Communication method, related device, computer readable storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, a related device, a computer readable storage medium and a program product, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method is applied to a first terminal device with a first receiving capability, and comprises: receiving a first broadcast signal, the first broadcast signal being used by the first terminal device to receive a second broadcast signal, the second broadcast signal being used by a second terminal device with a second receiving capability to access a network; determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal; and accessing a network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal. According to the method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the first terminal device can be accessed to the network, so that the first terminal device can be directly connected with the network equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically to a communication method, related apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) systems support network devices (such as satellites) to provide direct connection services to terminal devices via millimeter wave frequency bands.

[0003] Due to the significant spatial loss in the millimeter-wave band, direct connection to the terminal device often requires a strong receiving capability to ensure reception quality. Existing NTN systems only support direct connections for terminal devices with high receiving capabilities. Therefore, providing direct connection services to terminal devices with low receiving capabilities within the NTN system has become a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, related apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and program product that enables a first terminal device with first receiving capability to access a network, thereby facilitating direct connection between the first terminal device and network equipment.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method being applied to a first terminal device with a first receiving capability, the method comprising: receiving a first broadcast signal, the first broadcast signal being used by the first terminal device to receive a second broadcast signal, the second broadcast signal being used by a second terminal device with a second receiving capability to access a network; determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal; and accessing the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0006] In this embodiment of the application, the first terminal device receives a first broadcast signal and determines a second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal, which enables the first terminal device to access the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating the direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0007] Meanwhile, the second broadcast signal is used for the second terminal device with the second receiving capability to access the network. The first terminal device determines the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal and accesses the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal. In this way, when the first terminal device accesses the network, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the second broadcast signal without the network side (such as the communication device) having to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

[0009] In the embodiments of this application, a first broadcast signal (such as the first broadcast signal including at least one of the above) and / or a second broadcast signal (such as the second broadcast signal including at least one of the above) can be flexibly determined so that the first terminal device can determine the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal and access the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

[0011] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal. The configuration information of the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the above information, so that the first terminal device can determine the second broadcast signal according to the indication of the first broadcast signal.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device to access the network.

[0013] In this embodiment, the first broadcast signal includes first system information for the first terminal device to access the network. This facilitates the first terminal device to access the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating a direct connection between the first terminal device and the network equipment.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, wherein there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal, and the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; wherein, determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: determining the transmission resources of the first indication information according to the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal and the mapping relationship; and determining the second broadcast signal according to the transmission resources of the first indication information.

[0015] In this embodiment of the application, the transmission resources of the first indication information are determined by a preset mapping relationship, and the second broadcast signal is obtained through the first indication information (without needing to carry the configuration information of the first indication information in the first broadcast signal), which can reduce the signaling overhead of the system.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal; wherein, when the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: determining the second broadcast signal based on the configuration information of the second broadcast signal indicated by the second configuration information.

[0017] In the embodiments of this application, different application scenarios can be flexibly supported by carrying different configuration information (first configuration information and / or second configuration information) in the first broadcast signal.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a first identifier, which indicates one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0019] In this embodiment of the application, a first identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The first identifier can intuitively indicate the configuration information (first configuration information and / or second configuration information) carried in the first broadcast signal, thereby improving the convenience of network access.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first broadcast signal carries configuration information that includes first indication information. The first indication information indicates the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information. Only minor modifications are needed to the first broadcast signal, which can reduce signaling overhead and lower implementation complexity.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal further includes a second identifier, which indicates one of the following: configuration information including the first indication information in the first broadcast signal, or configuration information including the first system information in the first broadcast signal; wherein, when the second identifier indicates that the first broadcast signal includes configuration information including the first indication information, determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: determining the first indication information based on the configuration information including the first indication information in the first broadcast signal; and determining the second broadcast signal based on the first indication information.

[0023] In this embodiment of the application, a second identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The second identifier can distinguish the configuration information carried in the first broadcast signal (configuration information of the first indication information or configuration information of the first system information). In this way, different application scenarios can be flexibly supported through the indication of the second identifier.

[0024] In some possible implementations, accessing the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal includes: merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged broadcast signal; and accessing the network based on the merged broadcast signal.

[0025] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are merged, and the network is accessed based on the merged broadcast signal, which can improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal and thus help the first terminal device access the network.

[0026] At the same time, merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal can reduce the transmission overhead of the broadcast signal and improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal, thereby improving the reception performance of the broadcast signal while reducing the system's resource overhead.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

[0028] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the first broadcast signal. The configuration information of the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the above information, which facilitates the first terminal device to determine the first broadcast signal according to the indication of the first broadcast signal, thereby facilitating the first terminal device to merge the first broadcast signal.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

[0030] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other. In this way, the first terminal device can also obtain long code gain when merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0031] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal further includes a third identifier, which is used to indicate the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal; merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged broadcast signal includes: merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal based on the merging method to obtain the merged broadcast signal.

[0032] In this embodiment of the application, the first terminal device can flexibly merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal based on the indication of the third identifier, so that the first terminal device can access the network according to the merged broadcast signal, thereby facilitating the direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal differs from the second broadcast signal in at least one of the following: the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the length of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the frequency domain resources of the synchronization signal, the number of subcarriers of the synchronization signal, the number of symbols of the synchronization signal, and the subcarrier spacing of the synchronization signal.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first terminal device accesses the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal. The first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are different broadcast signals. The second broadcast signal is used for the second terminal device with the second receiving capability to access the network. In this way, when the first terminal device accesses the network, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the second broadcast signal without the network side (such as a communication device) having to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0035] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is transmitted via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission, wherein the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal.

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, transmitting the first broadcast signal through a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission can improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the second receiving capability is higher than the first receiving capability.

