A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and device are provided. The method comprises the steps of: generating a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE) by a terminal device, wherein the first MAC CE includes channel quality information of the terminal device; determining by the terminal device whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3; and, if it is determined to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, transmitting message 3 containing the first MAC CE to a network device by the terminal device.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and devices. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike conventional LTE communication, Long Term Evolution (LTE) machine type communication (MTC) systems or narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems do not pursue high data transmission rates, multiple frequency bands, multiple antennas, or full-duplex transmission; instead, terminal devices must be able to achieve low power consumption and low cost. Typical application scenarios for MTC or NB-IoT include smart grids, smart agriculture, smart transportation, smart homes, and environmental sensing. Application scenarios for MTC or NB-IoT are characterized by the relatively small amount of data transmitted in these scenarios and the uncertainty of data arrival times. Under current technology, in order to transmit data between a terminal device and a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) connection must first be established through a random access (RA) process, and subsequently, data must be transmitted using this established RRC connection. In the aforementioned process, signaling overhead and delay are relatively large, and the power consumption of the terminal device is relatively large.

[0003] To reduce signaling overhead and delay, and to decrease power consumption of terminal devices, Early Data Transmission (EDT) technology based on the random access process is currently provided. During the EDT process, the terminal device may transmit uplink data to the base station via the RRC message of Message 3, or the base station may transmit downlink data to the terminal device via Message 4. Additionally, to better schedule downlink data, the network device may request the terminal device to report channel quality information during the random access process or the EDT process. However, how the terminal device reports channel quality information during the random access process or the EDT process is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. The problem to be solved

[0004] The object of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a communication method and device that solves the problem of how a terminal device reports channel quality information. means of solving the problem

[0005] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. The method comprises the steps of: generating a first MAC CE by a terminal device—the first MAC CE includes channel quality information of the terminal device—determining by the terminal device whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, and, if it is determined to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, transmitting message 3 containing the first MAC CE to a network device by the terminal device.

[0006] In the method described above, channel quality information is not transmitted via the RRC message of message 3, but via the first MAC CE of message 3. When the terminal device initiates the existing random access process or downlink EDT process, the channel quality information does not occupy the resources of the RRC message. Therefore, if the resources of message 3 are sufficiently large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device can transmit the channel quality information. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting the channel quality information increases, and the efficiency of transmitting the channel quality information is further improved. When the terminal device initiates the uplink EDT process, the channel quality information does not occupy the resources of the uplink data in the RRC message. Therefore, if the resources of message 3 are sufficiently large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device can transmit the channel quality information. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting the channel quality information increases, and the efficiency of transmitting the channel quality information is further improved.

[0007] In a possible design, the step of determining whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 by a terminal device includes the step of determining whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 based on the Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) priority of the first MAC CE by the terminal device.

[0008] In the method described above, when transmitting message 3, the terminal device determines whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. If the TBS of message 3 is relatively large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device may transmit the first MAC CE through message 3. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information is increased, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0009] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes a padding BSR (buffer status report).

[0010] In the method described above, if an idle bit exists in message 3, the padding BSR is transmitted using this idle bit, so the LCP priority of the second MAC CE transmitting the padding BSR may be lower than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information is increased, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0011] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0012] In a possible design, this method further includes the step of receiving first indication information transmitted by a network device by a terminal device, and the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0013] In a possible design, the terminal device has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0014] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor, the processor is connected to memory, and the memory is configured to store instructions. The processor is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform a method of the first aspect or any one of the possible designs of the first aspect. Optionally, the communication device may further include memory. Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver configured to support the communication device in transmitting and / or receiving information in the method described above. Optionally, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a device within a terminal device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. A chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or discrete components.

[0015] According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to implement a method of the first aspect or any one of the possible designs of the first aspect. The communication device includes corresponding functional modules, for example, a processing unit and a transceiver unit, each configured to implement the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message 3 transmitted by a terminal device by a network device, and, if it is determined that the message 3 includes a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE), determining the quality of a channel between the network device and the terminal device based on channel quality information of the first MAC CE by the network device.

[0017] In the method described above, channel quality information is not transmitted through the RRC message of message 3, but is transmitted through the first MAC CE of message 3. Therefore, channel quality information does not occupy uplink data resources in the RRC message. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information is increased, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0018] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes padding BSR.

[0019] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor, the processor is connected to memory, and the memory is configured to store instructions. The processor is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform a method of the fourth aspect or any one of the possible designs of the fourth aspect. Optionally, the communication device may further include memory. Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver configured to support the communication device in the method described above transmitting and / or receiving information. Optionally, the communication device may be a network device, or a device within a network device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. A chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or discrete components.

