Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and device. In the communication method, a network device can send first information to a terminal device to indicate N HARQ processes corresponding to N first data to be retransmitted, so that the sending end transmits second data in one HARQ process according to the first information, and the second data is equivalent to retransmitting the N first data through one HARQ process based on the N first data, which is beneficial to reducing the number of data retransmission and thus reducing the time delay of data transmission.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In wireless communication networks, extended reality (XR) encompasses technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). XR technology boasts advantages such as multi-view perspectives and strong interactivity, making it widely applicable in entertainment, healthcare, industry, online education, and many other fields. However, XR service data frames require end-to-end transmission within a certain timeframe; that is, XR services demand low-latency transmission performance. The transmission latency in current communication systems may exceed the latency budget for XR services. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce data transmission latency.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applied to a terminal-side device, such as a terminal device or a communication module in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for communication functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating N identification information, the N identification information being used to indicate N hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes transmitting N first data, each of the N first data being retransmitted data, and N being a positive integer; receiving or sending second data according to the first information, the second data being determined based on the N first data.

[0005] The second data, which is determined based on N first data, is transmitted through a HARQ process associated with the second data. This is equivalent to retransmitting N first data through the same HARQ process, which helps avoid retransmitting N first data separately through N HARQ processes, thus reducing the number of retransmissions by the HARQ process, improving data transmission efficiency, and consequently reducing data transmission latency.

[0006] In some implementations, the second data is determined based on N first data, including: the second data is determined by superimposing and encoding N first data.

[0007] As an example, the above N first data points can be bit-selected, interleaved, and then XORed together to encode the N first data points to determine the second data. Determining the second data based on the superposition and encoding of the N first data points helps reduce the complexity of determining the second data, improves the efficiency of encoding or decoding, and helps reduce data transmission latency.

[0008] In some implementations, the N identification information includes first identification information, and the first HARQ process indicated by the first identification information is used to transmit the second data.

[0009] Among them, the first HARQ process is the HARQ process indicated by the first identifier among N identifier information. It is a data-associated HARQ process among N first data. By transmitting the second data through the first HARQ process, the resources corresponding to the first HARQ process can be reused, thereby improving the utilization rate of resources.

[0010] In some implementations, the first identifier is the identifier with the largest or smallest index value among the N identifiers.

[0011] Determining the first identifier based on the maximum or minimum value of the index values ​​corresponding to N identifiers can improve the efficiency of determining the first identifier and help reduce data transmission latency.

[0012] In some implementations, the first information also indicates a second identification information in addition to the N identification information, and the second identification information indicates a second HARQ process used to transmit the second data.

[0013] In some implementations, the second data is determined based on N first data, including: the second data is determined based on N first data and the initial transmission data.

[0014] In some implementations, the first indication field indicates the second data based on the retransmitted data and the initial data, and the first indication field is associated with the second HARQ process.

[0015] Indicating the second data as determined by the retransmission data and the initial transmission data through the first indication field is beneficial to improving the decoding efficiency of the second data, thereby improving the data transmission efficiency and reducing transmission latency.

[0016] In some implementations, the first indication field includes a first bit and a second bit, and the values ​​corresponding to the first bit and the second bit are different; or, the first indication field includes a third bit and a fourth bit, where the third bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the retransmitted data, and the fourth bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data.

[0017] In some implementations, each of the N first data points corresponds to any of the following data transmission units: code block, code block group, or transport block.

[0018] The first data can correspond to data transmission units of different granularities, which helps to improve the efficiency of retransmitting the first data and reduce transmission latency.

[0019] In some implementations, the aforementioned first information can also indicate N third identification information, each corresponding one-to-one with one of the N first data. As an example, if one of the N first data corresponds to a code block, the third identification information corresponding to that data can indicate the identity document (ID) of that code block, thus identifying a unique code block. Alternatively, if one of the N first data corresponds to a code block group, the third identification information corresponding to that data can indicate the ID of that code block group. Or, if downlink data is divided into X code blocks, and the x1th to x2th code blocks need to be retransmitted, the third identification information can indicate the range of corresponding code blocks in the downlink data, thereby indicating the x1th to x2th code blocks.

[0020] In some implementations, the number of data transmission units included in the second data does not exceed a preset threshold.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a network-side device, such as a network device or a component (e.g., a chip, a chip system, etc.) within the network device, or it may be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, the method includes: sending first information, the first information indicating N identification information, the N identification information being used to indicate N HARQ processes transmitting N first data, each of the N first data being retransmitted data, and N being a positive integer; and sending or receiving second data based on the first information, the second data being determined based on the N first data.

[0022] In some implementations, the second data is determined by superimposing and encoding N first data.

[0023] In some implementations, the N identification information includes first identification information, and the first HARQ process indicated by the first identification information is used to transmit the second data.

[0024] In some implementations, the first identifier is the identifier with the largest or smallest index value among the N identifiers.

[0025] In some implementations, the first information also indicates a second identification information in addition to the N identification information, and the second identification information indicates a second HARQ process used to transmit the second data.

[0026] In some implementations, the second data is determined based on N first data, including: the second data is determined based on N first data and the initial transmission data.

[0027] In some implementations, the first indication field indicates the second data based on the retransmitted data and the initial data, and the first indication field is associated with the second HARQ process.

[0028] In some implementations, the first indication field includes a first bit and a second bit, and the values ​​corresponding to the first bit and the second bit are different; or, the first indication field includes a third bit and a fourth bit, where the third bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the retransmitted data, and the fourth bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data.