[0038] In this embodiment, the receiving capability of the second terminal device is higher than that of the first terminal device. In this way, when the first terminal device with low receiving capability accesses the network, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the broadcast signal (i.e., the second broadcast signal) of the first terminal device with high receiving capability, without the network side needing to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0039] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, the method being applied to a communication device, the method comprising: determining a first broadcast signal, wherein the first broadcast signal is used by a first terminal device with a first receiving capability to receive a second broadcast signal, and the second broadcast signal is used by a second terminal device with a second receiving capability to access a network; and transmitting the first broadcast signal.

[0040] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used for the first terminal device to receive the second broadcast signal, and the communication device sends the first broadcast signal, which helps the first terminal device to access the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby helping the first terminal device to connect directly with the network device.

[0041] Meanwhile, the second broadcast signal is used for the second terminal device with the second receiving capability to access the network. When the first terminal device accesses the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the second broadcast signal without the communication device having to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, a first broadcast signal (such as the first broadcast signal including at least one of the above) and / or a second broadcast signal (such as the second broadcast signal including at least one of the above) can be flexibly determined so that the first terminal device can determine the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal and access the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0044] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

[0045] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal. The configuration information of the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the above information, so that the first terminal device can determine the second broadcast signal according to the indication of the first broadcast signal.

[0046] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device to access the network.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first broadcast signal includes first system information for the first terminal device to access the network. This facilitates the first terminal device to access the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating a direct connection between the first terminal device and the network equipment.

[0048] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, wherein there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal, and the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal.

[0049] In this embodiment of the application, there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal. This helps the terminal device to determine the transmission resources of the first indication information through the mapping relationship and obtain the second broadcast signal through the first indication information (without needing to carry the configuration information of the first indication information in the first broadcast signal), which can reduce the signaling overhead of the system.

[0050] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, different application scenarios can be flexibly supported by carrying different configuration information (first configuration information and / or second configuration information) in the first broadcast signal.

[0052] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a first identifier, which indicates one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0053] In this embodiment of the application, a first identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The first identifier can intuitively indicate the configuration information (first configuration information and / or second configuration information) carried in the first broadcast signal, thereby improving the convenience of network access.

[0054] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first broadcast signal carries configuration information that includes first indication information. The first indication information indicates the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information. Only minor modifications are needed to the first broadcast signal, which can reduce signaling overhead and lower implementation complexity.

[0056] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a second identifier, which indicates one of the following: configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes the first indication information, or configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes the first system information.

[0057] In this embodiment of the application, a second identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The configuration information carried in the first broadcast signal (configuration information of the first indication information or configuration information of the first system information) can be distinguished by the second identifier. In this way, different application scenarios can be flexibly supported by the indication of the second identifier.

[0058] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

[0059] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the first broadcast signal. The configuration information of the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the above information, which facilitates the first terminal device to determine the first broadcast signal according to the indication of the first broadcast signal, thereby facilitating the first terminal device to merge the first broadcast signal.

[0060] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

[0061] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other. In this way, the first terminal device can also obtain long code gain when merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0062] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a third identifier, which indicates the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0063] In this embodiment of the application, the third identifier is used to indicate the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal. This allows the first terminal device to flexibly merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal based on the indication of the third identifier, so that the first terminal device can access the network according to the merged broadcast signal, thereby facilitating direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0064] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal differs from the second broadcast signal in at least one of the following: the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the length of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the frequency domain resources of the synchronization signal, the number of subcarriers of the synchronization signal, the number of symbols of the synchronization signal, and the subcarrier spacing of the synchronization signal.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are different broadcast signals. The second broadcast signal is used for the second terminal device with the second receiving capability to access the network. In this way, when the first terminal device accesses the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the second broadcast signal without the network side (such as the communication device) having to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0066] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is transmitted via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission, wherein the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal.

[0067] In the embodiments of this application, transmitting the first broadcast signal through a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission can improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal.

[0068] In some possible implementations, the second receiving capability is higher than the first receiving capability.

[0069] In this embodiment, the receiving capability of the second terminal device is higher than that of the first terminal device. This allows the first terminal device with lower receiving capability to directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the broadcast signal (i.e., the second broadcast signal) of the first terminal device with higher receiving capability when accessing the network, without the network side needing to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0070] Thirdly, a terminal device is provided, which can be used in the first terminal device of the first aspect. The terminal device can be a terminal equipment, or a device in the terminal equipment (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit), or a device that can be matched with the terminal equipment, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal equipment.

[0071] The terminal device includes modules that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. These modules can be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0072] Fourthly, a communication device is provided that can be used in the communication device of the second aspect. The communication device can be a network device, a device in the network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit), or a device that can be used in conjunction with the network device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device.

[0073] The communication device includes modules that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. These modules can be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0074] Fifthly, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the device performs the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0075] In some possible implementations, the device also includes a memory coupled to the processor.

[0076] In some possible implementations, there are one or more processors, and / or one or more memories.

[0077] In some possible implementations, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory can be set up separately from the processor.

[0078] In some possible implementations, the terminal device also includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting signals.

[0079] In some possible implementations, the terminal device is a chip. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it causes the device on which the chip is mounted to implement the method of the first aspect or any of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0080] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the device performs the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0081] In some possible implementations, the device also includes a memory coupled to the processor.

[0082] In some possible implementations, there are one or more processors, and / or one or more memories.

[0083] In some possible implementations, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory can be set up separately from the processor.

[0084] In some possible implementations, the communication device further includes a communication interface for inputting and / or outputting signals.

[0085] In some possible implementations, the communication device is a chip. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it causes the device on which the chip is mounted to implement the method of the second aspect or any of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0086] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) is stored, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of any of the above aspects or any possible implementations of any of the above aspects.

[0087] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method in any of the above aspects or any possible implementations of any of the above aspects.

[0088] Ninthly, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a terminal device for performing the method of the first aspect and a communication device for performing the method of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0089] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to this application.

[0090] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the multiplexing mode of the synchronous broadcast block and control resource set 0 provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0091] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0092] Figure 4 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating the relationship between a first broadcast signal and a second broadcast signal provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0093] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first terminal device provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0094] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0095] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0096] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0097] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Additionally, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and that "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply that they are different. It should be understood that in this application, descriptions such as "in the case of," "if," "when," "if," etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0098] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, satellite and other non-terrestrial communication systems, and communication systems that integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems.

