Communication method, device and system

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, device and system, in the method, a network device generates M second messages which are the same as a first message based on the first message, and sends the first message and the M second messages through a frequency band combination, the frequency band combination comprises a first frequency band and M second frequency bands, the first frequency band carries the first message, and the M second frequency bands carry the M second messages; and each second frequency band bears the corresponding second message, so that the copy transmission of the first message is realized, the transmission reliability is improved, and the transmission time delay is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, and system. Background Technology

[0002] The 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) introduced carrier aggregation (CA) to combine multiple continuous or non-contiguous component carriers (CCs) into a larger bandwidth, making full use of the resources and advantages of different carriers and carrying different data through different CCs to improve the user's uplink and downlink peak rate experience.

[0003] However, in some communication scenarios, when transmitting information based on CA functionality, poor communication quality on some CCs leads to a low transmission success rate. Therefore, how to further improve transmission reliability and reduce transmission latency in CA scenarios is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system to improve transmission reliability and reduce transmission latency in CA scenarios.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a communication method applicable to network devices. The network device can be replaced by components configured within the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or it can be replaced by logic modules or software that implement all or part of the functions of the network device, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the application in this regard.

[0006] For example, in this method, the network device generates M second messages that are identical to the first message based on the first message, and sends the first message and the M second messages through a frequency band combination. The frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands. The first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries the corresponding second message, thereby realizing the copy transmission of the first message to improve transmission reliability and reduce transmission latency.

[0007] In some embodiments, the network device may receive feedback information indicating that the first message failed to be received before generating M second messages based on the first message. In this case, the network device generates M second messages based on the first message to perform copy transmission during retransmission and improve retransmission reliability.

[0008] In some embodiments, the M second frequency bands are the first M frequency bands of the N third frequency bands arranged in descending order of channel quality, and the N third frequency bands include all frequency bands in the band combination except for the first frequency band. The M second frequency bands are selected from the N third frequency bands based on channel quality, thereby further improving transmission reliability.

[0009] In some embodiments, M second messages are generated by a radio link control (RLC) entity based on the first message. Based on this, the RLC entity performs copy transmission of the first message.

[0010] In some embodiments, the scheduling priority of the second message in the corresponding second frequency band is higher than a preset scheduling priority. This increases the scheduling priority of the second message, thereby improving transmission reliability.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first message belongs to a preset communication service. In this case, the first message is copied and transmitted. For example, when the communication service to which the first message belongs is a latency-sensitive communication service, in order to improve communication reliability and reduce latency, the network device can copy and transmit the first message.

[0012] In some embodiments, if the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the first message is copied and transmitted to improve transmission reliability.

[0013] Optionally, the channel quality information includes at least one of the following:

[0014] Information such as the number of retransmissions, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), or reference signal received power (RSRP).

[0015] Secondly, this application provides a communication method applicable to a terminal. The terminal can be replaced by components configured within the terminal (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or it can be replaced by logic modules or software that implement all or part of the terminal's functions, etc. This application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0016] For example, in this method, the terminal receives a first message and M second messages transmitted through a frequency band combination, where M is a positive integer; wherein, the frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands, the first frequency band carries the first message, each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message, and each second message is the same as the first message.

[0017] In some embodiments, before receiving the first message and M second messages transmitted via a frequency band combination, the terminal sends feedback information indicating that the first message reception failed.

[0018] In some embodiments, the M second frequency bands are the first M frequency bands of the N third frequency bands arranged in descending order of channel quality, where N is an integer greater than or equal to M, and the N third frequency bands include the frequency bands in the frequency band combination other than the first frequency band.

[0019] In some embodiments, M second messages are generated by the RLC entity based on the first message.

[0020] In some embodiments, the scheduling priority of the second message in the corresponding second frequency band is higher than the preset scheduling priority.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first message belongs to a preset communication service, and / or the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold.

[0022] In some embodiments, the channel quality information includes at least one of the following:

[0023] Information on the number of retransmissions, MCS, SINR, or RSRP.

[0024] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, including modules or units for implementing the methods of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect. Specifically, the modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.