[0029] In some implementations, each of the N first data points corresponds to any of the following data transmission units: code block, code block group, or transport block.

[0030] In some implementations, the number of data transmission units included in the second data does not exceed a preset threshold.

[0031] It should be understood that the second aspect of this application corresponds to the technical solution of the first aspect of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can implement the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof; or, can implement the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The device includes corresponding modules for performing the above-described methods. The modules included in the device can be implemented in software and / or hardware.

[0033] The communication device can be a first communication device for implementing the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. These modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. For example, the communication device includes a processing module and a transceiver module.

[0034] The communication device can also be a second communication device for implementing the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. These modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. For example, the communication device includes a processing module and a transceiver module.

[0035] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device including a processor, which can be used to implement the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or to implement the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, by executing a computer program in memory and / or by logic circuits.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a communication interface. This communication interface is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the device. Exemplarily, the communication interface can be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a memory. This memory stores program instructions and data. The memory is coupled to a processor, which, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, can implement the methods described in the preceding aspects. Optionally, the memory and processor can be integrated together; alternatively, the memory can be located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or chip system.

[0039] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed, implements the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or implements the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product including instructions (also referred to as code) that, when executed, implement the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or implement the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including at least one processor for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or for supporting the implementation of the functions involved in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, such as receiving or processing data involved in the above methods.

[0042] In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which is located either inside or outside the processor.

[0043] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0044] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is used to implement the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the network device is used to implement the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0045] It should be understood that the third to eighth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a block-based Markov superposition transmission scheme;

[0048] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of second data according to a single HARQ process, as provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of second data according to a single HARQ process, provided for another embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0054] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship, but it does not exclude the possibility of indicating that the preceding and following related objects are in an "and" relationship. The specific meaning can be understood in conjunction with the context. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0055] In this embodiment of the application, the use of prefixes such as "first" and "second" is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first parameter" and "second parameter" are simply different parameters, and there is no temporal or quantitative relationship between them.

[0056] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0057] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0058] "Instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, and implicit instruction. When describing a certain instruction information to indicate A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system architecture is shown. According to... Figure 1 It is known that the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal device 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0060] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0061] RAN node 110, sometimes referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, is part of the communication system used to help terminal devices achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative, for example... Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0062] 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), or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can also be a macro base station (such as...). Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 In CRAN scenarios, RAN nodes can be 110b, relay nodes, donor nodes, or wireless controllers. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network equipment can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0063] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control planes (CU-CPs), CU-user planes (CU-UPs), or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0064] 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 an open-CU (open-CU, O-CU), DU can also be called an open-DU (open-DU, O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open-CU-CP (open-CU-CP, O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open-CU-UP (open-CU-UP, O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open-RU (open-RU, O-RU). For ease of description, the embodiments of this application use CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0065] Terminal equipment can also be called terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. Terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, point-of-sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), light UE, reduced-capability UE (REDCAP UE), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc.

[0066] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the technologies and terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be briefly explained below.

[0067] I. Stop-and-wait protocol

[0068] The stop-and-wait protocol refers to a protocol where the sender stops sending after each transport block (TB) is completed and waits for acknowledgment from the receiver. The sender then sends the next TB only after receiving the acknowledgment.

[0069] The stop-and-wait protocol has two key characteristics: first, the receiving end must send feedback to the sending end, regardless of whether the reception was successful or not; second, the sending end can only continue sending information after receiving feedback from the receiving end, and will not send the next message until the previous message has been acknowledged.

[0070] II. HARQ

[0071] HARQ is a hybrid technology mechanism that combines forward error correction (FEC) and automatic repeat request (ARQ).

[0072] FEC (Fault-Oriented Encoding) is an error control method that involves pre-encoding the signal according to a specific algorithm before it enters the transmission channel, adding redundant codes that reflect the signal's characteristics. The receiving end then decodes the received signal using a corresponding algorithm to identify and correct any errors that occurred during transmission.

[0073] ARQ refers to the receiving end using cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information to determine the correctness of received data and then feeding back the result to the sending end. If an error is received, the sending end will retransmit the data after receiving the feedback information until the receiving end receives it correctly.

[0074] The HARQ mechanism originates from the stop-and-wait protocol mentioned above. First, it uses the FEC algorithm to encode the channel, adding redundant information with error detection and correction capabilities to the transmitted information. The receiving end decodes the received signal using the corresponding reverse algorithm. If an error is detected, it attempts to correct it. If the error is corrected, the data transmission is successful, and the receiving end sends an acknowledgment (ACK) message back to the sending end. If the error cannot be corrected, the receiving end uses the ARQ mechanism to send a negative acknowledgment (NACK) message back to the sending end. After receiving the NACK message, the receiving end retransmits the data. If the error persists, the receiving end requests retransmission again until the data is received correctly or the maximum number of retransmissions is reached.

[0075] As discussed earlier regarding stop-and-wait protocols, the sender needs to stop sending after each message and wait for feedback from the receiver. This characteristic of stop-and-wait protocols leads to very low throughput during communication. Therefore, the HARQ mechanism can employ multiple stop-and-wait processes in parallel. Specifically, while one HARQ process is waiting for feedback from the receiver, the sender can use another HARQ process to continue sending messages. Conversely, while the receiver is processing messages received by one HARQ process, it can use another HARQ process to continue receiving messages. Multiple HARQ processes processing in parallel form a HARQ entity, which can be understood as the framework for managing multiple HARQ processes.

