmetric spectrum. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but the first terminal device operating in an asymmetric spectrum does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0140] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except for a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum and whose downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET. That is to say: The terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum and whose downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0141] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except for a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum and for which a RACH is not configured within the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP. That is to say: The terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum and for which a RACH is not configured within the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0142] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, except for a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum, for which a RACH is not configured within the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP, and whose downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET. That is to say: The terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP, but a first terminal device operating in asymmetric spectrum, for which a RACH is not configured within the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP, and whose downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the downlink BWP.

[0143] In the above examples, "the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured within the BWP" can be understood as "the network device should (or must) configure a CSS set within the BWP configured for this terminal device". In this example, "the terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured within the BWP" can be understood as "the network device may not configure a CSS set within the BWP configured for this terminal device".

[0144] Step 302: The first terminal device communicates with the network device through the first downlink BWP.

[0145] Correspondingly, the network device communicates with the first terminal device through the first downlink BWP.

[0146] This application does not limit how the network device and the first terminal device communicate through the first BWP, and will not elaborate further here.

[0147] Optionally, the network device may also communicate with the second terminal device through the third BWP, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0148] Exemplarily, if a first terminal device needs to receive public information, where the public information includes at least one of SIB1, other SIBS (such as SIBS other than SIB1), information in a random access procedure, paging-related information, broadcast information, multicast information, and unicast information. In a first implementation manner, the network device may instruct the first terminal device to switch from a first BWP to a second BWP to receive the public information.

[0149] In a second implementation manner, the network device may configure a USS for the first terminal device in the first BWP, and the network device sends the public information in a unicast form through the USS; the first terminal device receives the public information through the USS in the first BWP. In this method, the network device sends the public information in a unicast form, which enables the network device to schedule more flexibly according to the system resource situation and service situation, improving the flexibility of the network device's resource allocation.

[0150] In a third implementation manner, the network device may further configure a fourth BWP for the first terminal device, where the fourth BWP is a non-initial BWP, for example, the fourth BWP is a dedicated BWP, and the fourth BWP includes X CSS sets, where X is an integer greater than 0. If the first terminal device needs to receive public information, the network device may instruct the first terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and the first terminal device may receive the public information according to the CSS sets in the fourth BWP.

[0151] It can be understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or the network device includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, combining 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 form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0152] 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.

[0153] As Figure 6 shown, the communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a communication unit 620. The communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in each of the above method embodiments.

[0154] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device:

[0155] A processing unit receives first information through a communication unit; the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set.

[0156] The processing unit communicates with a network device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

[0157] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of a network device:

[0158] A processing unit sends first information through a communication unit, the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set.

[0159] The processing unit communicates with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

[0160] For a more detailed description of the above processing unit 610 and communication unit 620, reference can be directly made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details are not repeated here.

[0161] 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 called and executed by a certain processing element of the device to perform the functions of the unit. In addition, these units can be fully or partially integrated together or can be 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.

[0162] In one example, the units in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: 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).

[0163] The above unit for receiving is an interface circuit of the device, 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, 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.

[0164] 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 7 , Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication device 700 includes a processor 701 and a transceiver 702. The communication device 700 may be a terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 700 may be a network device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 7 Only the main components of the communication device 700 are shown. In addition to the processor 701 and the transceiver 702, the communication device 700 may further include a memory 703 and an input / output device (not shown in the figure).

[0165] Optionally, the processor 701 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 703 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 702 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.

[0166] Optionally, the processor 701, the transceiver 702, and the memory 703 may be connected through a communication bus.

[0167] After the communication device is powered on, the processor 701 may read the software program in the memory 703, 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 701 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 701. The processor 701 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0168] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna may be set 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 manner.

[0169] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may think that the above communication device 600 may adopt Figure 7 the form of the communication device 700 shown.

[0170] As an example, Figure 6 the function / implementation process of the processing unit 610 in Figure 7 may be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 703. Figure 6 the function / implementation process of the communication unit 620 in Figure 7 may be implemented by the transceiver 702 in the communication device 700 shown.

[0171] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device in the present application may adopt Figure 8 the composition structure shown, or include Figure 8 the components shown. Figure 8Schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 800 provided by this application.

