A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and device can be applied to HARQ retransmission. The method comprises: an access network device sending DCI and at least one TB to a terminal device; and the terminal device performing HARQ feedback based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used for scheduling the at least one TB, and indicates a number M of CBs corresponding to a first data unit and a number N of CBs corresponding to a second data unit. The at least one TB carries data in the first data unit and data in the second data unit. The performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode comprises: sending first HARQ-ACK information for the first data unit, and sending second HARQ-ACK information for the second data unit. In the method, the number of CBs in a data unit is flexibly configured by the access network device through the DCI, which helps to save retransmission resources or reduce the overhead of HARQ feedback information.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510382416.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 28, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Data transmission reliability is a crucial performance indicator in communication systems. In a communication system, the sending end transmits data to the receiving end, and upon receiving the data, the receiving end sends a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback message back to the sending end. The sending end determines whether the data transmission was successful based on the HARQ feedback message from the receiving end, indicating either a positive acknowledgment (ACK) or a negative acknowledgment (NACK). If the data transmission was unsuccessful, it is retransmitted to improve data transmission reliability.

[0004] HARQ feedback and retransmission are based on code block groups (CBGs), supporting the retransmission of CBGs corresponding to NACKs. In semantic communication, partial data loss or errors are permissible, provided the receiver correctly understands the semantics. However, CBG-based HARQ feedback is not flexible enough in scenarios like semantic communication, leading to lower system performance (e.g., redundant retransmissions waste air interface resources). Further improvements to system performance remain to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for saving retransmission resources or reducing the bit overhead of HARQ feedback.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to the terminal side. For example, the method can be applied to a terminal device or a component of the terminal device; or to a communication module and / or computing module of the terminal device; or to a circuit or chip in the terminal device that is responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip); or to a circuit or chip in the terminal device that is responsible for communication and / or computing functions (such as a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), artificial intelligence (AI) processor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field-programmable gate array (FPGA)); or to a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. For ease of description, the method provided in the first aspect is used as an example when applied to a terminal device.

[0008] The method includes: a terminal device receiving downlink control information (DCI) and at least one transport block (TB), and performing HARQ feedback based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of code blocks (CBs) corresponding to a first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to a second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. At least one TB carries data from the first data unit and data from the second data unit. Performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes: sending a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and sending a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit.

[0009] In this method, the data unit can be the granularity / unit for HARQ feedback. The number of bounding boxes (CBs) contained in a data unit (such as the first data unit, the second data unit) is configured by the access network device through DCI, which is more flexible and helps to save retransmission resources, thus benefiting the transmission of low-latency services (such as extended reality (XR) services). For example, by flexibly configuring M and N, the number of CBs in the data unit containing the CB that failed to transmit can be reduced, thus reducing the resources required to retransmit the data unit. Alternatively, flexibly configuring M and N helps to reduce the overhead of HARQ feedback information and improve system throughput, thus benefiting the transmission of high-throughput services (such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services). For example, a data unit corresponds to a bit indicating ACK / NACK. By configuring M and N, a data unit can include more CBs, thus reducing the number of data units in a TB and reducing the overhead of HARQ feedback information.

[0010] In one design, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit meets a first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. In this design, even if there are failed code blocks within the first data unit, the first HARQ-ACK message returned by the terminal device indicates ACK. For example, if the first data unit has a certain fault tolerance capability, allowing for partial CB decoding errors corresponding to the data unit, the original data of the first data unit can be recovered even if there are failed code blocks within the first data unit. In this case, the first HARQ-ACK message returned by the terminal device indicates ACK. This design allows the access network device to avoid retransmitting the first data unit, further saving retransmission resources. Optionally, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit does not meet the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK.

[0011] In one design, the DCI includes a first index and a second index, where the first index indicates M and the second index indicates N. For example, the first index is the index of M in the first candidate value set, and the second index is the index of N in the first candidate value set. This design indirectly indicates M and N through indexing, which reduces the bit overhead of indicating M and N.

[0012] In one design, the method further includes: the terminal device sending capability information to indicate support for a first HARQ feedback mode. In this design, the terminal device indicating support for the first HARQ feedback mode to the access network device helps the access network device decide whether to configure M and N. If the terminal device supports the first HARQ feedback mode, indicating M and N via DCI can reduce unnecessary signaling interactions.

[0013] In one design, the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit is greater than that of the data in the second data unit, and M is greater than N. In this design, the number of bounding boxes (CBs) in a data unit is related to the fault tolerance rate of the data within that data unit; the higher the fault tolerance rate, the more CBs are included in that data unit. Data units with lower fault tolerance rates allow for fewer CBs to be decoded incorrectly; therefore, the number of CBs in a data unit with lower fault tolerance rates can be less adaptable, in order to save retransmission resources as much as possible.

[0014] Secondly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to the terminal side. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the first aspect above, which will not be repeated here. For ease of description, the following example uses the method provided in the first aspect applied to a terminal device.

[0015] The method includes: a terminal device receiving at least one TB and performing HARQ feedback based on a second HARQ feedback mode. The at least one TB carries data from a first protocol data unit (PDU) set and data from a second PDU set. Performing HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: sending a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set and sending a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set.

[0016] In this method, the granularity of HARQ-ACK feedback is PDU set. The granularity of HARQ-ACK feedback varies depending on the size of the PDU set, offering greater flexibility. By setting the size of the PDU set, the granularity of HARQ-ACK feedback can be flexibly configured, helping to save retransmission resources and thus benefiting low-latency services (such as XR services). For example, a smaller PDU set size results in fewer CBs within the data unit containing the failed CB, thus requiring less resources to retransmit that data unit. Alternatively, it can help reduce the overhead of HARQ feedback information, increasing system throughput and benefiting high-throughput services (such as eMBB services). For example, a larger PDU set size, with one bit indicating ACK / NACK for each data unit, reduces the number of data units within a TB, thus reducing the overhead of HARQ feedback information when performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ-ACK feedback mode. Furthermore, by feeding back HARQ-ACK information at the PDU set granularity and retransmitting failed PDU sets, the loss of complete data packets can be reduced, helping to maintain service integrity.

[0017] In one design, data in the first PDU set and data in the second PDU set are carried in the same TB or the same CB in at least one TB.

[0018] In one design, at least one PDU in a first PDU set has the same first identification information, and at least one PDU in a second PDU set has the same second identification information. This design, by assigning the same identification information to PDUs within the same PDU set, helps the receiver clearly identify which PDUs belong to the same PDU set, thus clarifying the granularity of the HARQ-ACK feedback information.

[0019] In one design, if data transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first PDU set meets the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. In this design, if the first PDU set has a certain fault tolerance capability, allowing for partial CB decoding errors corresponding to the data unit, the original data of the first PDU set can be recovered even if there are failed code blocks within it. In this case, the third HARQ-ACK message fed back by the terminal device indicates ACK. This design allows the access network device to avoid retransmitting the first PDU set, further saving retransmission resources. Optionally, if data transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit does not meet the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK.

[0020] In one design, a first PDU set includes fault tolerance information for the first PDU set, and a second PDU set includes fault tolerance information for the second PDU set. In this design, the PDU set can carry the fault tolerance information within it, which helps the receiving end determine the fault tolerance rate of the data within the PDU set based on the fault tolerance information, and thus determine whether the feedback HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK or NACK.

[0021] In one design, the method further includes: the terminal device sending capability information to indicate support for a second HARQ feedback mode. In this design, the terminal device instructs the access network device to support the second HARQ feedback mode, which helps the access network device decide whether to instruct the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode. If the terminal device supports the first HARQ feedback mode, it instructs to perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode, thus reducing unnecessary signaling interactions.

[0022] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to the network side. For example, the method can be applied to an access network device or a component of the access network device; or to a communication module and / or computing module of the access network device; or to circuits or chips (such as modem chips (also known as baseband chips), or SoC chips or SIP chips containing modem cores), chip systems, or processors in the access network device responsible for communication functions; or to circuits or chips (such as CPUs, GPUs, NPUs, AI processors, ASICs, or FPGAs) in the access network device responsible for communication and / or computing functions; or to logical nodes, logical modules, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. In one example, the method can be applied to one or more of the central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), and radio unit (RU) of the access network device. For ease of description, the following example uses the method provided in the third aspect applied to an access network device.

[0023] The method includes: an access network device sending a Data Interchange Message (DCI) and at least one Data Block (TB), and receiving HARQ-ACK information based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and it also indicates the number M of CBs corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. The at least one TB carries data from the first data unit and data from the second data unit. The HARQ-ACK information based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes first HARQ-ACK information for the first data unit and second HARQ-ACK information for the second data unit.

[0024] In one design, the DCI includes a first index and a second index, the first index indicating M and the second index indicating N.

[0025] In one design, the method further includes: the access network device receiving capability information, which is used to indicate that the terminal device supports a first HARQ feedback mode.

[0026] In one design, the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit is greater than that of the data in the second data unit, and M is greater than N.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the third aspect and its various designs can be referred to the aforementioned beneficial effects of the first aspect and its various designs, and will not be repeated here.

[0028] Fourthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to the network side. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the aforementioned third aspect, which will not be repeated here. For ease of description, the following example uses the method provided in the fourth aspect applied to an access network device.

[0029] The method includes: an access network device sending at least one TB and receiving HARQ-ACK information based on a second HARQ feedback mode. The at least one TB carries data from a first PDU set and data from a second PDU set. The HARQ-ACK information based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: a third HARQ-ACK for the first PDU set and a fourth HARQ-ACK for the second PDU set.

[0030] In one design, data in the first PDU set and data in the second PDU set are carried in the same TB or the same CB in at least one TB.

[0031] In one design, at least one PDU in a first PDU set has the same first identification information, and at least one PDU in a second PDU set has the same second identification information.

[0032] In one design, the first PDU set includes fault tolerance information for the first PDU set, and the second PDU set includes fault tolerance information for the second PDU set.

[0033] In one design, the method further includes: the access network device receiving capability information, which is used to indicate support for a second HARQ feedback mode of the terminal device.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and its various designs can be found in the aforementioned second aspect and its various designs, and will not be repeated here.

[0035] Fifthly, a communication device is provided for performing the method described in any of the first to fourth aspects and any design thereof. The beneficial effects can be found in the relevant descriptions of the first or second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding means, modules, or units for performing the methods of any of the first to fourth aspects. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module or processor) and / or input / output interfaces. Input / output interfaces include input interfaces and / or output interfaces, which can be interface circuits, output circuits, input circuits, pins, or related circuits, etc. Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module or transceiver). The transceiver unit is capable of both transmitting and receiving functions. When the transceiver module implements the transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting unit (sometimes also called a transmitting module); when the transceiver module implements the receiving function, it can be called a receiving unit (sometimes also called a receiving module). The transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional module; or, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be different functional modules. In one example, the processing unit includes (or is) a baseband device, and the transceiver unit includes (or is) a radio frequency device. These input / output interfaces and units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of any of the first to fourth aspects mentioned above. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0037] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the first aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive the DCI and at least one TB, and to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode. The processing unit is used to determine / generate a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of CBs corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. The at least one TB carries data in the first data unit and data in the second data unit. Performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes: sending the first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and sending the second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit.

[0038] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the second aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive at least one TB and perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode. The processing unit is used to determine and generate a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set, and to send a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set. The at least one TB carries data in the first PDU set and data in the second PDU set. Performing HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: sending the third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set and sending the fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set.

[0039] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is used to send a DCI and at least one TB, and to receive HARQ-ACK information fed back based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The processing unit is used to determine / generate the DCI and at least one TB. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of CBs corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. The at least one TB carries data in the first data unit and data in the second data unit. The HARQ-ACK information fed back based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes first HARQ-ACK information for the first data unit and second HARQ-ACK information for the second data unit.

[0040] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is used to transmit at least one TB and receive HARQ-ACK information fed back based on the second HARQ feedback mode. The processing unit is used to determine / generate at least one TB. The at least one TB carries data in the first PDU set and data in the second PDU set. The HARQ-ACK information fed back based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: third HARQ-ACK information for the first PDU set and fourth HARQ-ACK information for the second PDU set.

[0041] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication interface and one or more processors. Optionally, the communication interface is an interface circuit. The communication interface is used to implement communication functions within the communication device and / or for the communication device to communicate with other devices or components. In possible designs, one or more processors communicate with other devices or components through the communication interface.

[0042] One or more processors are coupled to a memory for storing part or all of the necessary computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) for implementing the functions involved in any of the first to fourth aspects and any of their designs. The one or more processors can execute the computer program (or code or instructions), which, when executed, causes the communication device to implement the methods in any of the first to fourth aspects and any of their designs. This application does not limit the specific type of processor. For example, the processor can be a baseband device, a CPU, or other specific integrated circuits. As another example, the processor can be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0043] In one possible design, the memory is located outside the communication device, or inside the communication device, or the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0044] A seventh aspect provides a chip system including a processor and a communication interface for implementing any of the first to fourth aspects and methods in their respective designs. Optionally, the chip system also includes a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs (also referred to as code or instructions). The processor is used to retrieve and execute the computer programs from the memory, causing a device equipped with the chip system to perform any of the first to fourth aspects and methods in their respective designs.