[0025] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device including one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to execute a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) in a memory, such that the communication device implements the communication method in the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0026] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing computer programs and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, which, when executing the computer program stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the first or second aspect above.

[0027] Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface for communicating with other devices. For example, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0028] Fifthly, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the first or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first or second aspect, such as processing the information involved in the above methods.

[0029] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing computer programs and data, which may be located inside or outside the processor.

[0030] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0031] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the chip system.

[0032] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to implement the methods of the first or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0033] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising: a computer program that, when run, causes a computer to perform the methods of the first or second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0034] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a system including the aforementioned terminal and network device.

[0035] The second to eighth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect of this application. The beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be described again. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a carrier aggregation scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system in a carrier aggregation scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a copy transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a communication device provided for embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of another communication device provided for embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solution provided in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first:

[0045] First, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it does not exclude the possibility of indicating an "and" relationship; the specific meaning can be understood in context. "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 mean: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0046] Second, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" in this application is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same category of names, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first message" and "second message" are simply different messages, and there is no temporal sequence, size, or priority relationship between them.

[0047] Third, in the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0048] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, sidelink (SL) communication systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, or new radio access technology (NR). Among these, 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networking. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as 6th Generation (6G) mobile communication systems. This application does not limit these applications.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in this application. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system architecture is shown. (e.g.) Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 includes a radio access network (RAN) 10 and a core network (CN) 20. Optionally, the communication system 100 also includes an Internet 30. The RAN 10 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 RAN 10, denoted as RAN 10 (120a-120j), may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 20 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 20 and RAN node 110 in RAN 10 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0050] RAN 10 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 10 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. RAN 10 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0051] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, is part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 100 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access RAN 10 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0052] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. A RAN node can also be a macro base station (such as...) Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1In CRAN scenarios, RAN nodes can be 110b), relay nodes or donor nodes, or wireless controllers. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network equipment can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0053] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), 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).

[0054] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0055] A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc.

[0056] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal and network device can be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal and network device.

[0057] To better understand the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the terms involved in this application will be briefly explained below.

[0058] 1. CA: By aggregating multiple consecutive or non-consecutive CCs, bandwidth utilization is improved, thereby increasing the communication rate to meet 3GPP requirements.

[0059] CA includes, but is not limited to, low-frequency CA, high-frequency CA, and high-low frequency CA. In this application, the number of CCs included in the CA scenario is not limited; for example, it supports, but is not limited to, 2CC, 3CC, 4CC, or 5CC CA.

[0060] 2. Primary cell (PCell): This refers to the cell where the CA UE resides. The operation of the CA UE in this cell is similar to that in a single-carrier cell.

[0061] Among them, CA UE refers to UE that supports CA function.

[0062] 3. Secondary cell (SCell): This refers to a cell configured by the base station for the CA UE via RRC connection signaling. The secondary cell can provide more radio resources for the CA UE. SCell can have only downlink or both uplink and downlink.

[0063] Among them, CA UE refers to UE that supports CA function.

[0064] 4. Primary CC (PCC): refers to the CC corresponding to PCell.

[0065] 5. Secondary CC (SCC): refers to the CC corresponding to the SCell.

[0066] CA aggregates multiple CCs, allowing the terminal to enjoy the sum of the bandwidth of each CC, resulting in a near-proportional increase in peak speed. For example, see... Figure 2 As shown, in a 3-carrier aggregation scenario, a terminal can use 3 carriers simultaneously. One of these carriers is called the PCC, which carries signaling and manages the other SCCs. The cell corresponding to the PCC is called PCell; the cells corresponding to the SCCs (such as cells 2 and 3) are called SCells.