[0021] According to the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to implement a method of the fourth aspect or any one of the possible designs of the fourth aspect. The communication device includes corresponding functional modules, for example, a processing unit and a transceiver unit, each configured to implement the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0022] According to the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. The method comprises the steps of: determining whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 by a terminal device; and, if it is determined to transmit channel quality information through message 3, generating a radio resource control (RRC) message containing channel quality information by the terminal device and transmitting message 3 containing the RRC message to a network device.

[0023] In the above-described method procedure, before transmitting message 3, the terminal device must determine whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3. Only when it is determined that channel quality information can be transmitted through message 3, the terminal device transmits an RRC message containing channel quality information through message 3, thereby improving resource utilization and ensuring uplink data transmission.

[0024] In a possible design, the step of determining whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 by a terminal device includes the step of determining whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 based on the transmission block size (TBS) of message 3 by the terminal device.

[0025] In a possible design, the step of determining whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 based on the transmission block size (TBS) of message 3 by a terminal device includes the step of determining to transmit channel quality information through message 3 by the terminal device when it is determined that the transmission block size (TBS) of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

[0026] According to the method described above, regardless of whether the terminal device initiates a conventional random access process, a downlink EDT process, or an uplink EDT process, the terminal device transmits channel quality information through message 3 only when it is determined that the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the resource of message 3 is sufficiently large. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information is increased, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0027] In a possible design, this method further includes the step of receiving a first threshold from a network device.

[0028] In a possible design, the first threshold is the sum of the TBS required by the uplink data delivered in message 3 and the TBS required by the RRC message containing channel quality information.

[0029] Specifically, if the terminal device determines that the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold, specifically if the TBS of message 3 can accommodate both uplink data and an RRC message containing channel quality information, the TBS of message 3 may be considered to be sufficiently large to transmit channel quality information. In this way, it is determined that channel quality information can be transmitted through message 3.

[0030] In a possible design, the TBS of message 3 is presented to the RRC layer of the terminal device by the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the terminal device.

[0031] In a possible design, the step of determining whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 by a terminal device includes the step of determining to transmit channel quality information through message 3 by the terminal device if it is determined that message 3 is a message of the early data transmission (EDT) process.

[0032] In the above process, when the terminal device determines whether to transmit channel quality information via an RRC message based on the TBS of message 3, if the TBS of message 3 is not sufficiently large, the terminal device may transmit data via message 3 first. The channel quality information is used as auxiliary information and may not be transmitted temporarily. Accordingly, when the TBS of message 3 is sufficiently large, the terminal device may transmit channel quality information via message 3.

[0033] In a possible design, the RRC message is an RRC early data transmission request message, an RRC connection resumption request message, an RRC connection re-establishment request message, or an RRC connection request message.

[0034] In a possible design, this method further includes the step of receiving first indication information transmitted by a network device by a terminal device, and the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0035] In a possible design, the terminal device has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0036] According to the eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor, the processor is connected to memory, and the memory is configured to store instructions. The processor is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform a method of the eighth aspect or any one of the possible designs of the eighth aspect. Optionally, the communication device may further include memory. Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver configured to support the communication device in transmitting and / or receiving information in the method described above. Optionally, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a device within a terminal device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. A chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or discrete components.

[0037] According to the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to implement a method of the eighth aspect or any one of the possible designs of the eighth aspect. The communication device includes corresponding functional modules, for example, a processing unit and a transceiver unit, each configured to implement the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0038] According to the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message 3 transmitted by a terminal device by a network device, and, if it is determined that the RRC message of message 3 contains channel quality information, determining the quality of a channel between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information by the network device.

[0039] In the above-described method procedure, before transmitting message 3, the terminal device must determine whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3. Only when it is determined that channel quality information can be transmitted through message 3, the terminal device transmits an RRC message containing channel quality information through message 3, thereby improving resource utilization and ensuring uplink data transmission.

[0040] In a possible design, this method further includes the step of transmitting a first threshold value to a terminal device by a network device.

[0041] According to the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor, the processor is connected to memory, and the memory is configured to store instructions. The processor is configured to execute instructions stored in memory to perform a method of the tenth aspect or any one of the possible designs of the tenth aspect. Optionally, the communication device may further include memory. Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver configured to support the communication device in transmitting and / or receiving information in the method described above. Optionally, the communication device may be a network device, or a device within a network device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. A chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or discrete components.

[0042] According to the 12th aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to implement a method of the 10th aspect or any one of the possible designs of the 10th aspect. The communication device includes corresponding functional modules, for example, a processing unit and a transceiver unit, each configured to implement the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0043] Embodiments of the present application provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer storage medium includes computer-readable instructions. When a computer reads and executes computer-readable instructions, a communication device may perform any one of the possible designs described above.

[0044] Embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, a communication device may perform any one of the possible designs described above.

[0045] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip. The chip is connected to a memory and configured to read and execute a software program stored in the memory to implement a method in any one of the possible designs described above.