[0045] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, comprising an input / output interface and logic circuitry. The input / output interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information. The input / output interface may be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, pins, or related circuitry, etc. The logic circuitry is used to execute methods from any of the first to fourth aspects and their respective designs.

[0046] In one implementation, when the communication device is a wireless communication device, it can be a terminal device such as a mobile phone, or it can be an access network device such as a base station. The interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the wireless communication device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the wireless communication device.

[0047] In one implementation, when the communication device is a chip or chip system, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the logic circuit can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, or various other logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the input / output interface and the logic circuit.

[0048] The aforementioned communication device can be a terminal device (or access network device), or a component / part of a terminal device (or access network device). For example, the aforementioned communication device can be a communication module and / or computing module of a terminal device (or access network device); or the communication device can be a circuit or chip in the terminal device (or access network device) responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core); or the communication device is a circuit or chip in the terminal device (or access network device) responsible for communication and / or computing functions (such as a CPU, DSP, GPU, NPU, AI processor, ASIC, or FPGA); or the communication device is a logical node or logical module capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device (or access network device).

[0049] A ninth aspect provides a communication system comprising a terminal device and an access network device. The terminal device implements the functions described in the first aspect, and the access network device implements the functions described in the third aspect. For example, the access network device sends a Data Interchange Control (DCI) and at least one Data Block (TB) to the terminal device; the terminal device receives the DCI and at least one TB and performs HARQ feedback to the access network device based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of CBs corresponding to a first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to a second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. At least one TB carries data in the first data unit and data in the second data unit. Performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes sending a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and sending a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit.

[0050] Alternatively, the terminal device may implement the function of the method described in the second aspect, and the access network device may implement the function of the method described in the fourth aspect. For example, the access network device sends at least one TB to the terminal device, the at least one TB carrying data in the first PDU set and data in the second PDU set; the terminal device receives the at least one TB and performs HARQ feedback to the access network device based on the second HARQ feedback mode. The HARQ-ACK information fed back based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: third HARQ-ACK information for the first PDU set and fourth HARQ-ACK information for the second PDU set.

[0051] A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or readable instructions, which, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the first to fourth aspects and any one of their designs.

[0052] Eleventhly, a computer program product is provided, which, when read and executed by the settlement price, causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the first to fourth aspects and any one of the designs described above.

[0053] The beneficial effects of aspects five through eleven above can be referenced to the beneficial effects of aspects one or two and any of their designs. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the architecture for deploying AI functions;

[0055] Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating the HARQ process.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of TB-based HARQ feedback;

[0057] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the rules for dividing a TB into CBGs;

[0058] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of HARQ feedback based on CBG;

[0059] Figure 7 This is an architecture diagram of a voice communication system;

[0060] Figure 8 and Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture;

[0061] Figure 10 and Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 11 as well as Figures 13A-13B A schematic diagram of the HARQ feedback mode provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 14 and Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0064] In the embodiments of this application, "transmission" includes "sending" and / or "receiving". "Sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0065] For example, "sending information" can occur between devices or between logical modules (such as components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules) within a device. For instance, "access network device sending information" can be understood as an access network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device sending information to logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0066] Similarly, "receiving information" can occur between devices or between logical modules (such as components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules) within a device. For example, "access network device receiving information" can be understood as the access network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the access network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the access network device.

[0067] For example, phrases like "sending information to XX (e.g., a terminal device)" or the sending-related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, including sending information directly or indirectly to XX. Similarly, phrases like "receiving information from YY (e.g., an access network device)," "receiving information from YY (e.g., an access network device)," or "receiving information sent by YY (e.g., an access network device)," or the receiving-related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as the source of the information being YY, including receiving information directly or indirectly from YY. Furthermore, information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly and will not be elaborated further here.

[0068] In the embodiments of this application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "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 exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A / B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "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, and / or c means the following combination: a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist simultaneously, a and c exist simultaneously, b and c exist simultaneously, or a, b, and c exist simultaneously, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0069] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, not to a time limit, nor to requiring the device to perform a judgment action, nor implying any other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" are interchangeable, and "when," "in the case of," "exemplary," or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations, intended to present related concepts in a specific manner. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Furthermore, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" can sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent when their differences are not emphasized. In the embodiments of this application, "corresponding" can also be replaced with "corresponding," "associated," or "mapped." "A and B correspond" can be understood as "A and B have an association / correspondence relationship." There are no restrictions on the specific implementation of the correspondence / association relationship. For example, the correspondence can be a mapping table, a function relationship, etc.

[0070] In embodiments of this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. For example, when describing a certain indication information as indicating information I, it includes whether the indication information directly indicates I or indirectly indicates I, but does not necessarily mean that the indication information carries I.

[0071] The terms "first," "second," "#1," "#2," and "#A" used in this application's embodiments are merely for descriptive convenience and to distinguish multiple objects. They are not intended to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, "first data unit" and "second data unit" refer to two different data units, and do not indicate a difference in priority or importance between these two data units.

[0072] Before introducing the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the relevant terms / concepts involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained first.

[0073] (1-1) Access Network Equipment

[0074] Access network equipment refers to radio access network (R)AN equipment / RAN nodes. R)AN and RAN are interchangeable; for ease of description, RAN will be used as an example below. RAN can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system / new radio (NR) communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), a virtualized RAN (vRAN), an artificial intelligence radio access network (AI RAN), a nonterrestrial network (NTN) (such as a satellite communication system), etc. RAN can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0075] 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 satellite, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A gNB is interchangeable with a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN). RAN nodes can also be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor / host nodes, or radio controllers. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU). An AP can serve as the central hub of this communication system and can be a base station with a Wi-Fi chip, a router, a gateway, a repeater, a communication server, a switch, or a bridge. RAN nodes can also be satellites (or satellite base stations) or HAPS, or base station equipment mounted on a satellite / high altitude platform station (HAPS). RAN nodes can also be gateway stations (or ground stations, earth stations, signaling stations, gateways, or gateway stations).

[0076] RAN nodes, also known as RAN entities or access nodes, form part of the communication system and help terminal devices achieve wireless access. In future scenarios, RAN nodes may evolve into other forms; for example, RAN nodes may not be distinguished from core network equipment and may be collectively referred to as network equipment. Unless otherwise specified, in the embodiments of this application, access network equipment and network equipment can be used interchangeably.

[0077] In another possible scenario, the RAN node can be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of the base station; or multiple RAN nodes can cooperate to assist terminal equipment in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes performing some of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a CU, DU, or RU. The function of the CU can be implemented by a single entity or by different entities. For example, the function of the CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane can be separated and implemented by different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-control plane (CP) entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the function of the RAN node. The CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). Any of the units among the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0078] 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.

[0079] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and higher protocol layers (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer). The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU has some core network functions. The CU (such as the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (such as the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer and lower layers) through interfaces. For example, the DU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC, Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and / or Physical (PHY) layer). For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications or the technical specifications of other applicable communication protocols.

[0080] The above division of CU and DU processing functions according to the protocol layer is merely an example; other division methods are also possible, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0081] For example, in one design, the CU or DU can be further divided into processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions above the RLC layer are located in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions below the RLC layer are located in the DU. In another possible design, the DU and RU cooperate to implement the PHY layer functions, or it can be described as moving some of the PHY layer functions of the DU to the RU. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement mid-RF functions. As another example, the DU is configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions.

[0082] In the embodiments of this application, all or part of the functions of the RAN node can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node may also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node may also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in the embodiments of this application may also be a logical node, logical module, or software function capable of implementing all or part of the access node functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a GPU, AI processor, NPU, ASIC, or FPGA) responsible for communication and / or computing functions in the access node.

[0083] A RAN can deploy one or more AI modules. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when the RAN is O-RAN, the O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / non-RT RIC / NRT RIC) or a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / near-RT RIC / nRT RIC).

[0084] Non-real-time RICs can be used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of RAN functions, enabling workflows including model training and model inference, and guiding applications / functions within the nRT RIC based on policies. For example, it can be used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Non-real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, compute nodes, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs; for example, a non-real-time RIC delivers inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU.

[0085] Near real-time RICs can be used to achieve near real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources can be achieved. For example, it can be used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Non-real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, compute nodes, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs; for example, a non-real-time RIC delivers inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU.

[0086] Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be configured as separate network elements. Near real-time and non-real-time RICs can also be part of other devices; for example, near real-time RICs can be configured in RAN nodes (e.g., CU, DU, compute nodes), while non-real-time RICs can be configured in other network devices, such as core network devices or the cloud.

[0087] (1-2) Terminal equipment

[0088] In this application embodiment, anything capable of data communication with a base station can be considered a terminal device. A terminal device is also called a terminal, terminal unit, UE, user device, mobile station, or mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminal devices can be: mobile phones, computers, mobile internet devices (MID), wearable devices, VR devices, AR devices, stations (STA), robotic arms, cameras, robots, vehicles, drones, or smart home devices (such as televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers), relays, customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. Among them, STA can be mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs, smart wearable devices, vehicle communication devices, routers, switches, etc., that support Wi-Fi communication. Terminal devices can also be communication modules, satellite phones or their components with satellite communication capabilities, or satellite communication terminals, such as very small aperture terminals (VSAT) (commonly referred to as VSAT terminals), portable stations, fixed stations, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminals, etc. It should be understood that satellite communication terminals can serve as micro base stations to further provide data interfaces to accessed user equipment.

[0089] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device. The terminal device typically includes a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs corresponding communication functions. Further, it may include modules, circuits, or chips (such as GPUs, AI processors, NPUs, or ASICs) that perform corresponding communication and / or computing functions. The terminal also includes program instructions configured to perform corresponding communication and / or computing functions. Furthermore, when the terminal device is applied to V2X, it can also be called a V2X device. The various terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed inside a vehicle), can all be considered in-vehicle terminal devices. In-vehicle terminal devices can be built into a vehicle's in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the methods of this application through the built-in in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit. The vehicle terminal equipment can be a complete vehicle equipment, vehicle module, vehicle, on-board unit (OBU), RSU, vehicle infotainment system (or on-board transmitter unit) (telematics box, T-box), chip or SoC, etc. The above-mentioned chip or SoC can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU or T-box.

[0090] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a communication system. This communication system includes access network equipment and terminal equipment. Figure 2 Taking an example involving two access network devices (or RAN nodes), both of which are CU-DU separated architectures (or the RAN is O-RAN), the CU and DU communicate via the FI interface, and the CU and DU communicate directly via the Xn interface. Terminal devices can also deploy one or more AI modules. Access network devices can also deploy one or more AI modules. One or more AI modules can be deployed on the CU and / or DU of the access network device.

[0091] (1-3) AI Nodes

[0092] AI nodes can communicate with other devices in the communication system. These other devices can be one or more of the following: access network devices, terminal devices, or core network devices (or network elements in the core network). For example, AI nodes can be deployed in... Figure 2 The communication system shown may include one or more of the following locations: access network equipment (RAN node), terminal equipment, etc.; or, the AI ​​node may be deployed independently, for example, in a location other than any of the above-mentioned devices, such as in the host or cloud server of an over-the-top (OTT) system.

[0093] There is no limit to the number of AI nodes. When there are multiple AI nodes, these nodes can be divided based on function, for example, different AI nodes can be responsible for different functions.

[0094] AI nodes can be independent devices, integrated into the same device to implement different functions, or they can be network components within hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the aforementioned AI nodes. It can also be understood that...

[0095] AI nodes can be AI network elements or AI modules. AI modules are used to implement corresponding AI functions. AI modules deployed in different network elements can be the same or different. The model of an AI module can achieve different functions depending on the different parameter configurations. The model of an AI module can be configured based on one or more of the following parameters: structural parameters (e.g., at least one of the following: number of neural network layers, neural network width, inter-layer connections, neuron weights, neuron activation function, or bias in the activation function), input parameters (e.g., type and / or dimension of input parameters), or output parameters (e.g., type and / or dimension of output parameters). The bias in the activation function can also be called the bias of the neural network.

[0096] In one example, the neural network mentioned above could be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a generative adversarial network (GAN).

[0097] DNN is an artificial neural network architecture with multiple layers of nonlinear transformation units stacked hierarchically to form a deep computational model. Compared to shallow neural networks, deep neural networks have more hidden layers, allowing the network model to capture more complex data structures and high-level abstract features. CNN is a deep neural network with convolutional structures. A CNN contains a feature extractor consisting of convolutional layers and subsampling layers. This feature extractor can be viewed as a filter, and the convolution process can be seen as using a trainable filter to convolve with an input image or a convolutional feature map. RNN is a type of recursive neural network that takes sequence data as input, recursively moves along the sequence's direction, and all nodes (recurrent units) are chained together. GAN is a deep learning model consisting of a generator and a discriminator, trained through adversarial learning to estimate the latent distribution of data samples and generate new data samples.