[0076] In recent years, with the continuous development of 5G mobile communication systems, data transmission latency has been continuously reduced and transmission capacity has been increasing. 5G communication systems are gradually penetrating multimedia services with high real-time requirements and large data capacity, such as video transmission, cloud gaming, and extended reality (XR). XR includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). XR service data frames need to be transmitted from the server to the terminal device within a certain time, meaning XR services have a low-latency transmission requirement.

[0077] Block Markov superposition transmission (BMST) is a coding transmission scheme used to reduce latency. In this scheme, the transmitting end divides a data block into multiple sub-blocks and encodes each sub-block using low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes to obtain corresponding codewords. The transmitting end partially or fully interleaves the previous codeword with the current codeword, and then superimposes the two codewords using a bit XOR operation. The superimposed codeword is used as the actual codeword sequence transmitted. Based on this scheme, a sliding window-based chain superposition transmission is formed.

[0078] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a block-based Markov superposition transmission scheme. As an example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, for the information bit sequence u1, the transmitting end encodes it using LDPC code to obtain the codeword sequence c1. Since the information bit sequence u1 is the first information sequence, its corresponding codeword sequence c1 is the first codeword, and no superposition operation is required. Figure 2 The codeword sequence v1 that is actually sent is the codeword sequence c1.

[0079] For the information bit sequence u2, the transmitting end encodes it using LDPC code to obtain codeword sequence c2. The transmitting end selects some or all bits from the previous codeword sequence c1, interleaves it with codeword sequence c2, and then superimposes them using a bit XOR operation to obtain the actual transmitted superimposed codeword sequence v2. Similarly, for the information bit sequence u3, the transmitting end encodes it using LDPC code to obtain codeword sequence c3. The transmitting end selects some or all bits from the previous codeword sequence c2, interleaves it with codeword sequence c3, and then superimposes them using a bit XOR operation to obtain the actual transmitted superimposed codeword sequence v3. And so on, for the information bit sequence u... kThe transmitting end encodes the codeword sequence c using LDPC code. k The sending end selects the previous codeword sequence c k-1 Some or all of the bits in the codeword sequence c k Interleaving and superimposing the codewords using bit XOR operations yields the actual transmitted superimposed codeword sequence v. k .

[0080] The sending end can determine the corresponding overlay transmission threshold based on the maximum overlay length. For example, if the above BMST transmission supports a maximum of k information sequences for transmission, then with u1 as the first information bit sequence, the last transmitted information bit sequence would be u... k The corresponding actual codeword sequence sent is v1~v k .

[0081] Based on the aforementioned HARQ mechanism, in the above BMST scheme, the sending end of the information can use multiple HARQ processes to process the service in parallel. Each HARQ process can be used to schedule a corresponding superimposed codeword sequence in one transmission. The number of these multiple HARQ processes running in parallel does not exceed the upper limit supported by the sending and receiving ends.

[0082] In the above Figure 1 The communication system shown primarily employs frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) duplex standards. The HARQ mechanism and these different duplex standards have a close working relationship in wireless communication systems. Taking TDD as an example, TDD divides the time of the wireless channel into alternating uplink and downlink time slots. Correspondingly, the HARQ process's feedback (ACK / NACK) and retransmission timing must adapt to the uplink and downlink time slot allocation of TDD.

[0083] As an example, if a network device transmits downlink data in a downlink subframe and an error occurs, the terminal device needs to wait for an uplink subframe allocated by TDD to send the corresponding NACK information. Accordingly, after receiving the NACK information, the network device retransmits the downlink data in the downlink subframe allocated by TDD according to the corresponding HARQ process. For example, suppose there are 10 time slots (slots 0-9), and TDD allocates 8 time slots (slots 0-7) as downlink time slots and allocates slots 8 and 9 as uplink time slots. Downlink time slots 0-7 correspond one-to-one with HARQ processes 0-7. If the network device sends downlink data to the terminal device according to HARQ process 5, and an error occurs, the terminal device needs at least two time slots to send a NACK message back to the network device. The HARQ process feedback requires waiting for an uplink time slot allocated by TDD, increasing data transmission latency.

[0084] In the BMST scheme, the receiving end decodes the information using a sliding window-based decoding algorithm. Taking a decoding window length of 2 as an example, the window contains v... k-1 and v k The soft information sequence of two codewords. For the codeword sequence v k-1 The receiving end uses the soft information sequence v k-1 and the codeword soft information sequence v transmitted in superimposed form k soft extrinsic information z 1→0 As input, it is decoded, and the corresponding soft information z is used. 1→0 Passed to codeword sequence v k During the decoding process; for the codeword sequence v k The receiving end uses the soft information sequence v k and the codeword soft information sequence v transmitted in superimposed form k-1 soft extrinsic information z 0→1 As input, it is decoded. After decoding, the receiving end can make a hard decision on the corresponding codeword to obtain the corresponding real codeword c. k Then the information bit sequence u is obtained. k .