[0046] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device includes a processor, and the processor is connected to memory and is configured to implement a method according to any one of the aforementioned aspects or a possible design of the aforementioned aspects by reading and executing instructions in memory.

[0047] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication system comprising a communication device of a second aspect and a communication device of a fifth aspect. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application can be applied. Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of the random access process or EDT process in current technology. FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0049] Hereinafter, detailed embodiments of the present application will be further described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0050] Embodiments of the present application may be applied to various mobile communication systems, such as, for example, new radio (NR) systems, global system of mobile communication (GSM) systems, code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, general packet radio service (GPRS) systems, LTE (long term evolution) systems, LTE-A (advanced long term evolution) systems, and other communication systems. They are not limited thereto.

[0051] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the communication system illustrated in FIG. 1 is first used as an example to explain in detail the communication system to which the embodiments of the present application may be applied. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application may be applied. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a base station and terminal devices (1) to (6) form a communication system. In the communication system, the base station transmits information to one or more of the terminal devices (1) to (6). Additionally, terminal devices (4) to (6) also form a communication system. In the communication system, the terminal device (5) may transmit information to one or both of the terminal device (4) and the terminal device (6).

[0052] Specifically, the terminal device of the embodiment of the present application is a device having wireless transceiver capabilities that provides voice and / or data access to a user, or a chip that may be placed in the device. The terminal device may communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal for industrial control, a wireless terminal for self-driving, a wireless terminal for transportation safety, a wireless terminal for smart grid, a wireless terminal for transportation safety, a wireless terminal for smart city, a wireless terminal for smart home, etc. Application scenarios are not limited to the embodiment of the present application. In the present application, the terminal device and the chip that may be placed in the terminal device are collectively referred to as the terminal device. In embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile console, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device.

[0053] The network device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip that can be placed in this device. The network device may be configured to convert received Over-the-Air (OTA) frames and IP packets, act as a router between the terminal device and the rest of the access network, and may be further configured to coordinate the management of attributes of the OTA interface. This device may be an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved Node B or a home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an access point (AP) of a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a radio relay node, a radio backhaul node, a transmission point (transceive / receive point (TRP) or transmission point (TP)), etc., or a gNB or transmission point (TRP or TP) of a 5G (NR) system, a single antenna panel of a 5G system, or a group of antenna panels of a base station (including multiple antenna panels), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0054] The network architectures and service scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are intended to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that as network architectures evolve and new service scenarios emerge, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application may also be applied to similar technical problems.

[0055] The embodiments of the present application may be applied to networks such as NB-IoT and enhanced machine type of communication (eMTC). In some scenarios of the embodiments of the present application, a scenario of an NB-IoT network of a wireless communication network is used as an example for illustrative purposes. It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments of the present application may be further applied to other wireless communication networks, and corresponding names may be replaced with the names of corresponding functions of other wireless communication networks.

[0056] Embodiments of the present application may be applied to a random access process or to an EDT process. The random access process or the EDT process is illustrated in FIG. 2 and mainly comprises a four-step message procedure.

[0057] Step 201: The terminal device transmits a random access preamble to the network device.

[0058] The random access preamble is also called message 1 (message 1, msg 1) and is used to initiate a random access process or an EDT process.

[0059] It should be noted that in current NB-IoT systems, there are multiple preambles available for use. These preambles can be divided into two orthogonal sets. One set of preambles is used to initiate the random access process, and this set is hereinafter referred to as Set 1. The other set of preambles is used to initiate the EDT process, and this set is hereinafter referred to as Set 2. If a preamble transmitted by a terminal device comes from Set 1, this preamble is used to initiate the random access process. If a preamble transmitted by a terminal device comes from Set 2, this preamble is used to initiate the EDT process.

[0060] It should be noted that the EDT process can be further divided into an uplink EDT process and a downlink EDT process. The uplink EDT process is actively initiated by the terminal device when it needs to transmit uplink data, and the preamble transmitted by the terminal device is from Set 2. The network device can determine whether the terminal device should initiate the uplink EDT process based on the received preamble. The downlink EDT process is initiated by the network device. For example, when the network side needs to transmit downlink data to the terminal device, the network device can instruct the terminal device to initiate the downlink EDT process.

[0061] Step 202: The network device transmits a random access response (RAR) to the terminal device.

[0062] RAR may also be referred to as message 2 (message 2, msg 2).

[0063] Step 203: The terminal device transmits message 3 (message 3, msg 3) to the network device.

[0064] In the random access process, Message 3 does not contain uplink data. In the uplink EDT process, Message 3 contains uplink data that must be transmitted by the terminal device.

[0065] It should be noted that Message 3 is transmitted in the form of a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (PDU). Currently, the MAC PDU contains M MAC Service Data Units (SDUs) and N MAC Control Elements (CEs). M and N are integers greater than or equal to 0. Each MAC SDU or each MAC CE corresponds to a Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) priority, and the LCP priority of each MAC SDU or each MAC CE is configured by the network device or agreed upon in advance in the protocol.