[0098] An AI module can have one or more models. A model can infer an output, which includes one or more parameters. The learning, training, or inference processes of different models can be deployed on different nodes or devices, or they can be deployed on the same node or device.

[0099] (1-4) Protocol layer structure between access network equipment and terminal equipment and PDU

[0100] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. For example, data sent from an access network device to a terminal device must pass through the user plane protocol layer. The user plane protocol layer structure includes the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer. The functions of one or more of these protocol layers can be implemented by one or more nodes of the access network device or terminal device. For example, if the access network device includes a CU and a DU, the functions of the PDCP layer and above are located in the CU, while the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer, such as the RLC and MAC layers, are located in the DU. This division of protocol layers is just one example; it can also be done at other protocol layers, such as the RLC layer, where the functions of the RLC layer and above are located in the CU, and the functions of protocol layers below the RLC layer are located in the DU. Furthermore, it can be divided in other ways, such as by latency, where functions that need to meet latency requirements are located in the DU, and functions that do not need to meet this latency requirement are located in the CU.

[0101] When an access network device sends data to a terminal device, the PDCP layer, after obtaining the data from the upper layer, transmits the data to the RLC and MAC layers. The MAC layer then generates a transport block (TB), which is then wirelessly transmitted through the physical layer. In this embodiment, the data exchanged between protocol layers can be data generated by application layer source coding, also known as application data or payload. Data is encapsulated in each layer. Data received by a layer from its upper layer is considered a service data unit (SDU) of that layer. The protocol stack header of the current layer is added to the SDU, and after encapsulation, it becomes a PDU, which is then passed to the next layer. For example, the data received by the PDCP layer from the upper layer is called a PDCP SDU, and the data sent by the PDCP layer to the lower layer is called a PDCP PDU; the data received by the RLC layer from the upper layer is called an RLC SDU, and the data sent by the RLC layer to the lower layer is called an RLC PDU; the data received by the MAC layer from the upper layer is called a MAC SDU, and the data sent by the MAC layer to the lower layer is called a MAC PDU. A MAC PDU can also be called a transport block.

[0102] During data transmission, the sending end may involve segments of the same data unit. Correspondingly, the receiving end needs to reassemble these segments to obtain the original data. The upper layer ensures that the receiving end reassembles segments of the same data unit in sequence using set IDs (or PDU set IDs). For example, the RLC layer entity can assign a unified set ID to segments of the same data unit, and the MAC layer entity aggregates these segments based on the PDU set IDs, ensuring that the receiving RLC layer entity can reassemble these segments based on the set IDs. Alternatively, the lower layer can independently assign set IDs to the received segments, independent of the upper layer's set IDs.

[0103] Typically, a PDU is mapped to one or more TBs. For example, when a PDU's size exceeds one TB, it can be mapped to multiple TBs; when a PDU's size does not exceed one TB, it is mapped to one TB. Similarly, a set of multiple PDUs (i.e., a PDU set) can also be mapped to one or more TBs. For example, when a PDU set's size does not exceed one TB, it is mapped to one TB. If a PDU set's size exceeds one TB, it is mapped to multiple TBs. Multiple PDU sets may also be mapped to one TB or multiple TBs. For example, when multiple PDU sets' sizes do not exceed one TB, they can be mapped to one TB. When multiple PDU sets' sizes exceed one TB, they can be mapped to multiple TBs.

[0104] (1-5)HARQ

[0105] In wireless communication systems, HARQ technology is introduced to improve the reliability of data transmission. In HARQ, the receiver sends HARQ-ACK information back to the transmitter to indicate whether the data was successfully received. The transmitter then uses this HARQ-ACK information to determine whether to retransmit the data. HARQ feedback includes two modes: ACK / NACK based HARQ-ACK and NACK-only HARQ-ACK based HARQ-ACK. In the ACK / NACK based HARQ-ACK mode, the receiver sends back either ACK or NACK based on the data decoding result. If the decoding result is correct, the receiver sends back HARQ-ACK indicating ACK; if the decoding result is incorrect, the receiver sends back HARQ-ACK indicating NACK. In the NACK-only HARQ-ACK based HARQ-ACK mode, the receiver sends back HARQ-ACK indicating NACK when the data decoding is incorrect; otherwise, it does not send back HARQ-ACK indicating ACK.

[0106] For example, see Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the HARQ process. Figure 3 The data transmitted in TB1 is shown in the diagram. Figure 3 Taking the transmission of TB1 from the access network device to the terminal device as an example: If the terminal device fails to receive TB1, it sends a HARQ-ACK message indicating NACK to the access network device; when the access network device receives the HARQ-ACK message carrying ACK, it retransmits TB1 in the next transmission cycle. If the terminal device successfully receives TB1, it sends a HARQ-ACK message indicating ACK to the access network device; after receiving the HARQ-ACK message indicating ACK, the access network device determines that there is no need to retransmit TB1 and releases the HARQ process used to transmit TB1.

[0107] (1-6) TB, CB, and CBG, as well as TB-based HARQ feedback and CBG-based HARQ feedback.

[0108] A Block (TB) is the basic unit of interaction between the MAC layer and the physical layer, or the basic unit for data transmission between the MAC layer and the physical layer. A TB is transmitted over the air interface after channel coding and modulation. A TB can be divided into multiple sub-blocks, each of which is independently coded. This sub-block is called a Block (CB), and the CB is the basic unit of coding.

[0109] When the sender transmits data to the receiver, it carries / maps the data to Data Blocks (TBs). One data packet can be mapped to one or more TBs, and one TB can carry the data of multiple data packets. The sender also performs a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) on the TBs carrying the data, introducing redundancy to provide a degree of fault tolerance. Typically, if all CBs within a TB pass their respective CRC checks, then the TB itself will also pass its CRC check (TB decoding is correct). In this case, the sender sends a HARQ-ACK message to the receiver indicating ACK. If one or more CBs within a TB fail their respective CRC checks (i.e., at least one CB fails the CRC check), then the TB itself will also fail its CRC check (TB decoding error). In this case, the sender sends a HARQ-ACK message to the receiver indicating NACK. Upon receiving this HARQ-ACK message, the receiver retransmits the TB.

[0110] For example, see Figure 4 This demonstrates a HARQ feedback mechanism based on TB (TB-level granularity). Figure 4 Five data packets are shown. Taking the fourth data packet mapped to TB#1 through TB#3 as an example from left to right, TB3 also carries part of the data in the fifth data packet. Assuming all CBs in TB#1 are decoded correctly, but one or more CBs in TB#2 and TB#3 are decoded incorrectly, for TB#1, the sender sends a HARQ-ACK message indicating ACK to the receiver; for TB#2 and TB#3, the sender sends a HARQ-ACK message indicating NACK to the receiver. Figure 4 In the diagram, "√" indicates that the decoding is correct, and "×" indicates that the decoding is incorrect.

[0111] from Figure 4 It can be seen that for a TB (Transmission Block), if one or more CBs (Containers) in the TB fail to decode, the entire TB will be retransmitted. However, within a TB, some CBs may decode correctly while others fail, leading to significant retransmission resource overhead and low resource utilization when retransmitting the entire TB. Therefore, HARQ feedback can be implemented based on CBs. This way, the sender only needs to retransmit the failed CBs, instead of retransmitting the entire TB, reducing retransmission resource overhead. However, HARQ feedback at the CB granularity requires the sender to send a large amount of ACK and / or NACK information, resulting in significant HARQ-ACK information overhead and wasted resources.

[0112] To address the issue of resource waste, a CBG-based HARQ feedback mechanism was introduced in NR. A CBG consists of one or more CBs, and multiple CBs in a TB can be grouped to obtain at least one CBG. For example... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 Taking a TB consisting of 14 CBs (CB0 to CB13), divided into 4 CBGs (CBG#0 to CBG#3) as an example, after the sender transmits the TB, the receiver can send back the corresponding HARQ-ACK information for each received CBG. Accordingly, the sender retransmits based on the CBG. It's important to note that even with HARQ feedback for each CBG, only the TB and CBs carry CRC. The receiver only knows whether the CBs and TBs are decoded correctly through decoding. A CBG is considered correctly decoded or received only when all CBs within it are decoded correctly, and the corresponding HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK. Conversely, if at least one CB in a CBG is decoded incorrectly, the CBG is considered to have a decoding or reception error, and the corresponding HARQ-ACK information indicates NACK, requiring retransmission.

[0113] For example, see Figure 6 This demonstrates a HARQ feedback mechanism based on CBG (with CBG as the granularity). Figure 6 Five data packets are shown, with the fourth data packet mapped to TB#1 through TB#3 from left to right as an example. TB#3 also carries part of the data from the fifth data packet. Each TB includes four CBGs, such as... Figure 6 As shown, TB#1 includes CBG#0 to CBG#3, TB2 includes CBG#4 to CBG#7, and TB#3 includes CBG#8 to CBG#11. Taking the example of all CBGs in TB#1 being correctly decoded, CBG#5 and CBG#7 in TB#2 being incorrectly decoded, and CB9 in TB#3 being incorrectly decoded: For CBG#0 to CBG#11, the sending end can send HARQ-ACK information to the receiving end, occupying 12 bits. These 12 bits correspond one-to-one with CBG#0 to CBG#11. The HARQ-ACK information for incorrectly decoded CBGs indicates NACK, and the HARQ-ACK information for correctly decoded CBGs indicates ACK. Figure 6 In the diagram, "√" indicates that the decoding is correct, and "×" indicates that the decoding is incorrect.

[0114] For both the base station and the UE, the base station can configure either TB-based or CBG-based transmission for the UE via higher-layer signaling. For example, if the base station's PDSCH-Config includes codeBlockGroupTransmission, CBG transmission is enabled; otherwise, if the PDSCH-Config does not include codeBlockGroupTransmission, TB transmission is enabled. It's important to note that even when the base station has not configured or enabled the higher-layer parameter codeBlockGroupTransmission for the UE, the UE can still perform CBG-based transmission. For instance, the UE can determine the maximum number of CBGs within a TB using the higher-layer parameter maxCodeBlockGroupsPerTransportBlock, and generate a one-bit HARQ-ACK message for each CBG.

[0115] In addition, the network side configures the maximum number of CBGs, P, through RRC parameters. The terminal device can distribute the Q CBs within the TB as evenly as possible among the P CBGs according to the allocation rules, where P and Q are both positive integers. The allocation rules are as follows: In the first (Q mod P) CBGs, each CBG contains ceil(Q / P) CBs; in the remaining (PQ mod P) CBGs, each CBG contains floor(Q / P) CBs, where floor represents rounding down, mod represents modulo operation, and ceil represents rounding up. For example, with P=4 and Q=10, the first two CBGs in the TB each contain 3 CBs, and the last two CBGs each contain 2 CBs.

[0116] (1-7) Semantic Communication

[0117] Semantic communication refers to the process where the sending end extracts semantic information from the raw data, encodes this semantic information to obtain encoded semantic information, and then sends the encoded semantic information to the receiving end. The receiving end decodes the encoded semantic information to obtain the semantic information, and then performs semantic analysis on this semantic information to obtain the original data. Compared to transmitting the raw data, transmitting the semantic information corresponding to the raw data eliminates the need to transmit all the raw data, reducing the amount of data transmitted and thus lowering the bandwidth requirements.

[0118] Please see Figure 7 This illustrates a semantic communication system. For example... Figure 7As shown, the transmitting end includes a semantic extraction module and a channel coding module; the receiving end includes a channel decoding module (or channel decoding module) and a semantic understanding module. The transmitting end extracts semantic information from the raw data through the semantic extraction module, then performs channel coding on the semantic information through the channel coding module before sending it to the receiving end. The receiving end performs channel decoding on the signal from the transmitting end through the channel decoding module to obtain the semantic information, and then processes the semantic information through the semantic understanding module to obtain the raw data. The specific implementation of the semantic extraction module and the speech understanding module is not limited. For example, the semantic extraction module and / or the speech understanding module can have a built-in learning algorithm, based on which the corresponding functions are implemented. The learning algorithm includes, but is not limited to, one or more of neural networks, DNNs, CNNs, RNNs, or GANs.