[0067] This application can be applied to CA scenarios under NSA or SA. NSA is geared towards the initial network evolution of 5G, and the radio access technology (RAT) in the network includes both 4G and 5G standards, such as... Figure 3 As shown in Figure a, in the NSA architecture, LTE and NR achieve dual connectivity with the evolved packet core (EPC). There are S1 interfaces between the EPC and LTE, such as the S1-C and S1-U interfaces. S1-C is the control plane interface, mainly used to transmit signaling information, such as mobility management and session management related control signaling. S1-U is the user plane interface, mainly responsible for transmitting user data. There is also a corresponding interface between the EPC and NR, such as S1-U. Figure 3 As shown in Figure b, in the SA architecture, the RAT in the network only includes the 5G standard. There are NG interfaces between the 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC) and NR, such as the NG-C interface and the NG-U interface. The NG-C interface is the control plane interface, which is used to transmit control signaling, and the NG-U interface is the user plane interface, which is used to transmit user data.

[0068] In CA scenarios, poor communication quality on some CCs can lead to low transmission success rates. This application provides a data duplication scheme for CA, which can be called CA data duplication. When transmitting information based on CA, messages transmitted on one CC are copied to one or more other CCs for redundant transmission, thereby improving transmission reliability and reducing transmission latency.

[0069] It should be noted that in this application, CA data replication can also be described as replication transmission. In other words, when replication transmission is mentioned below, it means that the network device copies the packets transmitted on one CC to one or more other CCs for redundant transmission. When replication transmission is applied to data retransmission, it can also be described as replication retransmission.

[0070] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] This application describes the method provided by taking the interaction between a terminal and a network device as an example, but this should not be construed as limiting the application in any way. Furthermore, the terminal can be replaced by components within the terminal, such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc., or by logic modules or software capable of implementing some or all of its functions; the network device can be replaced by components within the network device, such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc., or by logic modules or software capable of implementing some or all of its functions. This application does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0072] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 4 The method 200 shown may include some or all of the following steps:

[0073] S210, the network device generates M second messages based on the first message, where M is a positive integer, and each second message is the same as the first message.

[0074] S220, the network device sends a first message and M second messages to the terminal via a frequency band combination. This frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands, where the first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first message and the M second messages sent via the frequency band combination.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first message is the message to be transmitted, and the second message can be a copy of the first message. In this application, the message can be replaced with a data packet or any data to be transmitted; that is, this application does not limit the form or encapsulation method of the data to be transmitted.

[0076] The aforementioned frequency band combination can be composed of CCs included in the CA. Each frequency band in the frequency band combination can correspond to one CC. Of course, this application does not exclude the possibility that one frequency band in the frequency band combination corresponds to multiple CCs. In the embodiments of this application, the M second frequency bands can include all or part of the frequency bands in the frequency band combination other than the first frequency band. If the M second frequency bands are part of the frequency bands in the frequency band combination other than the first frequency band, each frequency band in the frequency band combination other than the first frequency band can be referred to as a third frequency band. For example, the frequency band combination can include the first frequency band and N third frequency bands, where N is an integer greater than or equal to M. The N third frequency bands can include the aforementioned M second frequency bands, that is, part or all of the N third frequency bands are used as second frequency bands to carry the second message.

[0077] For example, when the M second frequency bands include all frequency bands in the frequency band combination except for the first frequency band, the network device can copy a second message for each frequency band in the frequency band combination except for the first frequency band. That is, each frequency band in the frequency band combination except for the first frequency band carries a second message for transmission. For example, in the case of 2CC carrier aggregation, the first message and the second message are transmitted through one CC respectively; as another example, in the case of 3CC carrier aggregation, the network device determines two second messages based on the first message, and the first message and each second message are transmitted through one CC respectively.

[0078] For example, when the M second frequency bands include some frequency bands other than the first frequency band in the frequency band combination, the network device can determine the M second frequency bands from the N third frequency bands other than the first frequency band in the frequency band combination, and then carry a second message through each second frequency band. The M second frequency bands can be any M second frequency bands from the N third frequency bands, such as randomly selecting M frequency bands from the N third frequency bands as the M second frequency bands. In some embodiments, in order to further improve transmission reliability, the M second frequency bands can be selected from the N third frequency bands based on channel quality, such as arranging the N third frequency bands in descending order of channel quality as the M second frequency bands. For example, in the case of 3CC carrier aggregation, the network device determines a second message based on a first message, the first message is transmitted through one of the CCs, and the second message is transmitted through the CC with the higher channel quality of the remaining two CCs.