[0085] Understandably, the receiver performs joint decoding on multiple received sequences within the decoding window. Since the superimposed codewords include soft information from the previous codeword, it's equivalent to each HARQ process retransmitting the previous codeword sequence using its superimposed codeword sequence. If the superimposed codeword sequence scheduled by the current HARQ process is incorrect, the receiver can correct the error based on the codeword sequence scheduled by the next adjacent HARQ process. For example, the transmitter sends codeword sequence v1 (codeword sequence c1) according to HARQ process 0, and this codeword sequence v1 is transmitted incorrectly. The transmitter then sends codeword sequence v2 according to the parallel HARQ process 1, where codeword sequence v2 is the superposition of codeword sequences c1 and c2. Upon receiving codeword sequence v2, the receiver can correct the error in codeword sequence v1 based on codeword sequence v2. If error correction is successful, the receiver does not need to send back NACK information for codeword sequence v1.

[0086] In the above BMST scheme, the retransmission effect is achieved by superimposing codewords, which helps to avoid the receiver sending NACK information to the transmitter, thereby reducing the possibility of the receiver waiting for the uplink time slot allocated by TDD, and thus reducing the latency of data transmission.

[0087] However, when multiple HARQ processes are handling services in parallel, it's possible that the codeword sequences transmitted by multiple HARQ processes may be erroneous. This prevents the receiver from correcting the erroneous codeword sequences based on the superimposed codeword sequences transmitted by the next adjacent HARQ process. Furthermore, when multiple HARQ processes transmit erroneous codeword sequences, the transmitter needs to perform multiple retransmissions based on these multiple HARQ processes, further increasing latency.

[0088] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus. These embodiments enable the sending end to overlay retransmitted data onto the data transmitted in a HARQ process, thereby increasing resource utilization, reducing the number of data retransmissions, and ultimately reducing data transmission latency.

[0089] In the embodiments described below, the interaction between a terminal device and a network device is used as an example. It should be understood that the terminal device described above can be replaced by components configured in the terminal device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or logical modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device; the network device described above can also be replaced by components configured in the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or logical modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0090] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application. It is understood that... Figure 3 This is merely an example; the communication method provided in this application may include more or similar steps. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0091] S301, the network device sends first information to the terminal device. The first information indicates N identification information, wherein the N identification information is used to indicate N HARQ processes transmitting N first data, each of the N first data being retransmitted data, and N being a positive integer. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the network device.

[0092] Assuming the network device acts as the data sender and the terminal device as the data receiver, the network device sends N downlink data packets to the terminal device according to N different HARQ processes. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives and decodes the N downlink data packets from the network device. If any of the N downlink data packets encounters a decoding error, the terminal device can send a NACK message back to the network device, specifying that the N HARQ processes need to be retransmitted.

[0093] Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, if all N downlink data are transmitted incorrectly, the network device can retransmit the N downlink data to the terminal device based on a single HARQ process. Since one HARQ process is associated with one downlink data, when multiple downlink data are retransmitted based on a single HARQ process, the terminal device, as the receiving end, needs to determine the HARQ process from which each downlink data in the multiple downlink data retransmitted by the single HARQ process originates in order to achieve correct decoding.

[0094] Therefore, in this step, the network device can indicate N identification information through the first information. These N identification information are used to indicate N HARQ processes, each of which is used to transmit one piece of first data. That is, the N HARQ processes are used to transmit N pieces of first data. The first information indicates the original HARQ process corresponding to each piece of first data in the retransmitted N pieces of first data. For example, each of the above N identification information can specifically be a HARQ process number, which indicates a unique HARQ process.

[0095] Alternatively, assuming the terminal device acts as the data sender and the network device as the data receiver, the terminal device sends N uplink data packets according to N different HARQ processes. Correspondingly, the network device receives and decodes the N uplink data packets from the terminal device. If any of the N uplink data packets fail to transmit, the terminal device can retransmit those N uplink data packets according to a single HARQ process.

[0096] It is understandable that when multiple uplink data are retransmitted based on a single HARQ process, the terminal device at the sending end needs to determine the original HARQ process from which the uplink data retransmitted by the single HARQ process originates. Therefore, the network device can indicate the need for N identification information through the first information.

[0097] It should be noted that the scenarios described above, where the network device sends downlink data to the terminal device and the terminal device sends uplink data to the network device, are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting this application in any way. For instance, the method provided in this application can also be applied to data transmission between terminal devices, and the applicable scenarios for this application will not be listed here.

[0098] In some implementations, each of the N first data points can correspond to any of the following data transmission units: a code block, a code block group, or a transport block. A code block can also be called a "code block" (CB), a code block group can be called a "code block group" (CBG), and a transport block can be called a "transport block" (TB). The code blocks, code block groups, and transport blocks can also be named in other ways, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0099] Understandably, each HARQ process can schedule one transport block, which represents a granularity of data transmission scheduled by the HARQ process. Further, a transport block can be divided into multiple code block groups, each containing at least two code blocks. That is, the code block group and the code blocks represent finer-grained data transmission scheduled by the HARQ process. Whether it's downlink or uplink data, each of the N data items can be understood as a transport block, meaning each data item can be further divided into multiple code block groups or multiple code blocks. After receiving N data items, the receiving end can determine which part of each data item experienced a transmission error, and then use NACK information to indicate which part of the data needs to be retransmitted; this retransmitted part is the first data item to be retransmitted.