[0119] In semantic communication, it is only necessary to ensure that the receiving end can correctly understand the semantic intent, rather than reconstructing it bit by bit. That is, in semantic communication, partial data loss or errors are permissible, as long as the semantics are not corrupted. This ability to tolerate partial data loss or errors is called fault tolerance. The stronger the fault tolerance, the greater the amount of data that can be lost or erroneous; the weaker the fault tolerance, the smaller the amount of data that can be lost or erroneous. The fault tolerance of a piece of data can be characterized by its fault tolerance level / fault tolerance rate; strong fault tolerance corresponds to a relatively high fault tolerance level / fault tolerance rate. It should be understood that extracting semantic information from raw data essentially means extracting the features of that raw data; in other words, semantic information includes one or more features of the raw data. Different features have different levels of importance; more important features contribute more to the receiving end's reconstruction of the raw data, while less important features contribute less. If a highly important feature is erroneous, the receiving end may be unable to accurately reconstruct the raw data; therefore, highly important features typically have a lower fault tolerance level.

[0120] (1-8) Virtual Reality

[0121] The rapid development of the new media industry has placed new demands on communication technologies. The surge in data volume in the new media industry has challenged network transmission capabilities, especially for real-time video transmission, cloud gaming (CG), and XR services. XR services include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), cloud extended reality (XR), and cloud augmented reality (AR).

[0122] Cloud XR / cloud AR services involve data transmission between the terminal and the cloud. For example, please see... Figure 8This diagram illustrates a communication architecture for cloud XR / cloud AR. Communication between the cloud and the terminal can occur via base stations or other access network nodes. Figure 8 Taking VR devices (such as VR device #1 and VR device #2) as an example, the terminal is a VR device.

[0123] Cloud XR and cloud AR services have stringent latency requirements. For example, cloud XR services require a latency of less than 20 milliseconds (ms) between the terminal receiving data and displaying the image (motion-to-photons, MTP). The interaction latency between the cloud and the terminal can be relaxed to 70ms. After deducting the encoding and rendering latency on the server side and the decoding processing latency on the terminal, the allowable network transmission latency is only 20ms. Specifically, the transmission latency from the cloud to the terminal is 10ms, and the transmission latency from the terminal to the cloud is 10ms. Future requirements may demand even shorter latency for cloud XR / cloud AR services.

[0124] As mentioned above Figure 6 Compared to HARQ feedback based on TB (Through-Based) architecture, HARQ feedback based on CBG (Concurrent-Based Group) architecture can reduce the waste of retransmission resources. Furthermore, HARQ feedback based on CBG can reduce the overhead of HARQ-ACK information. Currently, the number of CBGs included in a TB is determined by the maximum number of CBGs configured by the RRC (Redirect Rating Parameter), and the number of CBGs included in a TB is relatively fixed. In semantic communication, partial data loss or errors are permissible, provided the receiver can correctly understand the semantics. However, HARQ feedback based on CBG is not flexible enough in scenarios such as semantic communication, leading to lower system performance (e.g., redundant retransmissions waste air interface resources).

[0125] In view of this, the solution proposed in this application embodiment is described. In this application embodiment, the network side can dynamically configure the length of the CBG (Content Controller Group). Within one TB (Throughput Unit), there are at least two CBG lengths. Thus, when scheduling CBGs, different CBGs are allocated different amounts of resources, which is more flexible and beneficial for improving system performance. For example, for data units with high fault tolerance, the CBG includes a larger number of CBs to minimize the waste of retransmission resources; for data units with low fault tolerance, the CBG includes a smaller number of CBs to maximize the transmission success rate of that CBG.

[0126] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems, 5G mobile communication systems / NR communication systems, or future mobile communication systems, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems may include V2X systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, NTN, or wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. WLAN can be a WLAN using any of the protocols in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series. The methods provided in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to scenarios where NTN and terrestrial networks (TN) are converged. The NTN system can be an NTN system converged with 4G, 5G, and any future generation of communication systems, such as NR NTN, IoT NTN, etc. The NTN communication system can be, for example, a satellite communication system, and may also include drones, HAPS, and other airborne access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0127] Please see Figure 9 This illustrates a communication system to which embodiments of this application are applicable. Figure 9 Taking the communication system, which includes access network equipment (such as base stations) and terminal equipment, as an example. Figure 9 Taking terminal device #1 as a mobile phone and terminal device #2 as XR glasses as an example, terminal device #1 and terminal device #2 can also be other types of terminals, without restriction. Terminal device #1 and terminal device #3 each have a Uu interface (also called an air interface) with the access network equipment, and can communicate with the access network equipment through the link on the Uu interface. Figure 9 The communication system shown is merely an example; it may also include other devices, such as core network equipment and the cloud. Figure 9 Not shown in the image. To support AI technology in wireless networks, Figure 9 AI nodes may also be introduced into the system shown.

[0128] In the following description, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is applied to... Figure 8 or Figure 9 The architecture shown is an example. Figure 8 or Figure 9The network architecture and application scenarios illustrated are for the purpose of more clearly explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new application scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems. For example, the communication system may also include other devices, such as core network equipment, etc. Figure 8 or Figure 9 The following are not shown in the diagram. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced with corresponding devices, components, modules in other communication systems, without limitation.

[0129] In this application, the unit of data or data unit can be any of the following: TB, CBG, data frame, SDU, PDU, PDU set, or a data burst. A PDU may include an SDU or a segment of an SDU (or byte segment), and may also include a header. For example, an RLC PDU may include segments of an RLCSDU or RLC SDU, and an RLC PDU also includes a header. A PDU set may include at least one PDU, which may carry an information unit generated by an application (or application layer). For example, when the data volume of a data frame is large, the data frame may be divided into multiple PDUs for transmission, and a PDU set may include these multiple PDUs. A data burst can be understood as a group of PDUs generated and sent by an application (or application layer) within a certain period of time. This group of PDUs may come from one or more PDU sets, and the duration of this period may be less than a set value.

[0130] In embodiments of this application, the data carried by a data unit includes part or all of the data in a feature. Alternatively, the data carried by a data unit may consist of the data of a feature. For example, the data of a data unit may consist of part or all of the data in a feature. For instance, the original data corresponding to semantic information may correspond to features #A, #B, and #C, and this semantic information can be transmitted through at least three data units. The at least three data units include data unit #1, data unit #2, and data unit #3. Data unit #1 may carry part or all of the data corresponding to feature #A; data unit #2 may carry part or all of the data corresponding to feature #B; and data unit #3 may carry part or all of the data corresponding to feature #C. Specifically, data unit #1 may not include any data corresponding to features #B and #C. Data unit #2 may not include any data corresponding to features #A and #C. Data unit #3 may not include any data corresponding to features #A and #B.

[0131] In embodiments of this application, the data carried by a data unit may include part or all of the data in a token. Alternatively, the data carried by a data unit may consist of the data of a token.

[0132] In this context, a token can be a data unit derived from the segmentation of text or other modal data (such as image patches or audio clips). For example, a token can be a basic data unit derived from the segmentation of text or other modal data (such as image patches or audio clips) before being input into an AI model. The AI ​​model can be trained to perform one or more tasks such as natural language understanding, image recognition, or decision reasoning. Furthermore, a token can also be the output obtained after preprocessing and embedding by a preceding AI model (such as a word segmenter or encoder), which can then be used as input to the AI ​​model. A token can carry context-related structural information and be input into the AI ​​model as an input data unit, enabling the AI ​​model to perform subsequent AI tasks such as prediction, generation, or classification.

[0133] As an example, a token can be the basic unit processed by an AI model. For instance, a token can serve as input data for an AI model. The AI ​​model performs AI inference based on the token and can then obtain the inference result.

[0134] A token can also be referred to as AI semantics, lexical unit, label, token, word segmentation, feature vector, etc. This application does not limit the modality of the token; for example, a token can be a video modality, a perceptual modality, an audio modality, an image modality, or a text modality, etc.

[0135] A data unit may carry data that includes some or all of the data from a class of tokens. Alternatively, a data unit may carry data that consists of some or all of the data from a class of tokens. For example, a group of tokens with similar contribution (or importance) to the experience of the original data (e.g., image patches, audio clips, or video clips) can be considered as a class of tokens. This application does not limit the method of token classification. For example, tokens can be classified according to key semantics. For instance, assuming the original data is an image, a group of tokens representing facial contours (e.g., eyes, nose) can be considered as a class of tokens. Assuming the original data is a video, a group of tokens corresponding to keyframes can be considered as a class of tokens.

[0136] In this application, the data within a data unit (e.g., a PDU set) belongs to the same service flow or the same quality of service (QoS) flow. The fault tolerance rate of the data within a data unit can characterize the fault tolerance capability of that data unit. The fault tolerance capability or fault tolerance rate of a data unit can also be characterized by one or more of the following information: the proportion of data within the data unit that is tolerated for loss or transmission errors, the number of bytes / bits within the data unit that are allowed to be lost or transmitted incorrectly, the bit error rate of the data within the data unit, the correct reception rate of the data within the data unit, whether the data unit is allowed to be discarded, the priority of the data unit, the importance of the data unit, the priority of the data within the data unit, or the importance of the data within the data unit.

[0137] The percentage of data within a data unit that is tolerated for loss or transmission errors refers to the maximum percentage of data within that data unit that can be tolerated for loss. For example, the percentage of PDUs within a PDU set that is tolerated for loss refers to the maximum percentage of PDUs within that PDU set that can be tolerated for loss. For instance, if PDU set #1 contains 100 PDUs, and the tolerance percentage for PDUs within PDU set #1 is 20%, then this means that PDU set #1 can tolerate a maximum of 20 lost PDUs, which requires at least 80 PDUs within PDU set #1 to be successfully transmitted.

[0138] The correct reception rate of data within a data unit refers to the minimum probability that data within that data unit will be correctly received. For example, the correct reception rate of PDUs within a PDU set refers to the minimum probability that all PDUs within that set will be correctly received. For instance, if PDU set #2 contains 100 PDUs and the correct reception rate of PDUs within PDU set #2 is 60%, then it means that at least 60 PDUs within PDU set #2 should be correctly received.

[0139] The fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit refers to the probability that data within that data unit will at most fail to be transmitted. For example, the fault tolerance rate of PDUs within a PDU set refers to the probability that a PDU within that set will at most fail to be transmitted. For instance, if PDU set #3 contains 100 PDUs and its fault tolerance rate is 10%, then PDU set #3 can tolerate a maximum of 10 PDUs failing to be transmitted.

[0140] The number of bytes that can be lost or transmitted incorrectly within a data unit refers to the maximum number of bytes that can be lost or transmitted incorrectly out of the total number of bytes in the data unit. For example, if PDU set#4 contains 100 bytes, and the allowed / erroneous bytes in the total number of bytes in PDU set#4 are 30, then this means that a maximum of 30 bytes in PDU set#4 can be lost / erroneously transmitted, which means that at least 70 bytes in PDU set#4 must be successfully transmitted.

[0141] The bit error rate (BER) of data within a data unit refers to the highest permissible BER when the data within that data unit is transmitted. For example, the BER of data within a PDU set refers to the highest permissible BER when the data within that PDU set is transmitted. For instance, if PDU set #5 contains 100 PDUs and the BER of the data within PDU set #5 is 10%, then the highest permissible BER for the 100 PDUs in PDU set #5 is 10%, meaning that a maximum of 10 PDUs are allowed to be transmitted incorrectly.

[0142] Whether a data unit can be discarded refers to whether all the data within that data unit can be discarded. For example, if PDU set is PDU set #1, and PDU set #1 contains 80 PDUs, if PDU set #1 can be discarded, then all 80 PDUs in PDU set #1 can be discarded, indicating that the data carried by PDU set #1 is not very important. As another example, if a PDU set includes PDU set #1, PDU set #2, and PDU set #3, if PDU set can be discarded, it means that the data in PDU set #1, PDU set #2, and PDU set #3 can all be discarded.

[0143] The information described above representing fault tolerance capability or fault tolerance rate is merely illustrative, and this application does not limit other information representing fault tolerance capability or fault tolerance rate. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation of the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit. For example, the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit can be a quantifiable value of one or more of the information described above. For instance, if the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit is represented by the priority of the data unit, then the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit can be the priority value corresponding to that data unit. For instance, if the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit is represented by the importance of the data unit, then the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit can be the degree level corresponding to the importance of that data unit. As another example, if the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit is represented by the proportion of data within the data unit that is tolerated to be lost, then the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit can be the proportion of data within the data unit that is tolerated to be lost. Yet another example, if the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit is represented by the correct reception rate of data within the data unit, then the fault tolerance rate of data within a data unit can be the correct reception rate of data within that data unit.

[0144] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to channel coding / decoding between communication devices. Channel coding / decoding between communication devices can include: channel coding / decoding (decoding) between access network devices and terminal devices, channel coding / decoding (decoding) between access network devices, or channel coding / decoding (decoding) between terminal devices. The following description uses the application of the technical solutions provided in this application to channel coding / decoding between access network devices and terminal devices as an example.