[0172] As Figure 8 shown, the communication device 800 includes at least one processor 801. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface 802.

[0173] When the program instructions involved are executed in the at least one processor 801, the communication device 800 can implement the method provided in any of the foregoing embodiments and any possible design thereof. Alternatively, the processor 801 is used to implement the method provided in any of the foregoing embodiments and any possible design thereof through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0174] The communication interface 802 can be used to receive program instructions and transmit them to the processor. Alternatively, the communication interface 802 can be used for the communication device 800 to communicate with other communication devices, such as to interact control signaling and / or service data, etc. Exemplarily, the communication interface 802 can be used to receive signals from other devices outside the communication device 800 and transmit them to the processor 801 or send signals from the processor 801 to other communication devices outside the communication device 800.

[0175] Optionally, the communication interface 802 can be a code and / or data read / write interface circuit, or the communication interface 802 can be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver, or a pin of a chip.

[0176] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include at least one memory 803, and the memory 803 can be used to store the program instructions and / or data involved as required. It should be noted that the memory 803 can exist independently of the processor 801 or be integrated with the processor 801. The memory 803 can be located inside the communication device 800 or outside the communication device 800, without limitation.

[0177] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a power supply circuit 804, and the power supply circuit 804 can be used to supply power to the processor 801. The power supply circuit 804 can be located within the same chip as the processor 801, or in another chip outside the chip where the processor 801 is located.

[0178] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a bus, and various parts in the communication device 800 can be interconnected through the bus.

[0179] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can think that the Figure 6 shown communication device 600 can adopt Figure 8The form of the communication device 800 shown.

[0180] As an example, Figure 6 the function / implementation process of the processing unit 610 in Figure 8 can be implemented by the processor 801 in the communication device 800 shown calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 803. Figure 6 the function / implementation process of the communication unit 620 in Figure 8 can be implemented by the communication interface 802 in the communication device 800 shown.

[0181] It should be noted that Figure 8 the structure shown does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device or the network device. For example, in other embodiments of the present application, the terminal device or the network device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or have different component arrangements. The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0182] 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.

[0183] 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 it can be a DU or other modules. Here, the DU can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0184] 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.

[0185] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented in a hardware manner, or may be implemented 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 an ASIC. Additionally, 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.

[0186] 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 the computer can access, 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.

[0187] 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 referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0188] 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 adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can adopt 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.

[0189] 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 implementation in the processFigure 1 means for a process or processes and / or blocks Figure 1 specified in one block or blocks.

[0190] 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 which implement the function specified in one process or processes and / or blocks Figure 1 means for a process or processes and / or blocks Figure 1 specified in one block or blocks.

[0191] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application are within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Comprising: Receiving first information; The first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; Communicating with a network device through the first downlink BWP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: Performing initial access through a second downlink BWP, where the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, and N is an integer greater than 0.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises: Receiving second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH).

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH, the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

7. According to the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC non-connected state or a BWP used in the initial access process.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set (CORESET) #0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of a common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of a common CORESET.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than a bandwidth threshold; Wherein, the carrier belongs to frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; if the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device is a terminal device with reduced capabilities.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device supports unrestricted BWP, or the terminal device does not support multiple CORESETs.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, Comprising: Sending first information, where the first information is configuration information of a first downlink BWP, and the first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set; Communicating with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method further comprises: Sending second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP, and the second information indicates that the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, and N is an integer greater than 0.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein The uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH), the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC idle state or a BWP used during the initial access procedure.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than the bandwidth threshold; Wherein, the carrier belongs to frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; if the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending third information to a second terminal device, the third information being configuration information of a third BWP, the third BWP including M CSSs, M being an integer greater than 0; the third BWP is used for the second terminal device to communicate with a network device when in the RRC connected state.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Including: A processing unit that receives first information through a communication unit; The first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; The processing unit communicates with a network device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, Including: A processing unit that sends first information through a communication unit, the first information being configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; The processing unit communicates with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

24. The device according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH).

25. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration.

26. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

27. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 26, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

28. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 27, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than the bandwidth threshold; Among them, the carrier belongs to the frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor; The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory, so that the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

30. A chip, characterized in that, Comprising a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory and is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

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