[0099] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, firstly, in conjunction with Figure 1 This describes a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 1As shown, the communication system includes a wireless access network 100. The wireless access network 100 may include at least one network device (such as...). Figure 1 110a, 110b and 110c in the above), may also include at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 (120a to 120g).

[0100] The terminal device in this application embodiment may refer to user equipment (UE), station, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), user terminal, terminal (or terminal device), wireless communication equipment, user agent or user device, etc., or a device used to provide voice or data connectivity to users, or an Internet of Things device. For example, terminal devices include handheld devices with wireless connection functions, vehicle-mounted devices, etc., but this application embodiment does not limit this. The terminal device in this application embodiment may be a mobile phone, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication function, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, large screen, vehicle-mounted device (e.g., car, bicycle, electric vehicle, airplane, ship, train, high-speed rail, etc.), wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, smart bracelet, pedometer, smart glasses, etc.), machine type communication (MTC) terminal device, terminal device in 5G network, or terminal device in future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and is not limited to this in this application embodiment.The terminal device in the embodiments of this application may also be a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a point of sale (POS) machine, customer-premises equipment (CPE), a light UE, a reduced capability UE (REDCAPUE), a wireless terminal in industrial control, a smart home device (e.g., a refrigerator, a television, an air conditioner, an electricity meter, etc.), a smart robot, a robotic arm, workshop equipment, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, or a flying device (e.g., a smart robot, a hot air balloon, a drone, an airplane), etc. Terminal devices can also be vehicle devices, such as vehicle units, vehicle modules, vehicle chips, on-board units (OBU), or telematics boxes (T-BOX). Terminal devices can also be other devices with terminal functions. For example, a terminal device can also be a device that plays a terminal function in device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0101] In some implementations, the terminal device can be used to act as a base station. Optionally, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity to provide sidelink signals between terminal devices in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D) scenarios. For example, cellular phones and cars can communicate using sidelink signals, or cellular phones and smart home devices can communicate using sidelink signals without relaying communication signals through a base station.

[0102] The network device (or communication device) in this application embodiment can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, and can also be called a base station (BS). For example, the network device can be a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a transmission reception point (TRP), an access point (AP), a network device (such as a satellite) in a nonterrestrial network (NTN) system, a base station in a future mobile communication system or an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, a wireless controller, relay station, access point, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, or network device in other future evolved communication systems, etc.

[0103] In some implementations, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node (i.e., the network device in this application) can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). In different systems, CUs (or CU-CPs and CU-UPs), DUs, or RUs may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) system, a CU can also be called an Open CU (O-CU), a DU can also be called an Open DU (O-DU), a CU-CP can also be called an O-CU-CP, a CU-UP can also be called an O-CU-UP, and a RU can also be called an O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU units in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific technology or device form used in the network equipment.

[0104] In some implementations, the network device can be fixed or mobile, and this application does not limit this. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a mobile network device, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile network device. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another network device.

[0105] In some implementations, network devices can be deployed on land or in the air, and this application does not limit this. For example, network devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites.

[0106] In this embodiment, the terminal device or network device may include a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on top of the hardware layer, and an application layer running on top of the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also called main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software. Furthermore, this embodiment does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution entity of the method provided in this embodiment, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in this embodiment by running a program that records the code of the method provided in this embodiment.

[0107] Furthermore, various aspects or features of this application can be implemented as methods, apparatus, or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein encompasses a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). Additionally, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0108] With the development of communication technology, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) systems are becoming increasingly widely used. Satellite communication systems are a common type of NTN system. In satellite communication systems, network equipment can be satellites, which can be stationary relative to the Earth's surface (such as geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites) or moving relative to the Earth's surface (such as non-geostationary Earth orbit (NGEO) satellites).

[0109] Currently, network devices (such as satellites) in NTN systems can provide direct connection services to terminal devices. Low-frequency bands (such as sub-6GHz bands) have less spatial loss, but resources in these bands are relatively scarce. Millimeter-wave bands (which are high-frequency bands) have large bandwidth and abundant resources, enabling them to provide high-speed communication services and accommodate massive user access. Therefore, millimeter-wave bands (such as the Ka band) are important bands for high-speed satellite communication, with the Ka band's frequency range being 26.5GHz to 40GHz.

[0110] Millimeter-wave bands have significant spatial loss. To ensure reception quality, directly connected terminal equipment often needs to have strong receiving capabilities. Therefore, existing millimeter-wave NTN systems (i.e., NTN systems that provide services via millimeter-wave bands) only support direct connections with high-receiving-capability terminal equipment such as very small aperture (VSAT) terminals and large-scale phased array terminal equipment.

[0111] However, the reception capabilities of low-reception-capability terminal devices (such as mobile phones) differ significantly from those of high-reception-capability terminal devices. Existing broadcast signals are not suitable for low-reception-capability terminal devices (such as mobile phones), preventing them from accessing the network and thus hindering their direct connection to network equipment. Therefore, enabling low-reception-capability terminal devices in millimeter-wave NTN systems to access the network has become a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0112] Based on this, this application proposes a communication method, terminal device, and communication apparatus that enable a first terminal device (such as a terminal device with low reception capability) to access a network, thereby facilitating direct connection between the first terminal device and network devices.

[0113] In the NTN system, high-reception terminal devices can use existing broadcast signals in the NR system when accessing the network. The following is an introduction to the existing broadcast signals in the NR system.

[0114] In NR systems, the synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) carries the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH). During the initial cell search phase, terminal devices can perform time-frequency synchronization with the base station and obtain the cell identifier through PSS search and SSS detection.

[0115] Then, the terminal device can detect the master information block (MIB) in the PBCH, complete frame timing, and obtain the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) related to system information block type 1 (SIB1). Subsequently, the terminal device can perform SIB1 detection based on the configuration information of the PDCCH and PDSCH, obtain the configuration parameters of the random access channel, and perform random access based on these configuration parameters.