[0145] The solutions provided in this application are described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0146] The methods described in this application are implemented using a terminal device and an access network device as examples. The various embodiments herein can be applied to... Figure 8 or Figure 9 The network architecture shown. For example, the access network devices described in the various embodiments of this document can be... Figure 8 or Figure 9 The access network device shown, and the terminal device described in the various embodiments of this document, can be... Figure 8 or Figure 9 The terminal device shown is either #1 or #2. In the accompanying drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of this application, the steps indicated by dashed lines are optional steps. Furthermore, the step numbering in the various embodiments described in this application is only for distinguishing different steps and is not intended to limit the order of the steps. For example, S1005 can be executed before S1001.

[0147] The steps performed by the access network device can also be performed by circuits or chips within the access network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), a chip system, or a processor; or by circuits or chips within the access network device responsible for communication and / or computing functions (such as a CPU, GPU, NPU, AI processor, ASIC, or FPGA); or by logical nodes (or logical modules) and / or software that implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. Similarly, the steps performed by the terminal device can also be performed by circuits or chips within the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), a chip system, or a processor; or by circuits or chips within the terminal device responsible for communication and / or computing functions (such as a CPU, GPU, NPU, AI processor, ASIC, or FPGA); or by logical nodes (or logical modules) and / or software that implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. In this embodiment of the application, the processing performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the access network device can be divided into at least one execution entity among CU, DU, RU, etc.

[0148] The method provided in this application embodiment can minimize the amount of data retransmitted, thereby reducing the waste of retransmission resources and reducing service transmission latency, and is especially suitable for low-latency services (such as XR services).

[0149] In the embodiments of this application, "predefined" may refer to a standard protocol predefined, or it may refer to a pre-agreed or pre-negotiated agreement between devices. Here, "protocol" can refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as 4G network protocols, 5G network protocols, NR protocols, 5.5G network protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication networks; this application does not limit this.

[0150] In the embodiments of this application, (pre)configuration includes configuration via RRC messages, DCI, or MAC control elements (CE). The solutions in the following embodiments can be used in reasonable combinations, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained in conjunction with each other in the embodiments, without limitation.

[0151] Example 1

[0152] Please see Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the first communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 10This method is introduced from the perspective of the interaction between access network equipment and terminal equipment. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the communication method includes the following steps.

[0153] S1001, the access network device sends DCI to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives DCI from the access network device.

[0154] Optionally, the DCI in S1001 can be replaced with a MAC CE or RRC message.

[0155] The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB. For example, the DCI includes resource allocation information for at least one TB. The access network device can schedule one HARQ process for one TB. Alternatively, the DCI used to schedule at least one TB can be replaced with the DCI used to schedule at least one HARQ process, where one HARQ process corresponds to one TB.

[0156] The DCI also indicates the number M of CBs corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of CBs corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. The data unit here can be the unit / granularity of HARQ feedback; for example, the first data unit is a first CBG, and the second data unit is a second CBG. Another example is that the first data unit includes a first TB, and the second data unit is a second TB. Yet another example is that the first data unit is a first PDU set, and the second data unit is a second PDU set.

[0157] In this embodiment, different data units are allowed to have different numbers of CBs (Containers). For example, if the first data unit is a first CBG and the second data unit is a second CBG, then the number of CBs (M and N) included in the first CBG and the second CBG are different. As another example, if the first data unit is a first TB and the second data unit is a second TB, then the number of CBs (M and N) included in the first TB and the second TB are different. Since M and N are indicated by the access network device when scheduling at least one TB, and M and N can be different, this is more flexible than the current method where the number of CBs included in a CBG within a TB is determined based on the maximum number of CBGs. This helps save retransmission resources, reduces the overhead of HARQ feedback information, and improves system throughput.

[0158] For example, see Figure 11 This shows a CBG within a TB. Figure 11The TB shown includes CB0 to CB13, and this TB includes CBG0 to CBG3. CBG0 includes CB0 to CB4, CBG1 includes CB5 and CB6, CBG2 includes CB7 and CB8, and CBG3 includes CB9 to CB13. When the CB with the transmission error is CB5, the access network device determines to retransmit CBG1 based on the HARQ-ACK information of CBG1 and configures the resources for retransmitting CBG1 (i.e., the resources for transmitting two CBs). Compared to... Figure 6 In the context of a transmission error, if the CB is CB5, the access network device determines to retransmit CBG1 based on the HARQ-ACK information of CBG1. Regarding the configuration of resources for retransmitting CBG1 (i.e., resources for transmitting 4 CBs), Figure 11 This scheme can save retransmission resources, which is beneficial for the transmission of low-latency services (such as XR services). Furthermore, by properly configuring M and N, the number of CBGs within a TB can be constrained, thereby minimizing the overhead of HARQ feedback information, improving system throughput, and benefiting the transmission of high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0159] This application does not limit the number of data units within at least one TB, nor does it limit the number of CBGs within the same TB. At least two CBGs within the same TB may contain different numbers of CBs. For example, a first CBG and a second CBG may belong to the same TB (e.g., referred to as the first TB), where the first CBG contains M CBs and the second CBG contains N CBs, where M and N are different. Another example is that the first TB includes a first CBG, a second CBG, and a third CBG, where the first CBG contains M CBs, the second CBG contains N CBs, and the third CBG contains K CBs, where K is a positive integer and is different from both M and N. Optionally, some CBGs within the same TB may contain the same number of CBs. For example, the first TB may include a first CBG, a second CBG, and a third CBG, where the first CBG contains M CBs, the second CBG contains N CBs, and the third CBG contains M CBs.

[0160] Furthermore, access network equipment can be configured with appropriate M and N according to actual needs to maximize system performance.

[0161] In one example, the number of CBs within a data unit is related to the fault tolerance rate of the data within that data unit, or the number of CBs within a data unit is determined based on the fault tolerance rate of the data within that data unit. The higher the fault tolerance rate of the data within a data unit, the more CBs it contains. For example, if the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit is greater than that of the data within the second data unit, then M is greater than N. Alternatively, if the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit is greater than that of the data within the second data unit, and the fault tolerance rates of the first and second data units are lower than the first fault tolerance rate, then M is greater than or equal to N. A CBG with a lower fault tolerance rate allows for fewer CBs with decoding errors, and if a CB has a transmission error, the CBG may need to be retransmitted. Therefore, the number of CBs within a CBG with a lower fault tolerance rate is less adaptable to minimize retransmission resources.

[0162] In one implementation, the first fault tolerance rate can be determined based on the service type, or the first threshold can be determined based on the service type corresponding to the first data unit or the second data unit. For example, if the service type is video service, the first fault tolerance rate is less than or equal to 20%. As another example, if the service type is semantic communication service, the first fault tolerance rate is greater than or equal to 30%. Optionally, the first fault tolerance rate and the service type have a corresponding relationship, which can be pre-configured in the terminal device, or the corresponding relationship can be dynamically configured by the access network device through signaling. The terminal device can determine the first fault tolerance rate based on the service type corresponding to the first data unit.

[0163] In another example, the number of packet blocks (CBs) within a data unit is determined by the channel quality. For instance, with good channel quality, there are more CBs within a data unit; thus, packaging multiple CBs into a larger data unit for transmission reduces the signaling overhead of scheduling data units. Conversely, with poor channel quality, there are fewer CBs within a data unit, which shortens transmission time and minimizes the risk of a complete data packet failing due to sudden changes in channel quality.

[0164] There are no restrictions on the specific implementation of DCI indicators M and N. DCI can directly indicate M and N, or it can indirectly indicate M and N. The following are some specific examples illustrating several implementation methods of DCI indicators M and N.

[0165] In method 1-1, the DCI includes M and N. The terminal device receives the DCI, parses the DCI, and directly obtains M and N, which has low complexity.

[0166] In methods 1-2, the DCI includes a first index and a second index. The first index indicates M, and the second index indicates N. For example, the first index is the index of M in the first candidate value set, and the second index is the index of N in the first candidate value set. This method indicates M and N through indexing, which reduces the bit overhead of indicating M and N. Optionally, the first candidate value set is pre-configured in the terminal device, pre-defined by the protocol, or agreed upon by the access network device and the terminal device.

[0167] In methods 1-3, DCI can indicate the parameters used to determine M and N.

[0168] For example, this parameter includes QoS parameters, and there is a correspondence between the QoS parameters and CB data (e.g., referred to as a first correspondence). The DCI may indicate (or include) a first QoS parameter and a second QoS parameter, the first QoS parameter being used to determine M, and the second QoS parameter being used to determine N. The terminal device receives the DCI, and based on the first QoS parameter indicated (or included) by the DCI and the first correspondence, it can determine M, and based on the second QoS parameter and the first correspondence, it can determine N.

[0169] For example, this parameter includes the fault tolerance rate of the data within a data unit. The number of CBs within a data unit corresponds to the fault tolerance rate of the data within that data unit (e.g., referred to as the second correspondence), and M and N can be determined based on the fault tolerance rate of the data within the data unit. In this case, the DCI may not indicate M and N. For example, if the data unit is a PDU set, the access network device schedules at least one TB, which carries data from a first data unit and data from a second data unit, and the data unit carried by the at least one TB may also include the fault tolerance rate of the data within that data unit. The terminal device receiving at least one TB can determine M based on the fault tolerance rate of the first data unit and the second correspondence, and determine N based on the fault tolerance rate of the second data unit and the second correspondence. The correspondence between the fault tolerance rate and the number of CBs can be (pre)configured. In this case, S1001 can be replaced by: the access network device sending a DCI to the terminal device, which is used to schedule at least one TB.

[0170] For example, this parameter includes the size of the data unit, and there is a correspondence between the size of the data unit and the CB data (e.g., referred to as a third correspondence). The DCI may indicate (or include) the size of a first data unit and the size of a second data unit, the size of the first data unit being used to determine M, and the size of the second data unit being used to determine N. The terminal device receives the DCI, and based on the size of the first data unit indicated (or included) by the DCI and the third correspondence, it can determine M, and based on the size of the second data unit and the third correspondence, it can determine N.

[0171] Alternatively, the parameter can be the proportion of a data unit within a TB, where the number of CBs included in a data unit is the product of that data unit's proportion within the TB and the total number of CBs included in the TB. For example, a DCI may indicate (or include) a first proportion of a first data unit within a TB and a second proportion of a second data unit within a TB. The terminal device receives the DCI, determines M based on the first proportion and the total number of CBs included in the TB, and determines N based on the second proportion and the total number of CBs included in the TB.

[0172] M and N can be pre-configured in the terminal device or predefined by the protocol. Access network devices do not need to configure M and N. Therefore, DCI does not need to indicate M and N.

[0173] Access network equipment or terminal equipment can divide a TB into multiple CBGs based on the number of CBs corresponding to data units within a TB. The rules for dividing CBGs within a TB can be predefined by the protocol or pre-configured in the access network equipment and / or terminal equipment. For example, the rules for dividing CBGs within a TB include Rule 1-1 or Rule 1-2 as follows. In the following rules, the number of CBs included in the data unit within the TB is M and N, respectively, as examples.

[0174] Rule 1-1: Within TB, the first M CBs form a CBG, M+1 to M+N CBs form a CBG, M+N+1 to 2M+N form a CBG, 2M+N+1 to 2M+2N form a CBG, and so on.

[0175] Rule 1-2: Within TB, the first N CBs form a CBG, N+1 to N+M CBs form a CBG, N+M+1 to 2N+M form a CBG, 2N+M+1 to 2N+2M ​​form a CBG, and so on.

[0176] S1002, the access network device sends at least one TB to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives at least one TB from the access network device.

[0177] When an access network device sends data to a terminal device, the data undergoes encapsulation and transmission through multiple protocol layers, ultimately reaching the MAC layer where at least one TB (Data Unit) is generated. The access network device transmits at least one TB on the time-domain resources of that TB. If a TB is scheduled by a HARQ process, the access network device transmits the corresponding TB for that HARQ process on the time-domain resources of that HARQ process. The terminal device receives the at least one TB on the corresponding resources according to the DCI (Data Identity). It should be understood that the at least one TB carries data from the first data unit and data from the second data unit.

[0178] S1003, The terminal device performs HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode.

[0179] The terminal device receives at least one Data Unit (TB), decodes the Data Blocks (CBs) within the at least one TB, and performs HARQ feedback based on the decoding result. In this embodiment, the terminal device can perform HARQ feedback based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The first HARQ feedback mode is a new feedback mode introduced relative to the current TB-based and CBG-based feedback modes. The terminal device performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes: sending a first HARQ-ACK message for a first data unit, and sending a second HARQ-ACK message for a second data unit. Alternatively, HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode refers to feeding back a HARQ-ACK message for each data unit, using flexibly configured data units within the TB as the granularity. This HARQ-ACK message includes a bit indicating ACK / NACK. The specific name of the first HARQ feedback mode is not limited; for example, the first HARQ feedback mode can also be called "Flexible Boundary HARQ Transmission".