[0100] For example, a downlink data segment can be divided into four blocks: block 1, block 2, block 3, and block 4. If block 1 is transmitted incorrectly during transmission, the receiver sends a NACK message to the sender indicating that block 1 needs to be retransmitted. The first data indicated in the first message above refers to block 1, which is equivalent to a data transmission unit at the block granularity. Alternatively, if both block 1 and block 2 are transmitted incorrectly, the receiver sends a NACK message indicating that both blocks need to be retransmitted. Blocks 1 and 2 can be combined into a block group. The first data indicated in the first message above refers to the block group formed by combining blocks 1 and 2, which is equivalent to a data transmission unit at the block group granularity. Or, if all four blocks (1 through 4) are transmitted incorrectly, the receiver sends a NACK message indicating that the entire data segment needs to be retransmitted. The first data indicated in the first message above refers to the downlink data, which is equivalent to a data transmission unit at the transport block granularity.

[0101] In some implementations, the aforementioned first information can also indicate N third identification information, which correspond one-to-one with the N first data. For example, if one of the N first data corresponds to a code block, the third identification information corresponding to that data can indicate the ID of that code block, thus indicating a unique code block. Alternatively, if one of the N first data corresponds to a code block group, the third identification information corresponding to that data can indicate the ID of that code block group. Or, if downlink data is divided into X code blocks, and the x1th to x2th code blocks need to be retransmitted, the third identification information can indicate the corresponding code block range in the downlink data, thereby indicating the x1th to x2th code blocks. It is understood that when one of the N first data corresponds to a transport block, the aforementioned N identification information used to indicate the HARQ process corresponds one-to-one with the N first data, that is, the N identification information are equal to the N third identification information in this implementation, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0102] Taking a network device as the data sender and a terminal device as the data receiver as an example, such as Figure 3 As shown in step S302a, the network device can send second data to the terminal device based on the first information, wherein the second data is determined based on the aforementioned N pieces of first data. Accordingly, the terminal device can receive the second data from the network device.

[0103] In this process, the network device sends second data to the terminal device according to a HARQ process. This second data, determined based on N pieces of first data, is equivalent to the network device retransmitting these N pieces of first data according to a HARQ process associated with the second data. Correspondingly, after receiving the second data, the terminal device can decode and obtain the aforementioned N pieces of first data, thereby correcting the N downlink data based on these N pieces of first data to achieve correct reception of the N downlink data.

[0104] Taking the terminal device as the data sender and the network device as the data receiver as an example, such as Figure 3 As shown in step S302b, the terminal device can send second data to the network device based on the first information. This second data is determined based on the aforementioned N pieces of first data. Correspondingly, the network device can receive the second data from the terminal device. Similarly, after receiving the second data, the network device can decode it to obtain the N pieces of first data, thereby correcting the N uplink data based on these N pieces of first data to achieve correct reception of the N pieces of uplink data.

[0105] In some implementations, the second data mentioned above is data determined based on N first data, specifically data determined by superimposing and encoding N first data. For example, referring to the aforementioned BMST scheme, the N first data can be bit-selected, interleaved, and superimposed and encoded by XOR to determine the second data.

[0106] In this embodiment, by retransmitting N first data points through a HARQ process associated with the second data, it is possible to avoid retransmitting N first data points separately through N HARQ processes. This helps to reduce the number of retransmissions by the HARQ process, improve the efficiency of data transmission, and thus reduce the latency of data transmission.

[0107] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the second data, determined based on N pieces of first data, can be understood as a retransmission of data. As one possible implementation, the N identification information may include first identification information, and the first HARQ process indicated by this first identification information is used to transmit the second data. Since the N HARQ processes indicated by the N identification information are used to retransmit N pieces of first data, when the second data is equivalent to retransmission data, the sending end can transmit the second data according to the first HARQ process indicated by the first identification information.

[0108] In some implementations, the first identifier is the identifier with the largest or smallest index value among the N identifiers. As described above, each of the N identifiers can be a HARQ process number. Therefore, the identifier with the largest or smallest index value among the N identifiers can be understood as the HARQ process number with the largest or smallest number among the N HARQ process numbers. For example, if the process numbers of the N HARQ processes are HARQ process 0 to HARQ process N, and the first identifier is the identifier with the smallest index value among the N identifiers, it is equivalent to the first identifier being the HARQ process number 0, and the first HARQ process is HARQ process 0. Alternatively, if the first identifier is the identifier with the largest index value among the N identifiers, it is equivalent to the first identifier being the HARQ process number N, and the first HARQ process is HARQ process N.

[0109] In this implementation, the first identification information can be a predefined identification information. The network device and the terminal device agree that when N first data need to be retransmitted, the HARQ process with the largest or smallest process number among the N HARQ processes associated with the N first data will be used to transmit the second data. This helps to determine the efficiency of the HARQ process used to transmit the second data, thereby helping to reduce the latency of data transmission.

[0110] In some possible implementations, the aforementioned first information may also indicate second identification information other than the N identification information. This second identification information indicates a second HARQ process used to transmit the second data. The second HARQ process, as the HARQ process indicated by the second identification information other than the N identification information, does not belong to the N HARQ processes indicated by the N identification information. When the sending end initially transmits N data based on the N HARQ processes, the second HARQ process is not associated with these N data; that is, the second HARQ process is distinct from the first HARQ process and can be understood as a "new" HARQ process. The sending end can transmit the second data based on this "new" HARQ process, effectively achieving the retransmission of the N first data.

[0111] In the above implementation, whether the second data is transmitted through the first HARQ process or the second HARQ process, it is equivalent to retransmitting N first data. Therefore, the new data indicator (NDI) field associated with the first HARQ process or the second HARQ process does not flip to indicate that data retransmission is required.