[0116] The NR system also introduces an SSB set for beam scanning scenarios. An SSB set can be limited to a 5ms half-frame. With the SSB set as the period, each SSB can correspond to a beam direction within the same period, so as to support the terminal device to detect SSBs in various beam scanning directions.

[0117] The PDCCH corresponding to SIB1 can be mapped to the type 0-PDCCH common search space (CSS), and the type 0-PDCCH CSS can be mapped to control resource set 0 (CORESET0). The configuration of CORESET0 and type 0-PDCCH CSS can be indicated by indication information in the MIB (such as 8-bit indication information). In the NR system, each SSB corresponds to one CORESET0, and there are three multiplexing modes between SSB and CORESET0.

[0118] like Figure 2 As shown, in Mode 1, CORESET0 and SSB are located on different symbols in the time domain, and CORESET0 includes SSB in the frequency domain; in Mode 2, CORESET0 and SSB are located on different symbols in the time domain, and CORESET0 and SSB do not overlap in the frequency domain; in Mode 3, CORESET0 and SSB overlap in the time domain (e.g., CORESET0 can occupy the first two symbols of SSB in the time domain), and CORESET0 and SSB do not overlap in the frequency domain.

[0119] The following is combined Figure 3 The communication methods in the embodiments of this application are illustrated in detail.

[0120] Figure 3This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 3 The method 300 shown may include steps S310, S320, S330 and S340, as detailed below:

[0121] S310, the communication device determines the first broadcast signal.

[0122] The communication device can be one of the above. Figure 1 The network device or the apparatus within the network device shown.

[0123] The first broadcast signal can be used by a first terminal device with first receiving capability to access the network. The first terminal device can be one of the aforementioned... Figure 1 The terminal device or the device in the terminal device shown.

[0124] Optionally, the first broadcast signal can be a newly defined broadcast signal for the first terminal device, or the first broadcast signal can be an existing broadcast signal.

[0125] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal may include at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, first system information, or first indication information.

[0126] The first synchronization signal can be used to synchronize the first terminal device with the network. For example, the first synchronization signal can be a PSS and / or SSS for synchronizing the first terminal device. The first physical broadcast channel can be used for the first terminal device to access the network. For example, the first physical broadcast channel can be a PBCH for the first terminal device to access the network. The first system information can be used for the first terminal device to access the network. For example, the first system information can be a system information block (SIB) for the first terminal device to access the network. The first indication information can be used to indicate the second broadcast signal. For example, the first indication information can be newly defined auxiliary system information (such as system message 0 (system information block type 0, SIB0)).

[0127] In some implementations, the configuration information of the first indication information can be carried in the first physical broadcast channel. For example, the first physical broadcast channel can be a PBCH, the first indication information can be SIB0, and the PBCH can carry the configuration information of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the SIB0.

[0128] The second broadcast signal can be used by a second terminal device with second receiving capability to access the network. The second terminal device can be as described above. Figure 1 The terminal device or the device in the terminal device shown.

[0129] Optionally, the second receiving capability can be higher than the first receiving capability; that is, the receiving capability of the second terminal device can be higher (or stronger) than the receiving capability of the first terminal device. For example, the second broadcast signal can be an existing broadcast signal in the NR system.

[0130] In some implementations, the second broadcast signal may include at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

[0131] The second synchronization signal can be used for the second terminal device to synchronize with the network. For example, the second synchronization signal can be a PSS and / or SSS for synchronizing the second terminal device. The second physical broadcast channel can be used for the second terminal device to access the network. For example, the second physical broadcast channel can be a PBCH for the second terminal device to access the network. The second system information can be used for the second terminal device to access the network. For example, the second system information can be an SIB for the second terminal device to access the network.

[0132] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal can also be used by the first terminal device to receive the second broadcast signal. Optionally, there may be a correlation between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0133] Optionally, the first broadcast signal can indicate the second broadcast signal. For example, the first broadcast signal can indicate configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0134] In some implementations, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal may include at least one of the following:

[0135] The second broadcast signal includes the index, configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and update identifier of the second broadcast signal. The index of the second broadcast signal may refer to the index of the SSB corresponding to the second broadcast signal.

[0136] The PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be understood as: the PDSCH is used to carry the second broadcast signal; the PDCCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be understood as: the PDCCH is used to indicate the PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal.

[0137] It should be noted that the communication device can repeatedly transmit the second broadcast signal multiple times, and these multiple repeated transmissions of the second broadcast signal are identical. The repetition period of the second broadcast signal can be understood as the period during which the communication device repeatedly transmits the second broadcast signal. For example, if the repetition period of the second broadcast signal is 20ms, then the communication device can repeatedly transmit the second broadcast signal once every 20ms.

[0138] The time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs can also be called the merging window to which the second broadcast signal belongs. The time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs can be understood as: the communication device repeatedly transmits the second broadcast signal multiple times within the time window; if multiple identical second broadcast signals are transmitted within the time window, these multiple second broadcast signals can be merged. For example, if the time window for the second broadcast signal is 200ms, the second broadcast signal can be transmitted multiple times within this time window, for example, repeatedly transmitted every 20ms.

[0139] The update flag of the second broadcast signal can be used to indicate whether the second broadcast signal has changed. For example, whether an update has occurred can be indicated by whether the update flag is toggled. For instance, the update flag of the second broadcast signal can be 1 bit. If the update flag of the second broadcast signal is 0, then when the update flag of the second broadcast signal is 0 (i.e., the update flag of the second broadcast signal has not changed), the second broadcast signal transmitted by the communication device is always the same. If the update flag of the second broadcast signal changes to 1 (i.e., the update flag of the second broadcast signal has changed), it indicates that the second broadcast signal transmitted by the communication device has changed.

[0140] In the above embodiments, multiple identical second broadcast signals can be identified through the configuration information of the second broadcast signal indicated in the first broadcast signal. In the subsequent step S340, when accessing the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, these multiple identical second broadcast signals can be merged to improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal.