[0180] The terminal device receives at least one data unit (TB) and decodes each data unit within the TB. If at least one CB (Code Block) in a data unit fails the CRC check, then the data unit is considered decoded incorrectly. When a data unit is decoded incorrectly, the terminal device can send HARQ-ACK information indicating NACK to the access network device for that data unit.

[0181] For example, the terminal device decodes a first data unit and sends a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit to the access network device based on the decoding result using a first HARQ feedback mode. If the first CB among the M CBs corresponding to the first data unit fails to transmit, the first HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK; if all M CBs corresponding to the first data unit are successfully transmitted, the first HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. Optionally, if all M CBs corresponding to the first data unit are decoded correctly, the terminal device may not send a HARQ-ACK message to the access network device. Similarly, the terminal device decodes a second data unit and sends a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit to the access network device based on the decoding result using the first HARQ feedback mode. If one of the N CBs corresponding to the second data unit fails to transmit, the second HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK; if all N CBs corresponding to the second data unit are successfully transmitted, the second HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. Optionally, if all N CBs corresponding to the second data unit are decoded correctly, the terminal device may not send a HARQ-ACK message to the access network device. Transmission failure includes decoding errors, while successful transmission includes correct decoding.

[0182] In one implementation, the HARQ-ACK message may carry other information besides indicating ACK / NACK. For example, the HARQ-ACK message may also include information about the failed CB in the data unit. This information may include one or more of the following: the location of the CB in the data unit, whether the data carried by the CB is important data, or the degree of impact of the CB on the overall service experience.

[0183] The terminal device decodes all data units within at least one data unit (TB). For data units that are decoded incorrectly, it sends a HARQ-ACK message for NACK and a HARQ-ACK message for ACK for correctly decoded data units. Each TB contains data units corresponding to one HARQ process. The HARQ-ACK messages fed back for multiple data units within a TB (e.g., the first TB) include a bitmap associated with the first HARQ process ID, where the first HARQ process ID corresponds to the first TB, and one bit in the bitmap corresponds to one data unit.

[0184] For easier understanding, please continue reading. Figure 11A Data Block (TB) comprises CB0 to CB13, divided into CBG#0 to CBG#3. CBG#0 is the first data unit, CBG#1 is the second data unit, CBG#2 is the third data unit, and CBG#3 is the fourth data unit. The HARQ process ID associated with this TB is the first ID. Assuming a decoding error occurs at CB5 in CB0 to CB13, the HARQ-ACK information returned by the terminal device includes a first bitmap. This first bitmap is associated with the first ID and occupies 4 bits. These 4 bits correspond sequentially to the first to fourth data units, with a value of "1011", where "0" represents NACK and "1" represents ACK. The access network device's HARQ-ACK information, based on the first ID associated with it, can determine which TB the HARQ-ACK information corresponds to. Furthermore, the bitmap in the HARQ-ACK information can identify the successfully transmitted and failed data units within that TB. For data units that fail to be transmitted, the access network equipment can retransmit them to improve the reliability of data transmission.

[0185] for Figure 6 and Figure 11 As can be seen from the proposed solution, the embodiments of this application, by flexibly configuring M and N, can minimize retransmission resources, thereby benefiting the transmission of low-latency services (such as XR services). Furthermore, by reasonably configuring M and N, the number of CBGs within a TB can be constrained, thereby minimizing the overhead of HARQ feedback information, improving system throughput, and benefiting the transmission of high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0186] Furthermore, if a CB transmission fails within a data unit, but the error tolerance rate of the data within that data unit meets certain conditions, the HARQ-ACK information corresponding to that data unit can indicate ACK. For example, if the first code block transmission in a first data unit fails, and the error tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit meets the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK. Similarly, if the second code block transmission in a second data unit fails, and the error tolerance rate of the data within the second data unit meets the first condition, then the second HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK. For a given data unit, if the data unit has a certain error tolerance capability, allowing for partial CB decoding errors, then even without retransmitting the data within that data unit, it does not affect the receiver's interpretation of that data unit. Therefore, when the error tolerance rate of the data within a data unit meets the first condition, the HARQ-ACK information corresponding to that data unit can indicate ACK, eliminating the need for the sender to retransmit the data unit and further saving retransmission resources. Optionally, for successfully transmitted data units, the terminal device does not send HARQ-ACK information for that data unit to the access network device. If the access network device does not receive HARQ-ACK information for a certain data unit, then it is determined that the data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0187] If the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit does not meet the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK. The access network device then determines to retransmit the first data unit based on the first HARQ-ACK message to ensure the transmission reliability of the first data unit. Similarly, if the transmission of the second code block in the second data unit fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the second data unit does not meet the first condition, then the second HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK. The access network device then determines to retransmit the first data unit based on the second HARQ-ACK message to ensure the transmission reliability of the second data unit.

[0188] The fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit is not restricted if the first condition is met.

[0189] For example, if the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit is greater than or equal to a certain threshold (e.g., 80%), then the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit satisfies the first condition. There are no restrictions on the specific method by which the terminal device determines the fault tolerance rate of the data within the data unit; for example, the terminal device can determine the fault tolerance rate of the data within the data unit using AI.

[0190] For example, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, but the importance of the data carried by the first code block is below a certain threshold, then the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit meets the first condition. Or, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, but the impact of the first code block on the overall service experience is below a certain threshold, then the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first data unit meets the first condition.

[0191] When the terminal device receives the DCI, if the DCI indicates M and N, the terminal device determines that it should perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode. In other words, if the DCI indicates M and N, it implicitly instructs the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode.

[0192] As an optional implementation, the access network device may explicitly instruct (or enable) the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode. For example, the access network device executes S1004. S1004 is an optional step, not a mandatory step. S1004 is executed before any of steps S1001 to S1003, or S1004 may be executed simultaneously with S1001 or S1002. Figure 10 Take the example of S1004 being executed before S1001.

[0193] S1004. The access network device sends the first parameter to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first parameter accordingly.

[0194] The first parameter enables the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode. The first parameter can be carried in one or more of the following: RRC message, MAC CE signaling, or DCI. There is no restriction on the name of the first parameter; for example, it can be called "FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson" or "PDSCH-FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson". When the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device includes FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson, the first HARQ feedback mode is enabled; otherwise, if the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device includes codeBlockGroupTransmission, CBG transmission is enabled. When the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device does not include FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson or codeBlockGroupTransmission, TB transmission is enabled.

[0195] S1005. The terminal device sends capability information to the access network device, and correspondingly, the access network device receives the capability information from the terminal device.

[0196] S1005 can be executed before S1004, and S1005 is not a mandatory step, but an optional one.

[0197] This capability information indicates support for the first HARQ feedback mode. Different terminal devices have different capabilities. Terminal devices can report whether they support the first HARQ feedback mode to the access network device, thereby assisting the access network device in determining how to schedule data sent to the terminal device to maximize system performance and reduce signaling overhead. For example, when a terminal device sends capability information to the access network device, the access network device can configure M and N for the terminal device when scheduling data to be sent based on this capability information. This enables the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode, helping to save retransmission resources.

[0198] Optionally, if the terminal device does not send this capability information to the access network device, and the access network device determines that the terminal device does not support the first HARQ feedback mode, the access network device can schedule the data sent to the terminal device in a conventional manner. For example, when scheduling the terminal device, the access network device can instruct the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on TB or CBG. Furthermore, since the access network device determines that the terminal device does not support the first HARQ feedback mode, the access network device does not need to send the first parameter or execute S1004, which can reduce unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0199] Optionally, the terminal device indicates to the access network device whether it supports the first HARQ feedback mode.

[0200] In the embodiments of this application, the number of CBs corresponding to (or including) different data units can be different and can be flexibly configured. Compared to the current method where the number of CBs included in a CBG within a TB is determined based on the maximum number of CBGs, this is more flexible, helps save retransmission resources, and is beneficial for the transmission of low-latency services (such as XR services). In addition, it also helps reduce the overhead of HARQ feedback information, improves system throughput, and is beneficial for the transmission of high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0201] It should be noted that, in Figure 10In the illustrated embodiment, the example of an access network device sending data to a terminal device is used. The same applies to data transmission from a terminal device to an access network device, except that when the terminal device sends data to the access network device, the parameters configured by the access network device to enable HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode are different from the first parameters. For example, the access network device can configure the parameter "PUSCH—FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmission" for HARQ feedback in uplink data transmission.

[0202] Example 2

[0203] Please see Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the second communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 12 This method is introduced from the perspective of the interaction between access network equipment and terminal equipment. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the communication method includes the following steps.

[0204] S1201, the access network device sends at least one TB to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives at least one TB from the access network device.

[0205] The at least one TB carries data sent from the access network device to the terminal device. The data sent by the access network device to the terminal device is encapsulated and transmitted through multiple protocol layers, ultimately reaching the MAC layer. The MAC layer then generates at least one TB and sends it to the terminal device through the physical layer. Before sending the at least one TB to the terminal device, the access network device sends scheduling information (e.g., resource allocation information) for that at least one TB to the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to determine how to receive it. If a TB is scheduled using a HARQ process, the access network device sends the corresponding TB for that HARQ process on the time-domain resources of that HARQ process. The terminal device receives the at least one TB on the corresponding resources according to the DCI.

[0206] In this embodiment, the at least one TB carries data from one or more PDU sets. For example, the at least one TB carries data from a first PDU set and data from a second PDU set. The data from the first PDU set and the data from the second PDU set can be carried within the same TB. For example, if the sum of the sizes of the first and second PDU sets does not exceed one TB, all the data in the first and second PDU sets can be mapped to the same TB. Of course, if the size of a PDU set exceeds one TB, the PDU set can be mapped to multiple TBs. In this case, one TB can include a portion of the data from one PDU set and a portion of the data from another PDU set. For example, the first PDU set includes PDU#1 and PDU#2, and the size of the first PDU set exceeds one TB; the second PDU set includes PDU#3 and PDU#4, and the size of the second PDU set also exceeds one TB. When all the data from the first and second PDU sets are mapped to multiple TBs, it is possible that PDU#2 in the first PDU set and PDU#3 in the second PDU set are mapped to the same TB.

[0207] Alternatively, data from the first PDU set and data from the second PDU set can be carried within the same CB in at least one TB. For example, if the sum of the sizes of the first and second PDU sets does not exceed the size of a CB, all data in the first and second PDU sets can be mapped to the same TB. Of course, if the size of a PDU set exceeds the size of a CB, that PDU set can be mapped to multiple CBs. In this case, a CB can include partial data from one PDU set and partial data from another PDU set. For example, if the size of both the first and second PDU sets exceeds the size of a CB, and all data from both sets is mapped across multiple TBs, it's possible that partial data from both sets is mapped to the same CB. For example, if the first PDU set includes PDU#1 and PDU#2, and the second PDU set includes PDU#3 and PDU#4, then PDU#2 from the first PDU set and PDU#3 from the second PDU set are mapped to the same CB.

[0208] During data transmission, when segments may involve the same data unit, the receiving end needs to reassemble these segments to obtain the original data unit. To this end, before generating at least one TB, the access network device can ensure that the terminal device reassembles segments of the same data unit in sequence using a set ID (or PDU set ID). For example, the access network device's RLC layer entity can assign a unified set ID to PDUs or segments within the same PDU set. The access network device's MAC layer entity aggregates these multiple PDUs or segments based on the PDU set ID, ensuring that the terminal device's RLC layer entity can reassemble these multiple PDUs or segments based on the set ID. Alternatively, the access network device's MAC layer entity can independently assign set IDs to received PDUs or segments, independent of the RLC entity's set ID.

[0209] It should be understood that at least one PDU belonging to the same PDU set has the same identification information (such as an ID). For example, at least one PDU in a first PDU set has the same first identification information (such as a first set ID), and at least one PDU in a second PDU set has the same second identification information (such as a second set ID). The set ID corresponding to a PDU within a PDU set is passed from the upper layer to the lower layer during transmission. For example, the RLC entity of an access network device adds a set ID to the PDU to be sent, generating an RLC PDU, which may include the set ID corresponding to the PDU. The set ID may be located in the header information of the RLCPDU. Thus, the PDUs within a PDU set include the set ID of that PDU set.

[0210] In one implementation, the identification information used to identify the PDU may be the start position and the size of the PDU; or, the identification information used to identify the PDU may be the end position and the size of the PDU; the identification information used to identify the PDU may be the start position and the end position of the PDU.

[0211] Optionally, the PDU set includes fault tolerance information to assist the terminal device in recovering the original data of the PDU set. For example, a first PDU set includes fault tolerance information for a first PDU set, and a second PDU set includes fault tolerance information for a second PDU set. For example, the fault tolerance information includes at least one of the following: fault tolerance rate, fault tolerance ratio, or allowable packet loss rate, etc.

[0212] S1202, The terminal device performs HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode.