[0112] For example, the NDI field can correspond to a single bit, which can have a value of 0 or 1. When the sending end transmits data according to the HARQ process, it can indicate whether the data transmission is the first transmission or a repeat transmission by whether the value of this bit is flipped. For instance, when the sending end initially transmits one of the N data items according to the first HARQ process, its associated NDI field is set to 1. When the sending end transmits the second data item according to the first HARQ process, its associated NDI field is still set to 1, and the NDI field does not flip.

[0113] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of second data according to a single HARQ process, as provided in one embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the sending end transmits two data items according to HARQ process 0 and HARQ process 1, respectively. Data A carried in HARQ process 0 can be divided into four code blocks: code block 1, code block 2, code block 3, and code block 4. Data B carried in HARQ process 1 can be divided into four code blocks: code block 5, code block 6, code block 7, and code block 8.

[0114] The receiving end receives and decodes two data blocks. Block 4 in data A carried in HARQ process 0 has a transmission error, and block 8 in data carried in HARQ process 1 has a transmission error. Therefore, the receiving end sends a NACK message to the sending end, indicating that blocks 4 and 8 need to be retransmitted. That is, N is set to 2, and the first two data blocks to be retransmitted are blocks 4 and 8, respectively. Further, as... Figure 4 As shown, the first information can indicate the identification information of HARQ process 0 and the identification information of HARQ process 1, so as to indicate the original HARQ process corresponding to code block 4 and code block 8.

[0115] exist Figure 4 In this implementation, the sending end can transmit second data based on HARQ process 2. HARQ process 2 is not associated with the initial transmission of data A and data B by the sending end; it is equivalent to the second HARQ process in the aforementioned implementation. It can be understood that the sending end can also transmit second data based on either HARQ process 0 or HARQ process 1. Since there are only two HARQ processes, if the sending end transmits second data based on HARQ process 0, it is equivalent to transmitting second data based on the HARQ process with the smallest HARQ process number. If the sending end transmits second data based on HARQ process 1, it can be understood as transmitting second data based on the HARQ process with the largest HARQ process number.

[0116] In some implementations, the aforementioned second data is determined based on N first data points, including: the second data is determined based on N first data points and the initial transmission data. Each of the N first data points is retransmitted data. In the aforementioned implementation, the second data, as data determined based on N first data points, can be understood as data determined purely by the retransmitted data. In this implementation, the second data, as data determined based on N first data points and the initial transmission data, can be understood as data determined by the retransmitted data and the initial transmission data.

[0117] It should be noted that when the second data is determined based on N pieces of first data and initial transmitted data, this initial transmitted data is the new data that the sending end needs to transmit. Therefore, the sending end can transmit the second data according to a "new" HARQ process. As an example, the sending end can transmit the second data according to the aforementioned second HARQ process.

[0118] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of second data according to a single HARQ process, as provided in another embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the sending end transmits a data C according to HARQ process 0. The data C carried in HARQ process 0 can be divided into four code blocks: code block 1, code block 2, code block 3, and code block 4.

[0119] The receiving end receives and decodes data C. Block 4 in data C carried by HARQ process 0 is found to have a transmission error. Therefore, the receiving end sends a NACK message to the sending end, indicating that block 4 needs to be retransmitted. That is, N is set to 1, and the first data to be retransmitted is block 4. Figure 4 Consistent, the first information can indicate the identification information of HARQ process 0, so as to indicate the original HARQ process corresponding to code block 4.

[0120] exist Figure 5 In addition, the sending end also needs to transmit another data D, which is the initial transmission data. Based on the above scheme, the sending end can transmit the second data based on HARQ process 1. The second data is the data determined based on the above code block 4 (first data) and the above initial transmission data D.

[0121] Similar to the aforementioned second data determined by superimposing and encoding N first data, the second data can also be determined by superimposing and encoding N first data and initial transmitted data. For example, Figure 5The code block 4 shown can undergo bit selection and interleaving, and the processed code block 4 can be superimposed and encoded with the initial transmitted data using an XOR method. It can be understood that the initial transmitted data can be divided into four code blocks: code block 5, code block 6, code block 7, and code block 8. The processed code block 4 can select one of the code blocks 5 to 8 for superposition encoding according to predefined superposition encoding rules. The specific superposition encoding rules will not be elaborated further in this embodiment.

[0122] As described above, the NDI field associated with the first or second HARQ process can indicate whether data retransmission is performed. When the second data is determined based on N first data and initial transmission data, it is equivalent to the sending end performing both data retransmission and initial transmission according to the second HARQ process. This is a special case distinct from retransmitted and initial transmission data. In some implementations, the first indicator field can indicate that the second data is determined based on N first data and initial transmission data; this first indicator field is associated with the second HARQ process.

[0123] The first indication field, as an indication field associated with the second HARQ process, can be understood as an extended NDI field. This first indication field indicates that the second data is determined based on N first data and initial transmission data, that is, it indicates that the second HARQ process performs both data retransmission and initial data transmission.

[0124] As one possible implementation, the first indication field may include a first bit and a second bit, the values ​​corresponding to the first bit and the second bit being different. For example, the first bit may include one bit, the second bit may include one bit, and the different values ​​indicated by these two bits indicate that the second data is determined based on N first data and initial transmitted data.

[0125] For example, the first indicator field can indicate "01", where the first bit corresponds to the value "0" and the second bit corresponds to the value "1". The values ​​corresponding to these two bits are different, thus indicating that the second data is determined based on N first data and initial transmitted data. Alternatively, the first indicator field can indicate "10", where the first bit corresponds to the value "1" and the second bit corresponds to the value "0".