[0141] For example, taking a first broadcast signal including a dedicated SIB0 (i.e., first indication information) and a second broadcast signal including an associated SIB1 (i.e., second system information) as an example, combined with... Figure 4 An exemplary method for determining multiple identical second broadcast signals using configuration information of a second broadcast signal indicated in a first broadcast signal is described.

[0142] In this context, SIB0 in the first broadcast signal can be referred to as dedicated SIB0, and dedicated SIB0 can indicate SIB1 in the second broadcast signal. That is, it can be understood that there is an association between SIB1 and dedicated SIB0. Therefore, SIB1 in the second broadcast signal can be referred to as associated SIB1. Similarly, in subsequent embodiments, signals or information contained in or corresponding to the first broadcast signal can be referred to as dedicated signals or dedicated information, and signals or information contained in or corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be referred to as associated signals or associated information.

[0143] like Figure 4 As shown, the index of the SSB corresponding to the dedicated SIB0 is 0 (that is, the dedicated SIB0 corresponds to the dedicated SSB0), and the first terminal device can obtain the dedicated SIB0 through the dedicated SSB0.

[0144] The dedicated SIB0 can indicate: the index of the SSB corresponding to associated SIB1 is 0 (i.e., associated SIB1 corresponds to associated SSB0), the configuration information of the PDCCH corresponding to associated SIB1, the configuration information of the PDSCH corresponding to associated SIB1, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to associated SIB1, the time window to which associated SIB1 belongs is 200ms, and the repetition period of associated SIB1 is 20ms.

[0145] The first terminal device can determine that the SIB1 corresponding to SSB0 is an associated SIB1 based on the configuration information of these associated SIB1s indicated by the dedicated SIB0. It can determine the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the associated SIB1 based on the configuration information of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the associated SIB1, the configuration information of the PDSCH, and the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH. It can determine that the repetition period of the associated SIB1 is 20ms (that is, the communication device retransmits the associated SIB1 once every 20ms), and the time window to which the associated SIB1 belongs is 200ms (that is, the associated SIB1s transmitted within this 200ms are the same and can be merged). In this way, the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to multiple identical associated SIB1s can be determined. Figure 4 The shaded areas in the diagram show the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to multiple identical associated SIB1s.

[0146] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal may indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal in various ways, as follows:

[0147] Method 1: The first broadcast signal can carry the configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0148] For example, the first broadcast signal may include configuration information of the second broadcast signal, or the first physical broadcast channel, first system information, or first indication information in the first broadcast signal may include configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0149] Method 2: The first broadcast signal can indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal through a preset mapping relationship.

[0150] Optionally, the first broadcast signal may include a first synchronization signal and a first indication information, and there may be a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal.

[0151] The preset mapping relationship can be: a fixed time interval (such as time domain resources) and / or frequency interval (such as frequency domain resources) between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal.

[0152] For example, the transmission resources for the first indication information can be pre-set to be 4 time-domain symbols apart from the transmission resources for the first synchronization signal. Then, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first indication information can be obtained from the time-domain resources 4 time-domain symbols apart from the transmission resources for the first synchronization signal. The first indication information includes the configuration information for the second broadcast signal. In this way, by obtaining the configuration information for the second broadcast signal through a pre-defined mapping relationship (without needing to carry the configuration information for the first indication information in the first broadcast signal), the signaling overhead of the system can be reduced.

[0153] The above embodiments use the example of a mapping relationship between the first synchronization signal (transmission resources) and the first indication information (transmission resources) to illustrate how the configuration information of the second broadcast signal can be indicated through the mapping relationship. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal can also be indicated through the mapping relationship between the first physical broadcast channel, the first system information, other information or other channels and the first indication information. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0154] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal can carry different configuration information in different ways to flexibly support different application scenarios.

[0155] For example, the first broadcast signal may include first configuration information and / or second configuration information. The first configuration information may be used to indicate configuration information for the first system information, and the second configuration information may be used to indicate configuration information for the second broadcast signal. When the communication device serves only the first terminal device, the first broadcast signal may include the first configuration information; in this case, the first terminal device can access the network through the first broadcast signal. When the communication device serves both the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first broadcast signal may include the second configuration information; in this case, the first terminal device can obtain the configuration information of the second broadcast signal through the first broadcast signal and access the network based on the second broadcast signal. Alternatively, the first broadcast signal may also include both the first and second configuration information simultaneously.

[0156] Optionally, the first broadcast signal may further include a first identifier. The first identifier may be used to indicate one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both first and second configuration information.

[0157] The first identifier can be represented as dedicatedSIBflag. For example, dedicatedSIBflag can be 1 bit. If dedicatedSIBflag = 1, the first broadcast signal can include the first configuration information; if dedicatedSIBflag = 0, the first broadcast signal can include the second configuration information.

[0158] For example, dedicatedSIBflag can be 2 bits. If dedicatedSIBflag = 01, the first broadcast signal can include the first configuration information; if dedicatedSIBflag = 10, the first broadcast signal can include the second configuration information; if dedicatedSIBflag = 11, the first broadcast signal can include both the first and second configuration information.

[0159] In this embodiment of the application, a first identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The first identifier can intuitively indicate the configuration information (first configuration information and / or second configuration information) carried in the first broadcast signal, thereby improving the convenience of network access.

[0160] Optionally, the first broadcast signal may further include configuration information for the first indication information. The first indication information may include a first identifier, first configuration information, and / or second configuration information.

[0161] Optionally, the first broadcast signal may further include a second identifier. The second identifier may be used to indicate one of the following: configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes first indication information, or configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes first system information.

[0162] The second identifier can be represented as SIB0_flag. For example, SIB0_flag can be 1 bit. If SIB0_flag = 1, the first broadcast signal can include configuration information of the first indication information; if SIB0_flag = 0, the first broadcast signal can include configuration information of the first system information.