[0079] It should be noted that this application does not limit the first message to be carried by the primary carrier (PCC) and the second message to be carried by the secondary carrier (SCC). For example, the first message can also be carried by the secondary carrier (SCC) and the second message can be carried by the primary carrier (PCC). Or, the first message and the second message can be carried by their respective secondary carriers (SCC).

[0080] In some embodiments, the higher the scheduling priority of each packet (such as a first packet or a second packet) in its corresponding frequency band, the higher the probability of transmission. Based on this, the network device can increase the scheduling priority of each packet (such as a first packet or a second packet) in its corresponding frequency band. For example, it can set the scheduling priority of the first packet in the first frequency band to be higher than a preset scheduling priority, and similarly, it can set the scheduling priority of the second packet in the second frequency band to be higher than a preset scheduling priority. The preset scheduling priority of each packet in its corresponding frequency band can be a preset value or can be predetermined by the network device. This scheduling priority can be related to terminal capabilities, the channel quality of the terminal in the network, and the terminal's service requirements. For example, the network device can determine the preset scheduling priority based on a fair scheduling algorithm for channel quality.

[0081] In some embodiments, a network device can generate a first packet and copy M second packets through an RLC entity. The first packet and the M second packets are transmitted from the RLC layer to the medium access control (MAC) layer, and then through the physical layer (PHY) to the receiving end. In carrier aggregation scenarios, different MAC layers can correspond to different carriers; this configuration is often called a multi-MAC entity configuration. Each MAC entity can independently manage one or more carriers, thereby improving the flexibility and efficiency of data transmission. See also Figure 5 The RLC entity can copy the first message carried by the primary carrier (PCC), and then distribute the copied second message to the secondary carrier (SCC). The first message is then transmitted to the MAC entity of the primary carrier (PCC) through the RLC entity, and the second message is transmitted to the MAC entity of the secondary carrier (SCC) through the RLC entity. Finally, it is transmitted to the terminal through the physical layer.

[0082] In some embodiments, when a terminal receives a first message and M second messages sent to it by a network device through a frequency band combination, it can consider the transmission successful after receiving any message (such as the first message or the second message). Optionally, the terminal can discard the subsequently received first message or second message after successfully receiving a message (such as the first message or the second message).

[0083] In some embodiments, when a terminal receives a first message and M second messages sent to it by a network device through a frequency band combination, after receiving any message (such as the first message or the second message), it notifies the sender corresponding to the unreceived message to discard the unsent message to avoid redundant transmission.

[0084] Optionally, the terminal may or may not be aware of whether a message is the original message (such as the first message) or a copied message (such as the second message). Optionally, the network device may choose to allow the terminal to be aware of whether the message it sends is the original message (such as the first message) or a copied message (such as the second message).

[0085] In some embodiments, the network device may first determine whether it is necessary to generate M second packets, that is, whether it is necessary to copy and transmit the first packet. If the first packet needs to be copied and transmitted, then M second packets are generated based on the first packet to achieve the copying and transmission of the first packet; if the first packet does not need to be copied and transmitted, the first packet is generated and sent. Several possible examples are described below.

[0086] Example 1: The network device copies and transmits the first packet during retransmission. For instance, the network device can retransmit the first packet when the feedback information indicates that the first packet reception failed, and transmit it according to the methods described in S210 and S220 above during the retransmission. For example, the terminal can provide feedback based on a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) mechanism. HARQ feedback can include, but is not limited to, NACK-only and ACK-NACK mechanisms. In the NACK-only mechanism, the terminal sends a NACK message if it fails to decode the data from the network device. No feedback is sent in other cases. In the ACK-NACK mechanism, the terminal sends a NACK message if it fails to decode the data from the network device; if it successfully decodes the data, it sends an ACK message. The network device will initiate retransmission after receiving a NACK message, but will not retransmit after receiving an ACK message. Therefore, when the feedback information indicates that the first packet reception failed, the feedback information can be a NACK message. In this embodiment, HARQ feedback is one possible example of feedback information, NACK message is one possible example of negative acknowledgment feedback, and ACK message is one possible example of acknowledgment feedback. This embodiment does not limit the specific form of the feedback information.