[0126] Furthermore, when the first indicator field indicates "00", it can be understood that the first indicator field instructs the second HARQ process to only perform initial data transmission; when the first indicator field indicates "11", it can be understood that the first indicator field instructs the second HARQ process to only perform data retransmission. Alternatively, when the first indicator field indicates "11", it can be understood that the first indicator field instructs the second HARQ process to only perform initial data transmission; when the first indicator field indicates "00", it can be understood that the first indicator field instructs the second HARQ process to only perform data retransmission.

[0127] In another possible implementation, the first indication field may include a third bit and a fourth bit. The third bit indicates that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data, and the fourth bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data. For example, the third bit may include a single bit equivalent to the bit corresponding to the NDI field, and the fourth bit may include a single bit that is a separately added bit relative to the bit corresponding to the NDI field. When the second data is determined based on N pieces of first data and the initial transmission data, the third bit can indicate that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data without being flipped, and the fourth bit can indicate that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data.

[0128] In the communication method provided in this application embodiment, the sending end sends second data according to a single HARQ process, and the amount of data that a single HARQ process can carry has an upper limit. As one possible implementation, the number of data transmission units included in the second data does not exceed a preset threshold. As described above, the data scheduled by the HARQ process can correspond to different transmission granularities; therefore, the preset threshold can indicate the upper limit of the amount of data that a single HARQ process can carry at different transmission granularities. When the sending end determines the second data based on N first data, it can control the number of N first data according to the preset threshold, thereby ensuring that the data transmission units included in the determined second data do not exceed the preset threshold.

[0129] In some implementations, the terminal device can send capability information to the network device. This capability information is used to determine the amount of data that the HARQ process transmitting the second data can carry. It is understood that, when the upper limit of the data volume that the HARQ process can carry is related to the capability of the terminal device, the network device can, based on the received capability information, indicate the number of N identification information items in the first information, so that the number of data units included in the second data does not exceed the data volume that the corresponding HARQ process can carry.

[0130] Figure 6 and Figure 7This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a possible communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be as follows: Figure 3 The terminal device or network device in the method embodiments shown may also be a component (such as a chip, chip system, processor, etc.) configured in the terminal device or network device, or a logic module or software that can realize some or all of the functions of the terminal device or network device.

[0131] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 includes a processing module 610 and a transceiver module 620.

[0132] The transceiver module 620 can implement corresponding communication functions and can also be referred to as an input / output interface or communication unit. The processing module 610 can be used to perform processing operations. It should be understood that if the device 600 is a component configured in a network device or terminal device, such as a chip, the transceiver module 620 can be an input / output interface.

[0133] Optionally, the transceiver module 620 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the above-described... Figure 3 The receiving module is used to perform the above-mentioned transmitting operations of network devices or terminal devices. Figure 3 The receiving operation of network devices or terminal devices.

[0134] It should be understood that when the device 600 is a component configured in a network device or terminal device, such as a chip, the transmitting module can be an output interface, and the transmitting operation involved in the embodiments of this application can be performed by the output interface; the receiving module can be an input interface, and the receiving operation involved in the embodiments of this application can be performed by the input interface.

[0135] Optionally, the device 600 may further include a storage module for storing instructions and / or data, and the processing module 610 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage module to enable the device to perform the preceding operations. Figure 3 The method embodiment shown.

[0136] In one possible design, the aforementioned device 600 can be used to implement the above. Figure 3 The terminal device functions in the method embodiments shown, or the above-described apparatus 600 may include functions for implementing the above-described methods. Figure 3Any function or operation unit of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof.

[0137] When device 600 is used to achieve Figure 3 In the method embodiment shown, when the terminal device performs its function, the transceiver module 620 (specifically, a receiving module) can be used to perform... Figure 3 In step S301, first information is received from the network device. The first information indicates N identification information, where the N identification information is used to indicate N HARQ processes transmitting N first data, each of the N first data is retransmitted data, and N is a positive integer. The transceiver module 620 (specifically, a receiving module) can also be used to perform... Figure 3 In step S302a, second data is received from the network device, the second data being determined based on N pieces of first data; or, the transceiver module 620 (specifically, a sending module) can be used to perform this action. Figure 3 In step S302b, the second data is sent to the network device.

[0138] In another possible design, the aforementioned device 600 can be used to implement the above. Figure 3 The method embodiment shown may include the functions of the network device, or the apparatus 600 may include components for implementing the above. Figure 3 Any function or operation unit of the network device in the method embodiment shown can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof.

[0139] When device 600 is used to achieve Figure 3 In the method embodiment shown, when the network device functions, the transceiver module 620 (specifically, the sending module) can be used to perform... Figure 3 In step S301, a first message is sent to the terminal device. The first message indicates N identification information, where the N identification information is used to indicate N HARQ processes transmitting N first data. Each of the N first data is retransmitted data, and N is a positive integer. The transceiver module (specifically, the sending module) can also be used to perform... Figure 3 In step S302a, second data is sent to the terminal device, the second data being determined based on N pieces of first data; or, the transceiver module 620 (specifically, a receiving module) can be used to perform this action. Figure 3 In step S302b, the second data is received from the terminal device.

[0140] For a more detailed description of the aforementioned processing module 610 and transceiver module 620, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 3 The relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown are directly obtained and will not be repeated here.