[0163] In this embodiment of the application, a second identifier is introduced into the first broadcast signal. The second identifier can distinguish the configuration information carried in the first broadcast signal (configuration information of the first instruction information or configuration information of the first system information). In this way, different application scenarios can be flexibly supported through the indication of the second identifier (e.g., serving only the first terminal device, or serving both the first terminal device and the second terminal device at the same time).

[0164] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal can be different broadcast signals. For example, at least one of the following information may differ between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal:

[0165] The synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the length of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the frequency domain resources of the synchronization signal, the number of subcarriers of the synchronization signal, the number of symbols of the synchronization signal, or the subcarrier spacing of the synchronization signal.

[0166] S320, the first terminal device receives a first broadcast signal from the communication device.

[0167] In some embodiments, the communication device may transmit the first broadcast signal via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission. Accordingly, the first terminal device may receive the first broadcast signal via the first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission.

[0168] Wherein, the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal. Optionally, the first bandwidth may be referred to as narrowband, for example, narrowband can be understood as a small bandwidth, for example, narrowband may refer to a resource block (RB) with a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz.

[0169] Generally, the smaller the bandwidth used to transmit a signal, the stronger the signal power on each subcarrier of the signal. In this embodiment, using the first bandwidth to transmit the first broadcast signal can enhance the signal power on each subcarrier of the first broadcast signal. In this way, the power of the terminal device receiving the first broadcast signal can be increased, thereby improving the reception performance of the first broadcast signal.

[0170] At the same time, multiple identical first broadcast signals can be transmitted by repeating the transmission method, and these multiple first broadcast signals can be merged, thereby improving the reception performance of the first broadcast signal.

[0171] S330, the first terminal device determines the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal.

[0172] It should be noted that determining the second broadcast signal as mentioned here may include determining multiple identical second broadcast signals as described in the above embodiments.

[0173] In some implementations, when the first broadcast signal indicates the configuration information of the second broadcast signal through the above-described method two, the first terminal device can determine the transmission resources of the first indication information based on the transmission resources and mapping relationship of the first synchronization signal; further, the second broadcast signal can be determined based on the transmission resources of the first indication information.

[0174] In some implementations, when the first broadcast signal indicates the configuration information of the second broadcast signal through the above-described method one, the first terminal device can determine the second broadcast signal based on the configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0175] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal may also include a first identifier. In this case, if the first identifier indicates that the first broadcast signal includes second configuration information, the first terminal device may determine the second broadcast signal based on the configuration information of the second broadcast signal included in the second configuration information.

[0176] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal further includes a second identifier. In this case, when the second identifier indicates that the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first indicator information, the first terminal device can determine the first indicator information based on the configuration information of the first indicator information included in the first broadcast signal; and determine the second broadcast signal based on the first indicator information.

[0177] S340, access the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0178] In some implementations, the first terminal device may merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged broadcast signal; and access the network based on the merged broadcast signal.

[0179] In some implementations, the first terminal device may merge the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged second broadcast signal; and access the network based on the first broadcast signal and the merged second broadcast signal.

[0180] When the second broadcast signal includes the second system information, the merged second broadcast signal obtained by merging the second broadcast signal also includes the system information. In this case, the first terminal device can directly use the merged system information to access the network.

[0181] When the second broadcast signal does not include the second system information, the merged second broadcast signal obtained by merging the second broadcast signal also does not include the system information. In this case, the first terminal device needs to obtain the system information based on the merged second broadcast signal first, and then use the obtained system information to access the network.

[0182] For example, the second broadcast signal includes the associated PBCH (i.e., the second physical broadcast channel), and the first broadcast signal indicates the configuration information of the associated PBCH. The associated PBCH can be merged based on the configuration information to obtain the merged associated PBCH. At this time, the MIB can be obtained through the merged associated PBCH, and the configuration information of the associated SIB can be determined through the MIB, thereby obtaining the associated SIB (e.g., the PDCCH corresponding to the associated SIB can be mapped in type 0-PDCCH CSS, the MIB can indicate type 0-PDCCH CSS, the PDCCH can be detected in type 0-PDCCH CSS, and the PDSCH can be obtained based on the PDCCH).

[0183] In this embodiment of the application, merging the first broadcast signal and / or the second broadcast signal and accessing the network based on the merged broadcast signal can improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal, thereby helping the first terminal device to access the network.

[0184] At the same time, merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal can reduce the transmission overhead of the broadcast signal and improve the reception performance of the broadcast signal, thereby improving the reception performance of the broadcast signal while reducing the system's resource overhead.

[0185] In some implementations, the system information carried in the first broadcast signal may be different from the system information carried in the second broadcast signal.

[0186] Optionally, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal can be redundant versions (RVs). The merging of the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal can also be called RV merging.

[0187] For example, the system information required by the first terminal device can be encoded into two segments. The first segment can be considered as basic data, and the second segment is redundant data. The second broadcast signal can carry the basic data, and the first broadcast signal can carry the redundant data. In this way, long code gain can be obtained when the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are combined.

[0188] In some implementations, the system information carried in the first broadcast signal may be the same as the system information carried in the second broadcast signal.

[0189] In some implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a third identifier. This third identifier can be used to indicate the merging method between the first and second broadcast signals.

[0190] Optionally, the first terminal device may merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal based on a merging method to obtain a merged broadcast signal.

[0191] In some implementations, the third identifier may indicate that the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal is as follows: first, the second broadcast signal is merged to obtain a merged second broadcast signal, and then the first broadcast signal and the merged second broadcast signal are merged to obtain a merged broadcast signal.

[0192] For example, the second broadcast signal may include a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel and / or second system information. When merging the second broadcast signal, the second synchronization signal, the second physical broadcast channel and / or the second system information included in the second broadcast signal may be merged.

[0193] In some implementations, the third identifier may indicate that the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal is as follows: first, the first broadcast signal is merged to obtain a merged first broadcast signal, and then the merged first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are merged to obtain a merged broadcast signal.