[0213] The terminal device receives at least one TB, decodes at least one PDU set carried by the at least one TB, and performs HARQ feedback based on the decoding result. In this embodiment, the terminal device can perform HARQ feedback based on a second HARQ feedback mode. The second HARQ feedback mode is a new feedback mode introduced relative to the current TB-based feedback mode and CBG-based feedback mode. The second HARQ feedback mode performs HARQ feedback at the PDU set granularity. The terminal device performs HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode, which includes sending a third HARQ-ACK message for a first PDU set and sending a fourth HARQ-ACK message for a PDU set. One HARQ-ACK message is sent for each PDU set, and the HARQ-ACK message includes a bit for indicating ACK / NACK. There is no limitation on the specific name of the second HARQ feedback mode; for example, the second HARQ feedback mode can also be called "Flexible Boundary HARQ Transmission".

[0214] The terminal device receives at least one TB and can determine the location (or boundary) of a PDU set based on the identification information corresponding to the PDUs within at least one PDU set carried by the at least one TB, and decode each PDU set within the TB. If at least one CB in a PDU set fails the CRC check, then the data unit is decoded incorrectly. When a PDU set is decoded incorrectly, the terminal device can send HARQ-ACK information indicating NACK to the access network device for that PDU set.

[0215] For example, the terminal device decodes a first PDU set and sends a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set to the access network device based on the decoding result using a first HARQ feedback mode. If the first CB in the CB corresponding to the first PDU set fails to transmit, the first HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK; if all CBs corresponding to the first PDU set are successfully transmitted, the first HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. Optionally, if all CBs corresponding to the first PDU set are decoded correctly, the terminal device may not send HARQ-ACK messages to the access network device. Similarly, the terminal device decodes a second PDU set and sends a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set to the access network device based on the decoding result using a first HARQ feedback mode. If any CB in the CB corresponding to the second PDU set fails to transmit, the fourth HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK; if all CBs corresponding to the second PDU set are successfully transmitted, the fourth HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. Optionally, if all CBs corresponding to the second PDU set are decoded correctly, the terminal device may not send HARQ-ACK messages to the access network device. Transmission failure includes decoding errors, while successful transmission includes correct decoding. Optionally, the HARQ-ACK message may carry other information besides indicating ACK / NACK.

[0216] The terminal device decodes all PDU sets within at least one TB. For PDU sets that are decoded incorrectly, it sends a HARQ-ACK message for NACK; for PDU sets that are decoded correctly, it sends a HARQ-ACK message for ACK. Each TB contains one data unit corresponding to one HARQ process. The HARQ-ACK message fed back for multiple PDU sets within a TB (e.g., the first TB) includes a bitmap associated with a first HARQ process ID, where the first HARQ process ID corresponds to the first TB, and one bit in the bitmap corresponds to one PDU set.

[0217] Depending on the size of the PDU set, the granularity of the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the PDU set can also vary, offering flexibility and helping to save retransmission resources. Specific examples are provided below. Depending on whether the boundary of the PDU set is the same as the boundary of the CB (Boundary Control Unit), the HARQ-ACK information fed back by the terminal device for the PDU set may be HARQ-ACK information at the PDU set granularity, or it may be HARQ-ACK information at the CB where the PDU set is located. These cases are described below.

[0218] In Example 1-1, the boundaries of the PDU set are the same as the boundaries of the CB, and a CB carries only the data of the same PDU set.

[0219] Please see Figure 13A The data in the first PDU set is carried in CB#1 to CB#3. Similarly, the data in the second PDU set is carried in CB#4 and other CBs. Figure 13A (Not shown). When at least one CB in the first PDU set fails to transmit, the HARQ-ACK message fed back for the first PDU set indicates NACK. If all CBs in the first PDU set transmit successfully, the HARQ-ACK message fed back for the first PDU set indicates ACK. The granularity of the HARQ-ACK message fed back for the PDU set varies depending on the size of the PDU set, offering flexibility. For example, if the first PDU set carries 3 CBs, the granularity of the HARQ-ACK message fed back for the PDU set is 3 CBs; if the first PDU set carries 5 CBs, the granularity of the HARQ-ACK message fed back for the PDU set is 5 CBs. It can be seen that... Figure 13A In this system, the granularity of HARQ-ACK feedback is variable; by setting the size of the PDU set, the granularity of HARQ-ACK information can be flexibly configured. Compared to... Figure 6 The proposed scheme can both minimize retransmission resources, making it suitable for low-latency services (such as XR services), and minimize the overhead of HARQ feedback information, thereby increasing system throughput and making it suitable for high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0220] In some scenarios, the boundary of a certain CB (Boundary Control Container) may not be aligned with the boundary of the PDU set; in other words, the end position of the CB is not the end or start position of the PDU set. Alternatively, the number of bits occupied by the data carried by a certain CB may be less than the size of the CB. In such cases, padding bits can be used to align the boundary of the CB with the boundary of the PDU set, or padding bits can be used to make the number of bits carried by the CB equal to the size of the CB. Figure 13A For example, assuming the number of bits occupied by the data carried by CB is less than the size of one CB, then bits are padded into CB#3 so that the final number of bits carried by CB#3 is the size of one CB, and the boundary of CB#3 is aligned with the boundary of the PDU set. The padded bits can be all 0s, all 1s, NULL bits, or predefined or predetermined fixed bits.

[0221] In cases 1-2, the boundaries of the PDU set are not the same as the boundaries of the CB, so a CB contains data from multiple PDU sets.

[0222] Please see Figure 13B The data in the first PDU set is carried in CB#1 to CB#3. Similarly, the data in the second PDU set is carried in CB#3 and other CBs. Figure 13B (Not shown), where CB#3 simultaneously carries a portion of the data from the first PDU set and a portion of the data from the second PDU set. The HARQ-ACK information for the first PDU set is the HARQ-ACK information for the CB containing all the data of the first PDU set. The HARQ-ACK information for the second PDU set is the HARQ-ACK information for the CB containing all the data of the second PDU set. Assuming a transmission error occurs with CB#3, the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the first PDU set indicates NACK, and the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the second PDU set also indicates NACK. The granularity of the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the PDU set varies depending on the size of the PDU set, providing flexibility. For example, if the first PDU set carries 3 CBs, the granularity of the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the PDU set is 3 CBs; if the first PDU set carries 5 CBs, the granularity of the HARQ-ACK information fed back for the PDU set is 5 CBs. It can be seen that... Figure 13B In this system, the granularity of HARQ-ACK feedback is variable; by setting the size of the PDU set, the granularity of HARQ-ACK information can be flexibly configured. Compared to... Figure 6 The proposed scheme can both minimize retransmission resources, making it suitable for low-latency services (such as XR services), and minimize the overhead of HARQ feedback information, thereby increasing system throughput and making it suitable for high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0223] Furthermore, if a CB transmission fails in a PDU set, but the fault tolerance rate of the data within that PDU set meets certain conditions, the HARQ-ACK message corresponding to that PDU set can indicate ACK. For example, if the first CB transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first PDU set meets the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. Similarly, if the second CB transmission in the second PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the second PDU set meets the second condition, then the fourth HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK. For a given PDU set, if the PDU set has a certain fault tolerance capability, allowing for partial CB decoding errors, then even without retransmitting the data within that PDU set, it does not affect the receiver's interpretation of that PDU set. Therefore, when the fault tolerance rate of a PDU set meets the second condition, the HARQ-ACK message corresponding to that PDU set can indicate ACK, eliminating the need for the sender to retransmit the PDU set and further saving retransmission resources. Optionally, for a successfully transmitted PDU set, the terminal device does not send a HARQ-ACK message for that data unit to the access network device. If the access network device does not receive a HARQ-ACK message for a certain PDU set, then it determines that the PDU set was successfully transmitted.

[0224] If the CB corresponding to the first PDU set includes a failed CB, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the first PDU set does not meet the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK. The access network device then determines to retransmit the first PDU set based on the third HARQ-ACK message to ensure the transmission reliability of the first PDU set. Similarly, if the CB corresponding to the second PDU set includes a failed CB, and the fault tolerance rate of the data within the second PDU set does not meet the first condition, then the fourth HARQ-ACK message indicates NACK. The access network device then determines to retransmit the second PDU set based on the fourth HARQ-ACK message to ensure the transmission reliability of the second PDU set.

[0225] There are no restrictions on whether the fault tolerance rate of the data within a PDU set meets the second condition. For example, if the fault tolerance rate of the data within a PDU set is greater than or equal to a certain threshold (e.g., 80%), then the fault tolerance rate of the data within that PDU set meets the second condition. There are no restrictions on the specific method by which the terminal device determines the fault tolerance rate of the data within a PDU set; for example, the terminal device can determine the fault tolerance rate of the data within a PDU set using AI.

[0226] Compared to the TB-based HARQ feedback mode and the CBG-based feedback mode, the second HARQ feedback mode can be considered a new HARQ mode. The access network device can explicitly instruct (or enable) the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode. For example, the access network device executes S1203. S1203 is an optional step, not a mandatory one. S1203 is executed before S1201 or S1202, or S1204 can be executed simultaneously with S1201 or S1202. Figure 12 Taking S1203 as an example, which is executed before S1201. The phrase "perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode" can also be replaced with "perform HARQ feedback based on PDUset".

[0227] S1203. The access network device sends the second parameter to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second parameter accordingly.

[0228] The second parameter enables the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode. The second parameter can be carried in one or more of the following: RRC message, MAC CE signaling, or DCI. There is no restriction on the name of the second parameter; for example, it can be called "FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson" or "PDSCH-FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson". When the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device includes FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson, the second HARQ feedback mode is enabled; otherwise, if the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device includes codeBlockGroupTransmission, CBG transmission is enabled. When the PDSCH-Config configured by the access network device does not include FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmisson or codeBlockGroupTransmission, TB transmission is enabled.

[0229] S1204. The terminal device sends capability information to the access network device, and correspondingly, the access network device receives the capability information from the terminal device.

[0230] S1204 can be executed before S1203, and S1204 is not a mandatory step, but an optional one.

[0231] This capability information indicates support for the second HARQ feedback mode. The capabilities of different terminal devices vary. Terminal devices can report whether they support the second HARQ feedback mode to the access network device, thereby assisting the access network device in determining how to schedule data sent to the terminal device to maximize system performance and reduce signaling overhead. For example, if a terminal device sends capability information to the access network device, and the access network device schedules data sent to the terminal device based on this capability information, it can enable the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode, which helps save retransmission resources.

[0232] Optionally, if the terminal device does not send this capability information to the access network device, the access network device determines that the terminal device does not support the first HARQ feedback mode, and the access network device can schedule the data sent to the terminal device in the conventional manner. For example, when scheduling the terminal device, the access network device can instruct the terminal device to perform HARQ feedback based on TB or CBG. Furthermore, if the access network device determines that the terminal device does not support the second HARQ feedback mode, the access network device does not need to send the second parameter or execute S1003, which can reduce unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0233] Optionally, the terminal device indicates to the access network device whether it supports the second HARQ feedback mode.

[0234] In this embodiment, HARQ feedback is based on a PDU set. By configuring the size of the PDU set, HARQ feedback of different granularities can be achieved. Compared to the current method where the number of CBs included in a TB is determined by the maximum number of CBs, this is more flexible, helps save retransmission resources, and is beneficial for the transmission of low-latency services (such as XR services). Furthermore, it also helps reduce the overhead of HARQ feedback information, improves system throughput, and is beneficial for the transmission of high-throughput services (such as eMBB services).

[0235] It should be noted that, in Figure 12 The illustrated embodiment uses the example of an access network device sending data to a terminal device. The same applies to data transmission from a terminal device to an access network device, except that when the terminal device sends data to the access network device, the parameters configured by the access network device to enable HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode are different from the second parameter. For example, the access network device can configure the parameter "PUSCH—FlexibleBoundaryHARQTransmission" for HARQ feedback in uplink data transmission.

[0236] The methods provided in this application are described above using access network devices and terminal devices as examples. In this application, each embodiment can be implemented independently or in combination based on certain inherent connections; within each embodiment, different implementation methods can be implemented in combination or independently. To achieve the functions in the methods provided in the above-described embodiments, the access network device and access network equipment may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0237] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiments, this application provides a communication device. The communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The content above can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated content will not be repeated.

[0238] Figure 14 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1400 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1400 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the access network device or terminal device in the various method embodiments described above. The communication device 1400 may include modules or units that implement the methods described above; for example, the communication device 1400 includes a processing unit 1410 and a communication unit 1420. Optionally, the communication device may further include a storage unit 1430, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The storage unit may be, for example, a memory. The processing unit 1410 and the communication unit 1420 may be coupled to the storage unit. For example, the processing unit 1410 can read instructions (code or program) and / or data from the storage unit to implement the corresponding method.