[0087] For example, in the initial transmission phase, the network device sends a first packet through the first frequency band. The terminal can provide feedback on whether the first packet was successfully received based on any feedback mechanism. For instance, in the NACK-only mechanism, the terminal sends feedback information to the network device to indicate that the first packet reception failed if it did not successfully receive the first packet; similarly, in the ACK-NACK mechanism, the terminal sends feedback information to the network device to indicate whether the first packet was successfully received. If the first packet reception fails, a retransmission of the first packet is performed. In the retransmission phase, after receiving feedback information from the terminal, the MAC entity of the first frequency band notifies the RLC entity to copy the first packet to obtain M second packets, and transmits the first packet through the first frequency band and the corresponding second packet through each of the M second frequency bands.

[0088] In Example 1 above, since the first message is a retransmission message in the first frequency band, its scheduling priority in the first frequency band during the retransmission phase corresponds to the retransmission scheduling priority, or the network device is configured to have a higher scheduling priority for the first message in the first frequency band than for the retransmission. The second message is an initial transmission message in the corresponding second frequency band. Therefore, its scheduling priority in the corresponding second frequency band during the retransmission phase may be lower. To improve transmission reliability and reduce transmission latency, the network device can configure the second message's scheduling priority in the second frequency band to be higher than a preset scheduling priority. The preset scheduling priority can be found in the explanation in the aforementioned example.

[0089] In Example 1 above, if the terminal still fails to receive any message (such as the first message or the second message) after the retransmission phase, the network device can copy and retransmit the first message as described above. Optionally, the network device may choose not to copy and retransmit the failed second message.

[0090] Based on the scheme in Example 1 above, the network device copies and transmits the first retransmitted message. Compared with copying and transmitting all first messages to be transmitted indiscriminately, this reduces the resource overhead caused by copying and transmitting. At the same time, redundant transmission is performed on more carriers, reducing the probability of multiple retransmissions.

[0091] Example 2: When the first message belongs to a preset communication service, the first message is copied and transmitted. For example, when the communication service to which the first message belongs is a latency-sensitive communication service, in order to improve communication reliability and reduce latency, the network device can copy and transmit the first message. Specific copying and transmission methods can be found in any of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0092] Examples 1 and 2 above can be combined to determine whether to copy and transmit the first message. For example, if the first message belongs to a preset communication service, the network device can retransmit the first message when the feedback information indicates that the first message failed to be received, and transmit it in accordance with the above-described S210 and S220 during the retransmission process.

[0093] Example 3: When the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the first message is copied and transmitted. The network device can determine the channel conditions of the first frequency band based on the channel quality information. When it is determined that the carrier channel conditions of the terminal corresponding to the first frequency band are poor, the first message is copied to obtain M second messages, and the second messages are transmitted through other frequency bands.

[0094] The channel quality information can be collected or measured within a historical time period. Optionally, the channel quality information includes, but is not limited to, information on the number of retransmissions, MCS, SINR, or RSRP. The number of retransmissions is negatively correlated with channel conditions; that is, a higher number of retransmissions indicates worse channel conditions. MCS, SINR, and RSRP are all positively correlated with channel conditions; that is, a higher MCS, higher SINR, and higher RSRP all indicate better channel conditions.

[0095] In Example 3 above, if the channel quality information includes multiple parameters, such as the retransmission count, MCS, SINR, and RSRP, then the network device can determine whether the channel quality information of the first frequency band meets the threshold in at least the following two ways: 1. The network device compares the parameters of each channel quality in the first frequency band with their respective thresholds, and determines whether to copy and transmit the first packet based on the threshold comparison results; 2. The network device compares the results calculated by the network device based on the parameters of multiple channel quality in the first frequency band with the thresholds, thereby determining whether to copy and transmit the first packet.

[0096] Based on the scheme in Example 3 above, when the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the network device copies the first message to obtain M second messages, and transmits the first message through the first frequency band and the corresponding M second messages through the M second frequency bands to realize the copying and transmission of the first message, thereby improving the reliability of transmission and reducing the transmission latency.