[0194] For example, the first broadcast signal may include a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, first system information and / or first indication information. When merging the first broadcast signal, the first synchronization signal, the first physical broadcast channel, the first system information and / or the first indication information included in the first broadcast signal may be merged.

[0195] Optionally, the first broadcast signal can also be used to indicate configuration information for the first broadcast signal. The configuration information for the first broadcast signal may include at least one of the following:

[0196] The index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

[0197] The PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal can be understood as: the PDSCH is used to carry the first broadcast signal; the PDCCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal can be understood as: the PDCCH is used to indicate the PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal.

[0198] In some implementations, the third identifier may indicate that the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal is as follows: merging the first broadcast signal to obtain a merged first broadcast signal, merging the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged second broadcast signal, and then merging the merged first broadcast signal and the merged second broadcast signal to obtain a merged broadcast signal. In this case, the communication device can send multiple identical first broadcast signals by repeating the transmission.

[0199] In some implementations, the third identifier may indicate that the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal is: directly merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain the merged broadcast signal.

[0200] For example, when merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, the PDCCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal and the PDCCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be merged first to obtain the merged PDCCH. Then, the merged PDCCH can be decoded to obtain downlink control information (DCI). Thus, the PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal and the PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be merged and decoded according to the DCI (merging and decoding can be understood as merging and decoding) to obtain the broadcast signal (i.e., the merged broadcast information mentioned in the previous embodiment).

[0201] Alternatively, the PDCCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal can be decoded to obtain the PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, and then the PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal can be merged to obtain the merged PDSCH of the first broadcast signal. The PDCCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be decoded to obtain the PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, and then the PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal can be merged to obtain the merged PDSCH of the second broadcast signal. Then, the merged PDSCH of the first broadcast signal and the merged PDSCH of the second broadcast signal can be merged and decoded to obtain the broadcast signal (i.e., the merged broadcast information mentioned in the previous embodiment).

[0202] In this embodiment of the application, the first broadcast signal is used for the first terminal device to receive the second broadcast signal. The communication device sends the first broadcast signal, which helps the first terminal device to receive the first broadcast signal and determine the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal. This enables the first terminal device to access the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal, thereby facilitating the direct connection between the first terminal device and the network device.

[0203] Meanwhile, the second broadcast signal is used for the second terminal device with the second receiving capability to access the network. The first terminal device determines the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal and accesses the network according to the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal. In this way, when the first terminal device accesses the network, it can directly reuse (part or all) of the information in the second broadcast signal without the network side (such as the communication device) having to repeatedly send this information through the first broadcast signal, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the system.

[0204] The above text combined Figures 1 to 4 The method embodiments of this application are described in detail below, in conjunction with... Figures 5 to 7 The present application provides a detailed description of the apparatus embodiments. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be found in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0205] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 The first terminal device 500 shown can be used as a first terminal device with first receiving capability in the foregoing embodiments. The first terminal device 500 can be a terminal device, or a device in the terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit), or a device that can be matched with the terminal device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device.

[0206] like Figure 5 As shown, the first terminal device 500 includes a receiving unit 510, a determining unit 520, and an access unit 530, as detailed below:

[0207] The receiving unit 510 is configured to receive a first broadcast signal, the first broadcast signal being used by the first terminal device 500 to receive a second broadcast signal, and the second broadcast signal being used by a second terminal device with second receiving capability to access the network.

[0208] Determining unit 520 is configured to determine the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal;

[0209] Access unit 530 is used to access the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0210] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

[0211] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

[0212] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device 500 to access the network.

[0213] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, wherein there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal, and the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; wherein, the determining unit 520 is specifically used to: determine the transmission resources of the first indication information according to the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal and the mapping relationship; and determine the second broadcast signal according to the transmission resources of the first indication information.

[0214] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal; wherein, when the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, the determining unit 520 is specifically used to: determine the second broadcast signal based on the configuration information of the second broadcast signal indicated by the second configuration information.

[0215] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a first identifier, which indicates one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0216] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

[0217] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal further includes a second identifier, which is used to indicate one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first indication information, or the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first system information; wherein, when the second identifier indicates that the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first indication information, the determining unit 520 is specifically used to: determine the first indication information based on the configuration information of the first indication information included in the first broadcast signal; and determine the second broadcast signal based on the first indication information.

[0218] In some possible implementations, the determining unit 520 is specifically used to: merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain a merged broadcast signal; and access the network according to the merged broadcast signal.

[0219] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

[0220] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

[0221] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal further includes a third identifier, which is used to indicate the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal; wherein, the determining unit 520 is specifically used to: merge the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal based on the merging method to obtain the merged broadcast signal.

[0222] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal differs from the second broadcast signal in at least one of the following: the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the length of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the frequency domain resources of the synchronization signal, the number of subcarriers of the synchronization signal, the number of symbols of the synchronization signal, and the subcarrier spacing of the synchronization signal.

[0223] In some possible implementations, the receiving unit 510 is specifically configured to: receive the first broadcast signal via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission, wherein the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal.

[0224] In some possible implementations, the second receiving capability is higher than the first receiving capability.

[0225] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 The communication device 600 shown can be used in the communication device in the foregoing embodiments. The communication device 600 can be a network device, or a device in the network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit), or a device that can be used in conjunction with the network device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device.

[0226] like Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 includes a determining unit 610 and a transmitting unit 620, as detailed below:

[0227] The determining unit 610 is used to determine a first broadcast signal, wherein the first broadcast signal is used for a first terminal device with a first receiving capability to receive a second broadcast signal, and the second broadcast signal is used for a second terminal device with a second receiving capability to access the network;

[0228] The transmitting unit 620 is used to transmit the first broadcast signal.

[0229] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

[0230] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the second broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

[0231] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device to access the network.

[0232] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, wherein there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal, and the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal.

[0233] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

[0234] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a first identifier, which indicates one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0235] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

[0236] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a second identifier, which indicates one of the following: configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes the first indication information, or configuration information in the first broadcast signal that includes the first system information.