[0239] Processing unit 1410 may be a processor or controller, such as a CPU, general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, programmable logic device (PLD), or other programmable logic device, transistor logic device, hardware component, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, a combination of DSP and microprocessor, etc. When the communication device 1400 is a system-on-a-chip, the processing unit 1410 may be an FPGA, a dedicated ASIC, a SoC, a CPU, a network processor (NP), a DSP, an MCU, a PLD, or other integrated chip. Processing unit 1410 may be a processor containing a system-on-a-chip.

[0240] Communication unit 1420 is a transceiver, interface circuit, bus, pin, or other possible communication interface used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, communication unit 1420 is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit for the chip to send signals to other chips or devices. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. This interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (stored in memory, which can be read directly from memory or through other devices) and transmit them to processing unit 1410. As another example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver. When the communication device 1400 is a chip-type device or circuit, communication unit 1420 can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; processing unit 1410 is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0241] When the communication device 1400 is a module or unit within a device, the storage unit 1430 can be a storage unit within the chip, such as a register or cache. For example, the storage unit 1430 can also be a storage unit located outside the chip within a terminal device or access network device, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, or hard disk. The aforementioned units can be configured independently or partially or completely integrated. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments can be stored in non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the storage unit 1430 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, or hard disk). When the terminal device or access network device is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded into a memory with a faster transmission speed than the processing unit 1410, such as at least a portion of the storage unit 1430 (e.g., one or more of RAM, cache, or register), for the processing unit 1410 to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0242] In one implementation, the communication device 1400 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1400 can be the terminal device itself, a component within the terminal device (e.g., a module, chip, or circuit), a part of a module, chip, or chipset in the terminal device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the terminal device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0243] For example, communication unit 1420 is used to receive DCI and at least one TB, and perform HARQ feedback based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of code blocks corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of code blocks corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. At least one TB carries data from the first data unit and data from the second data unit. Performing HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes: sending a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and sending a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit. Processing unit 1410 is used to determine the first HARQ-ACK message and the second HARQ-ACK message.

[0244] As an optional design, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit meets the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK.

[0245] As an optional design, DCI includes a first index and a second index, where the first index indicates M and the second index indicates N.

[0246] As an optional design, the communication unit 1420 is also used to transmit capability information that indicates support for the first HARQ feedback mode.

[0247] As an optional design, the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit is greater than that of the data in the second data unit, and M is greater than N.

[0248] For example, communication unit 1420 is used to receive at least one TB and perform HARQ feedback based on a second HARQ feedback mode. The at least one TB carries data from a first PDU set and data from a second PDU set. Performing HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: sending a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set and sending a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set. Processing unit 1410 is used to determine the third HARQ-ACK message and the fourth HARQ-ACK message.

[0249] As an optional design, the data in the first PDU set and the data in the second PDU set are carried in the same TB or the same CB in at least one TB.

[0250] As an optional design, the first PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same first identification information, and the second PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same second identification information.

[0251] As an optional design, the first PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the first PDU set, and the second PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the second PDU set.

[0252] As an optional design, if data transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first PDU set meets the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK.

[0253] As an optional design, the communication unit 1420 is also used to transmit capability information that indicates support for a second HARQ feedback mode.

[0254] In one implementation, the communication device 1400 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the access network device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1400 can be an access network device, a component (e.g., a module, chip, or circuit) within the access network device, a part of a chip or chipset in the access network device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the access network device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0255] For example, processing unit 1410 is used to determine at least one TB. Communication unit 1420 is used to send a DCI and at least one TB, and to receive HARQ feedback based on a first HARQ feedback mode. The DCI is used to schedule at least one TB, and the DCI also indicates the number M of code blocks corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of code blocks corresponding to the second data unit, where M and N are both positive integers. At least one TB carries data from the first data unit and data from the second data unit. HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes sending a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and sending a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit.

[0256] As an optional design, if the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit meets the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK.

[0257] As an optional design, DCI includes a first index and a second index, where the first index indicates M and the second index indicates N.

[0258] As an optional design, the communication unit 1420 is also used to receive capability information that indicates support for the first HARQ feedback mode.

[0259] As an optional design, the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit is greater than that of the data in the second data unit, and M is greater than N.

[0260] For example, processing unit 1410 is used to determine at least one transport block (TB). Communication unit 1420 is used to transmit at least one transport block (TB) and receive HARQ feedback based on a second HARQ feedback mode. The at least one TB carries data in a first PDU set and data in a second PDU set. HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: transmitting a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set and transmitting a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set. Processing unit 1410 is used to determine the third HARQ-ACK message and the fourth HARQ-ACK message.

[0261] As an optional design, the data in the first PDU set and the data in the second PDU set are carried in the same TB or the same CB in at least one TB.

[0262] As an optional design, the first PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same first identification information, and the second PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same second identification information.

[0263] As an optional design, the first PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the first PDU set, and the second PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the second PDU set.

[0264] As an optional design, if data transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first PDU set meets the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK message indicates ACK.

[0265] As an optional design, the communication unit 1420 is also used to receive capability information that indicates support for a second HARQ feedback mode.

[0266] When the communication device 1400 is a chip-based device or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0267] In one possible design, when the communication device 1400 is an access network device or a terminal device; or when the communication device 1400 is a communication module within an access network device or a terminal device, the function of the processing unit 1410 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 1420 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0268] In one possible design, when the communication device 1400 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in an access network device or terminal device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 1410 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 1420 can be implemented by the interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0269] In one possible design, when the communication device 1400 is an access network device or a terminal device; or when the communication device 1400 is a communication and / or computing module in an access network device or a terminal device, the function of the processing unit 1410 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a GPU, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a GPU. Alternatively, the processor may include an AI processor, or a SoC chip or a SIP chip containing an AI processor. Alternatively, the processor may include an ASIC, or a SoC chip or a SIP chip containing an ASIC. Alternatively, the processor may include an NPU, or a SoC chip or a SIP chip containing an NPU. The function of the communication unit 1420 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0270] In one possible design, when the communication device 1400 is a circuit or chip responsible for communication and / or computing functions in an access network device or terminal device, such as a GPU or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU, an AI processor or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor, an NPU or a SoC or SIP chip containing an NPU, or an ASIC or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC, the function of the processing unit 1410 can be implemented by a circuit system including one or more processors or processor cores in the aforementioned chip. The function of the communication unit 1420 can be implemented by interface circuits or data transceiver circuits on the aforementioned chip.

[0271] It is understood that the division of units in the aforementioned communication device 1400 is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated onto a single physical entity, or 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 specific applications, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0272] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more ASICs, or one or more CPUs, one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more DSPs, or one or more FPGAs, or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0273] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 1500 corresponds to... Figure 8 or Figure 9 The terminal device in the above embodiments is used to implement the operations of the terminal device. For specific functions, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments. Figure 15 As shown, the terminal device 1500 includes: one or more antennas 1510, a radio frequency processing system 1520, and a processor system 1530.

[0274] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 1520 receives RF signals through the antenna 1510 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 1530 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 1530 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 1520, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 1510.

[0275] In one example, the radio frequency (RF) processing system 1520 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include an RF front end (RFFE) 1521 and an RF transceiver 1522. The RFFE 1521 is primarily used for one or more processing operations, such as shaping, passband selection, or gain adjustment, on the RF signal received by the antenna or the RF signal to be transmitted through the antenna. It may include one or more components such as an RF switch, duplexer, filter, power amplifier, antenna tuner, and low-noise amplifier. The RFFE 1521 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete components or integrated into one or more chips. The RF transceiver 1522 processes the RF signal received by the RFFE into a baseband / IF signal for further processing by the processor system 1530, and processes the baseband / IF signal provided by the processor system 1530 into an RF signal for transmission to the RFFE 1521. The baseband / IF signal transmitted between the RF transceiver 1522 and the processor system 1530 can be a digital signal or an analog signal. The radio frequency transceiver 1522 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are commonly referred to as radio frequency chips (RFICs).

[0276] In one example, processor system 1530 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, processor system 1530 may also include memory 1536. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 1531 (also known as a modem processor). Memory 1536 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, processor system 1530 may also include one or more application processors 1532 for implementing processing of the terminal operating system and application layer. Application processor 1532 may include, for example, a GPU, NPU, AI processor, or ASIC. Optionally, processor system 1530 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 1533, a multimedia subsystem 1534, or an interface circuit 1535. The voice subsystem 1533 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 1534 is used to handle multimedia-related operations, such as video encoding / decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 1535 is used to implement communication with other terminal components, such as a display 1540, an input device 1550, memory 1560, etc. The aforementioned components in the processor system 1530 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0277] In one example, the processor system 1530 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 1530 can be a system composed of multiple chips; for example, the baseband processor 1531 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0278] In one example, memory 1536 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 1530 chip. In another example, memory 1560 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 1530 chip.

[0279] In one example, the baseband processor 1531 may include one or more processor cores 15311 and interface circuitry 15314. The one or more processor cores 15311 are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 1531 may also include a memory 15312 for storing at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 15311 execute the computer program instructions stored in the memory 15312 to perform the relevant operations (such as generating a DCI, generating at least one TB) described in the above method embodiments. In this disclosure, memory 15312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This can mean that memory 15312 stores all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by processor core 15311; or it can mean that memory 15312 stores a portion of corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, including the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by processor core 15311. Memory 15312 can store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by processor core 15311 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments. Interface circuit 15314 serves as a communication interface for communication with other components, such as transmitting signals with radio frequency processing system 1520, communicating with other subsystems and related components of processor system 1530 via a bus, such as transmitting data control signals with application processor 1532, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with memory 1536 or memory 1560. Optionally, in order to reduce the load on the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 15313 can be set to perform at least some baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0280] In one example, the communication device provided in this application may be a terminal device 1500, including a communication module comprising a processor system 1530 and a radio frequency system 1520, or a baseband processor 1531.

[0281] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: CPU, DSP, microprocessor unit (MPU), MCU, GPU, FPGA, ASIC, AI processor or NPU.

[0282] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: such as RAM, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, ROM, flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored on non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 1560 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded onto a memory with a faster transfer speed than the processor, such as at least a portion of memory 1536 and / or memory 15312 (e.g., one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0283] In one example, the RF transceiver 1522 and the RF front-end 1521 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, the RF transceiver 1522, the RF front-end 1521, and the baseband processor 1531 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0284] This application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one terminal device and multiple access network devices. The terminal device is a device used to implement the terminal device-related functions in the above-described communication method, and the access network devices are access network devices used to implement the access network device-related functions in the above-described communication method.

[0285] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method executed by the terminal device or access network device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0286] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer program code, which, when executed, causes the method executed by the terminal device or access network device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0287] This application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the functions of the access network device or terminal device in the aforementioned communication method.

[0288] To achieve the above Figures 14-15 In addition to the functions of the communication device, this application also provides a chip, including a processor, for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions involved in the terminal device or access network device in the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to a memory or the chip includes a memory for storing the computer programs or instructions and data necessary for the communication device.

[0289] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0290] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps 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 implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0291] 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.

[0292] 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.

[0293] 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.

[0294] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contributing part of the technical solution of this application, or a portion of the technical solution, 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, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0295] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive downlink control information, the downlink control information being used to schedule at least one transport block TB, and the downlink control information also indicating the number M of code blocks corresponding to the first data unit and the number N of code blocks corresponding to the second data unit, wherein M and N are both positive integers; Receive the at least one TB, wherein the at least one TB carries data in the first data unit and data in the second data unit; HARQ feedback is performed based on a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback mode, wherein the HARQ feedback based on the first HARQ feedback mode includes: Send a first HARQ-ACK message for the first data unit and a second HARQ-ACK message for the second data unit.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, If the transmission of the first code block in the first data unit fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit meets the first condition, then the first HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The downlink control information includes a first index and a second index, wherein the first index is used to indicate the M and the second index is used to indicate the N.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send capability information, which indicates support for the first HARQ feedback mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The fault tolerance rate of the data in the first data unit is greater than that of the data in the second data unit, and M is greater than N.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive at least one transport block TB, the at least one TB carrying data in a first protocol data unit set (PDU set) and data in a second PDU set; HARQ feedback is performed based on the second hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback mode, wherein the HARQ feedback based on the second HARQ feedback mode includes: Send a third HARQ-ACK message for the first PDU set, and send a fourth HARQ-ACK message for the second PDU set.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The data in the first PDU set and the data in the second PDU set are carried in the same TB or the same CB in the at least one TB.

8. The method as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same first identification information, and the second PDU set includes at least one PDU with the same second identification information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The first PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the first PDU set, and the second PDU set includes the fault tolerance information of the second PDU set.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that, If data transmission in the first PDU set fails, and the fault tolerance rate of the data in the first PDU set meets the second condition, then the third HARQ-ACK information indicates ACK.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send capability information, which indicates support for the second HARQ feedback mode.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-5, or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 6-11.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 6-11 to be performed.

14. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 6-11 to be performed.

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