[0097] Example 3 above can be combined with Example 1 and / or Example 2 above to determine whether to copy and transmit the first message. For example, when the first message belongs to a preset communication service and the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the network device can copy and transmit the first message; or, when the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the network device can copy and retransmit the first message when the feedback information indicates that the first message reception has failed; or, when the first message belongs to a preset communication service and the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold, the network device can copy and retransmit the first message when the feedback information indicates that the first message reception has failed.

[0098] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the network device generates M second messages that are identical to the first message based on the first message, and sends the first message and the M second messages through frequency band combination. The frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands. The first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries the corresponding second message, thereby realizing the copy transmission of the first message to improve transmission reliability and reduce transmission latency.

[0099] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to several accompanying drawings. The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0100] Figure 6 and Figure 7 These are schematic block diagrams illustrating possible apparatuses provided for embodiments of this application. These apparatuses can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In embodiments of this application, the apparatus may be as follows: Figure 4 The terminal or network device in the method embodiments shown may also be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the terminal or network device, or a logic module or software that can implement some or all of the functions of the terminal or network device.

[0101] The device provided in this application is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the device 300 includes a transceiver unit 310 and a processing unit 320.

[0102] One possible design is that device 300 is used to achieve the above. Figure 4 The method embodiment shown illustrates the functionality of the network device. For example, the device 300 may correspond to... Figure 4 Network devices in the system.

[0103] For example, the processing unit 320 can be used to generate M second messages based on the first message, where M is a positive integer, and each second message is the same as the first message; the transceiver unit 310 can be used to send the first message and M second messages through a frequency band combination, where the frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands, the first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message.

[0104] Optionally, before generating M second messages based on the first message, the transceiver unit 310 is also used to receive feedback information indicating that the first message reception failed.

[0105] Optionally, the M second frequency bands are the first M frequency bands of the N third frequency bands arranged in descending order of channel quality, where N is an integer greater than or equal to M, and the N third frequency bands include the frequency bands in the frequency band combination except for the first frequency band.

[0106] Optionally, M second messages are generated by the RLC entity based on the first message.

[0107] Optionally, the scheduling priority of the second message in the corresponding second frequency band is higher than the preset scheduling priority.

[0108] Optionally, the first message belongs to a preset communication service, and / or the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold.

[0109] Optionally, the channel quality information includes at least one of the following:

[0110] Information on the number of retransmissions, MCS, SINR, or RSRP.

[0111] One possible design is that device 300 is used to achieve the above. Figure 4 The terminal functionality is illustrated in the method embodiment shown. For example, the device 300 may correspond to... Figure 4 The terminal in the middle.

[0112] For example, the transceiver unit 310 can be used to receive a first message and M second messages transmitted through a frequency band combination, where M is a positive integer; wherein, the frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands, the first frequency band carries the first message, each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message, and each second message is the same as the first message.

[0113] Optionally, before receiving the first message and M second messages transmitted via the frequency band combination, the transceiver unit 310 is also used to send feedback information indicating that the first message reception failed.

[0114] Optionally, the M second frequency bands are the first M frequency bands of the N third frequency bands arranged in descending order of channel quality, where N is an integer greater than or equal to M, and the N third frequency bands include the frequency bands in the frequency band combination except for the first frequency band.

[0115] Optionally, M second messages are generated by the RLC entity based on the first message.

[0116] Optionally, the scheduling priority of the second message in the corresponding second frequency band is higher than the preset scheduling priority.

[0117] Optionally, the first message belongs to a preset communication service, and / or the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold.

[0118] Optionally, the channel quality information includes at least one of the following:

[0119] Information on the number of retransmissions, MCS, SINR, or RSRP.

[0120] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. Each function can correspond to a functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed 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.

[0121] Figure 7 This is another schematic block diagram of the device provided in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, device 400 includes one or more processors 410. The processor 410 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the device (e.g., a vehicle or a chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0122] Alternatively, in one design, processor 410 may include a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that can be executed on processor 410, causing device 400 to perform the methods performed by the terminal or network device in the above method embodiments. In yet another possible design, device 400 includes circuitry (…). Figure 7(Not shown), this circuit is used to implement the functions of the terminal or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0123] For example, processor 410 can be used to execute a computer program in memory to achieve Figure 4 The steps performed by the terminal or network device in the illustrated method embodiment.