[0237] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: the index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

[0238] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

[0239] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal may further include a third identifier, which indicates the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

[0240] In some possible implementations, the first broadcast signal differs from the second broadcast signal in at least one of the following: the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the length of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in the synchronization signal, the frequency domain resources of the synchronization signal, the number of subcarriers of the synchronization signal, the number of symbols of the synchronization signal, and the subcarrier spacing of the synchronization signal.

[0241] In some possible implementations, the transmitting unit 620 is specifically used to: transmit the first broadcast signal via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission, wherein the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal.

[0242] In some possible implementations, the second receiving capability is higher than the first receiving capability.

[0243] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The dashed lines indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 700 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The device 700 can be a chip, a terminal device, or a communication device.

[0244] The apparatus 700 may include one or more processors 710. The processor 710 may support the apparatus 700 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 710 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, microprocessor units (MPUs), microcontroller units (MCUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence processors (AI processors) or neural processing units (NPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0245] The device 700 may further include one or more memories 720. The memories 720 store a program that can be executed by the processor 710, causing the processor 710 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 720 may be independent of the processor 710 or integrated within the processor 710. In this embodiment, the memories 720 may include, but are not limited to, cache, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or compact discread-only memory (CD-ROM), etc.

[0246] The device 700 may also include a transceiver 730. The processor 710 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730. For example, the processor 710 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730.

[0247] It should be noted that the information interaction and execution process between the above-mentioned devices / units are based on the same concept as the method embodiments of this application. For details on their specific functions and technical effects, please refer to the method embodiments section, and they will not be repeated here.

[0248] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0249] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps described in the various method embodiments above.

[0250] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps described in the various method embodiments above.

[0251] This application also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that a device or equipment (such as a terminal device or a communication device) with the chip installed performs the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0252] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments of this application can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable storage medium can include at least: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code to a device / app, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium. Examples include USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks. In some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, a computer-readable storage medium may not be an electrical carrier signal or a telecommunication signal.

[0253] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0254] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0255] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus / devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus / device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0256] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0257] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first terminal device with a first receiving capability, and the method includes: Receive a first broadcast signal, the first broadcast signal being used by the first terminal device to receive a second broadcast signal, the second broadcast signal being used by a second terminal device with second receiving capability to access the network; The second broadcast signal is determined based on the first broadcast signal; Access to the network is based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; The second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, and the configuration information of the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: The index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, or the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device to access the network.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, and there is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal. The step of determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: The transmission resources of the first indication information are determined based on the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal and the mapping relationship. The second broadcast signal is determined based on the transmission resources of the first indication information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal; Wherein, if the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: The second broadcast signal is determined based on the configuration information of the second broadcast signal indicated by the second configuration information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes a first identifier, which is used to indicate one of the following information: The first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal further includes a second identifier, which is used to indicate one of the following: the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first indication information, or the first broadcast signal includes configuration information of the first system information; Wherein, when the second identifier indicates configuration information that the first broadcast signal includes the first indication information, determining the second broadcast signal based on the first broadcast signal includes: The first indication information is determined based on the configuration information of the first indication information included in the first broadcast signal; The second broadcast signal is determined based on the first indication information.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The step of accessing the network based on the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal includes: The first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are merged to obtain a merged broadcast signal; The merged broadcast signal is accessed through the network.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: The index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes a third identifier, which is used to indicate the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal; The step of merging the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal to obtain the merged broadcast signal includes: The first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are merged based on the merging method to obtain the merged broadcast signal.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a communication device, and the method includes: A first broadcast signal is determined, the first broadcast signal is used by a first terminal device with a first receiving capability to receive a second broadcast signal, and the second broadcast signal is used by a second terminal device with a second receiving capability to access the network; Send the first broadcast signal.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a first synchronization signal, a first physical broadcast channel, a first system information, or a first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal; The second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: a second synchronization signal, a second physical broadcast channel, or second system information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal, and the configuration information of the second broadcast signal includes at least one of the following: The index of the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing of the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the second broadcast signal, the time window to which the second broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the second broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the second broadcast signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes the first system information, which is used by the first terminal device to access the network.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes the first synchronization signal and the first indication information. There is a preset mapping relationship between the transmission resources of the first indication information and the transmission resources of the first synchronization signal. The first indication information is used to indicate the second broadcast signal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal includes first configuration information and / or second configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the first system information, and the second configuration information is used to indicate the configuration information of the second broadcast signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes a first identifier, which is used to indicate one of the following information: The first broadcast signal includes the first configuration information, the first broadcast signal includes the second configuration information, or the first broadcast signal includes both the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes configuration information for the first indication information, which includes the first identifier, the first configuration information, and / or the second configuration information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal further includes a second identifier, which is used to indicate one of the following: configuration information including the first indication information in the first broadcast signal, or configuration information including the first system information in the first broadcast signal.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal is further used to indicate configuration information of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the first broadcast signal including at least one of the following: The index of the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the configuration information of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the subcarrier spacing between the PDCCH and PDSCH corresponding to the first broadcast signal, the time window to which the first broadcast signal belongs, the repetition period of the first broadcast signal, and the update identifier of the first broadcast signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal are redundant versions of each other.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal also includes a third identifier, which is used to indicate the merging method between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal.

26. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal differs from the second broadcast signal in at least one of the following aspects: Synchronization sequence in a synchronization signal, length of the synchronization sequence in a synchronization signal, number of repetitions of the synchronization sequence in a synchronization signal, frequency domain resources of a synchronization signal, number of subcarriers in a synchronization signal, number of symbols in a synchronization signal, and subcarrier spacing of a synchronization signal.

27. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that, The first broadcast signal is transmitted via a first bandwidth and / or repeated transmission, wherein the first bandwidth is less than the bandwidth used to transmit the second broadcast signal.

28. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 27, characterized in that, The second receiving capability is higher than the first receiving capability.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processor is coupled to the memory for storing a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13; or causes the apparatus to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 28.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that, include: A computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

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