[0141] It should be noted that the transceiver module can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver machine, or transceiver device, etc. The processing module can also be called a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device, etc. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the terminal device or network device side in the above method. The device in the communication module used to implement the receiving function can be considered as the receiving module, and the device in the communication module used to implement the sending function can be considered as the sending module; that is, the transceiver module includes both a receiving module and a sending module.

[0142] In another possible design, the aforementioned transceiver module and / or processing module can be implemented using virtual modules. For example, the processing module can be implemented using software functional modules or virtual devices, and the transceiver module can also be implemented using software functional modules or virtual devices. In another possible design, the processing module or transceiver module can also be implemented using physical devices. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0143] It should be understood that the module division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0144] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. The device 700 can be a chip system, or it can be a device configured with a chip system to implement the above-described method embodiments. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0145] like Figure 7 As shown, device 700 can be implemented using a processing system including one or more processors 701. Processor 701 includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, graphics processor, programmable logic device, state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, and other suitable hardware configured to various functions. That is, the processor used in device 700 can be used to implement any one or more of the embodiments described above.

[0146] The processing system in device 700 can be implemented using a bus architecture, typically represented by bus 702. Bus 702 may include any number of interconnect buses and bridges, depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system. The bus communicatively couples various circuits together, including one or more processors 701 (typically represented by a processor), memory 703, and computer-readable medium 704 (typically represented by a computer-readable medium). Bus 702 may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will therefore not be described further. Bus interface 705 provides an interface between bus 702 and transceivers, and between bus 702 and interfaces. Bus interface 705 may use, but is not limited to, transceivers to enable communication between device 700 and other devices or apparatuses.

[0147] A transceiver provides a communication interface or means for communicating with various other devices via a wireless transmission medium. The transceiver may be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array may be used together for communication with a corresponding network type. At least one interface (e.g., a network interface and / or a user interface) provides a communication interface or means for communication via an internal bus or via an external transmission medium.

[0148] Processor 701 is responsible for managing bus 702 and general processing, including executing software stored on computer-readable medium 704. When executed by processor 701, the software causes the processing system to perform the various functions described below for any particular device.

[0149] The processor 701, memory 703, and computer-readable medium 704 can perform the following functions: encoding, decoding, rate matching, rate dematching, scrambling, descrambling, modulation, demodulation, layer mapping, fast Fourier transform, inverse fast Fourier transform, inverse discrete Fourier transform, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, channel equalization, RE demapping, digital beamforming (BF), adding cyclic prefix (CP), removing CP, etc.

[0150] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art.

[0151] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the methods described above.

[0152] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the various steps in the methods described above.

[0153] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned terminal device and network device.

[0154] It should be noted that the modules or components shown in the above embodiments can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more microprocessors, or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Furthermore, when a module is implemented by a processing element calling program code, the processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other processor capable of calling program code, such as a controller. Additionally, these modules can be integrated together and implemented as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

[0155] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, software modules, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0156] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and intent of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0157] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive first information, the first information indicating N identification information, the N identification information being used to indicate N Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) processes transmitting N first data, each of the N first data being retransmitted data, and N being a positive integer; Based on the first information, receive or send second data, which is determined based on the N first data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second data is determined based on the N first data, including: the second data is determined based on the superimposed encoding of the N first data.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The N identification information includes a first identification information, and the first HARQ process indicated by the first identification information is used to transmit the second data.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first identification information is the identification information with the largest or smallest index value among the N identification information.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information also indicates a second identification information other than the N identification information, and the second identification information indicates a second HARQ process used to transmit the second data.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second data is determined based on the N first data points, including: The second data is determined based on the N first data and the initial transmission data.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first indication field indicates that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data and initial data, and the first indication field is associated with the second HARQ process.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first indication field includes a first bit and a second bit, wherein the values ​​corresponding to the first bit and the second bit are different; or, The first indication field includes a third bit and a fourth bit, wherein the third bit indicates that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data, and the fourth bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Each of the N first data corresponds to any of the following data transmission units: code block, code block group, or transmission block.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The number of data transmission units included in the second data does not exceed a preset threshold.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first message, which indicates N identification information. The N identification information is used to indicate N HARQ processes that transmit N first data. Each of the N first data is retransmitted data, and N is a positive integer. Based on the first information, send or receive second data, which is determined based on the N first data.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The second data is determined based on the superimposed encoding of the N first data.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The N identification information includes first identification information, and the first HARQ process indicated by the first identification information is used to transmit the second data.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first identification information is the identification information with the largest or smallest index value among the N identification information.

15. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first information also indicates a second identification information other than the N identification information, and the second identification information indicates a second HARQ process used to transmit the second data.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The second data is determined based on the N first data points, including: The second data is determined based on the N first data and the initial transmission data.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first indication field indicates that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data and initial data, and the first indication field is associated with the second HARQ process.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first indication field includes a first bit and a second bit, wherein the values ​​corresponding to the first bit and the second bit are different; or, The first indication field includes a third bit and a fourth bit, wherein the third bit indicates that the second data is determined based on retransmitted data, and the fourth bit indicates that the second data is determined based on the initial transmission data and the retransmitted data.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that, Each of the N first data corresponds to any of the following data transmission units: code block, code block group, or transmission block.

20. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that, The number of data transmission units included in the second data does not exceed a preset threshold.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for implementing the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or includes a module for implementing the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor, the processor being coupled to memory; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

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