[0124] Optionally, the device 400 may include one or more memories 420 storing computer programs (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 410, causing the device 400 to perform the methods performed by the terminal or network device in the above embodiments.

[0125] Optionally, the processor 410 and / or memory 420 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0126] Optionally, the device 400 may also include a communication interface 430. The processor 410, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the device (e.g., a terminal or network device). The communication interface 430, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to implement the device's transceiver functions.

[0127] Optionally, the device 400 also includes a communication interface 430. The processor 410 and the communication interface 430 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication interface 430 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0128] When device 400 is used to achieve Figure 4 In the method shown, processor 410 can be used to execute the functions of processing unit 320, and communication interface 430 can be used to execute the functions of transceiver unit 310. Whether communication interface 430 is used for sending or receiving depends on whether the device 400 is used to perform a sending or receiving action in the execution scheme.

[0129] When the aforementioned device 400 is a chip applied to a terminal, the chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal's chip receives signals from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal, and these signals may be sent to the terminal by network devices; or, the terminal's chip sends signals to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the terminal, and these signals may be sent to network devices by the terminal.

[0130] When the aforementioned device 400 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives signals from other modules in the network device, which may be signals sent by a terminal to the network device; or, the chip of the network device sends signals to other modules in the network device, which may be signals sent by the network device to a terminal.

[0131] It is understood that when the device 400 is a terminal or network device, the communication interface 430 can be a transceiver, specifically including a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter used to send signals and the receiver used to receive signals. When the device 400 is a chip applied to a terminal or network device, the communication interface 430 can be an input / output circuit, wherein the input circuit can be used for receiving and the output interface can be used for sending.

[0132] Optionally, the device 400 also includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the device 400.

[0133] It should be noted that the above method embodiments can be applied to a processor, or implemented by a processor. A processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by software instructions.

[0134] The aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0135] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0136] The memory in this application embodiment can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0137] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions of the terminal or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments, such as sending, receiving, or processing information involved in the above methods.

[0138] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing computer program instructions and data, which may be located inside or outside the processor.

[0139] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0140] This application also provides a computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when executed, Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the method executed by the terminal or the method executed by the network device is executed.

[0141] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the method executed by the terminal or the method executed by the network device is executed.

[0142] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned terminal and network equipment.

[0143] The methods provided in the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product may include one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic disk), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0144] 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.

[0145] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of 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.

[0147] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separate. The component shown as a unit may or may not be a physical unit; that is, it 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.

[0148] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application 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.

[0149] If this function 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, the technical solution of this application, or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: M second messages are generated based on the first message, where M is a positive integer, and each second message is the same as the first message. The first message and the M second messages are sent by combining frequency bands. The frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands. The first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before generating M second messages based on the first message, the process also includes: Receive feedback information, which indicates that the first message failed to be received.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first message and M second messages transmitted via frequency band combination, where M is a positive integer; where, The frequency band combination includes a first frequency band and M second frequency bands. The first frequency band carries the first message, and each second frequency band carries a corresponding second message. Each second message is the same as the first message.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message and M second messages transmitted via frequency band combination, the method further includes: Send feedback information indicating that the first message reception failed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The M second frequency bands are the first M frequency bands of the N third frequency bands arranged in descending order of channel quality, where N is an integer greater than or equal to M, and the N third frequency bands include the frequency bands in the frequency band combination other than the first frequency band.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The M second messages are generated by the RLC entity based on the first message.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The scheduling priority of the second message in the corresponding second frequency band is higher than the preset scheduling priority.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first message belongs to a preset communication service, and / or the channel quality information of the first frequency band does not meet the threshold.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The channel quality information includes at least one of the following: Information such as the number of retransmissions, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), or reference signal received power (RSRP).

10. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes one or more processors, said one or more processors being configured to execute computer programs or instructions in memory, causing said communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it causes the method described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when run, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed.

Images