[0066] The uplink data that the terminal device needs to transmit is located in message 3. Since the terminal device must transmit RRC messages first, the LCP priority of the MAC SDU carrying the RRC message is the highest, and the terminal device preferentially multiplexes the MAC SDU carrying the RRC message into the MAC PDU of message 3.

[0067] Step 204: The network device transmits a contention resolution message to the terminal device.

[0068] This message may also be referred to as message 4 (message 4, msg 4). In the downlink EDT process, message 4 further includes downlink data transmitted by the network device to the terminal device.

[0069] In conclusion, the main difference between the random access process and the EDT process lies in messages 3 and 4. In the random access process, message 3 does not contain uplink data, and message 4 does not contain downlink data. In the uplink EDT process, message 3 contains uplink data that the terminal device must transmit. In the downlink EDT process, message (4) further contains downlink data transmitted to the terminal device by the network device.

[0070] Referring to the foregoing description, FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to one embodiment of the present application. The procedure illustrated in FIG. 3 may be applied to a random access process or an EDT process.

[0071] Referring to Fig. 3, this method includes the following steps.

[0072] Step 301: The terminal device generates the first MAC CE.

[0073] The first MAC CE includes channel quality information of the terminal device.

[0074] Before the terminal device generates the first MAC CE, the following process is further included: the terminal device transmits a preamble to the network device, wherein the preamble is used to initiate a random access process or an EDT; the terminal device receives a RAR transmitted by the network device, wherein the RAR is transmitted by the network device after the network device has received the preamble.

[0075] Step 302: The terminal device determines whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3; if it determines to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, the terminal device transmits message 3 containing the first MAC CE to the network device.

[0076] In response to this, if it is not decided not to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, the terminal device transmits message 3, which does not include the first MAC CE, to the network device.

[0077] In this embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE, or may determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 in another way. Further details are not described herein.

[0078] It should be noted that the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is pre-configured. The method of specifically configuring the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. Message 3 further includes a MAC SDU that carries an RRC message, and the LCP priority of the MAC SDU that carries the RRC message is the highest, and the terminal device preferentially multiplexes the MAC SDU that carries the RRC message into the MAC PDU of Message 3.

[0079] RRC messages can be RRC Early Data Request messages, RRC Connection Resume Request messages, RRC Connection Reestablishment Request messages, RRC Connection Request messages, etc.

[0080] Note that prior to step 301 or 302, the terminal device may further perform step 301 or 302 if it is determined that at least one of the following conditions is satisfied:

[0081] The terminal device receives the first indication information transmitted by the network device - where the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to report channel quality information - ;

[0082] The terminal device has a function of reporting channel quality information. In this embodiment of the present application, the channel quality information may be a channel quality indicator (CQI), the number of repetitions of data transmission performed by the terminal device, or a reference signal receiving power (RSRP) or a reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ) determined by the terminal device, etc. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0083] If at least one of the above conditions is satisfied, the terminal device determines that channel quality information should be transmitted via message 3 during the random access process or the EDT process.

[0084] Step 303: The network device receives message 3 transmitted by the terminal device.

[0085] If message 3 includes a first MAC CE, the first MAC CE is multiplexed into message 3 by the terminal device based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE.

[0086] Step 304: If it is determined that message 3 includes a first MAC CE, the network device determines the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information of the first MAC CE.

[0087] Because the resources of the RRC message in Message 3 are limited, the terminal device may fail to transmit channel quality information via the RRC message of Message 3 during the random access process or the EDT process. Even if the terminal device transmits channel quality information via the RRC message of Message 3, the channel quality information may occupy resources for uplink data, so the terminal channel may only be able to transmit a portion of the uplink data and may need to request new resources to transmit the uplink data. Consequently, the delay in the uplink data is relatively large. In this embodiment of the present application, the channel quality information is not transmitted via the RRC message of Message 3 but is transmitted via the first MAC CE of Message 3. When the terminal device initiates the conventional random access process or downlink EDT process, the channel quality information does not occupy resources for the RRC message. Therefore, if the resources of Message 3 are sufficiently large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device can transmit the channel quality information. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting the channel quality information increases, and the efficiency of transmitting the channel quality information is further improved. When the terminal device initiates the uplink EDT process, the channel quality information does not occupy the resources of the uplink data in the RRC message. Therefore, if the resources of message 3 are sufficiently large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device can transmit the channel quality information. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting the channel quality information increases, and the efficiency of transmitting the channel quality information is further improved.

[0088] Referring to the description above, in this embodiment of the present application, before transmitting Message 3, the terminal device generates a P MAC SDU and a Q MAC CE. The Q MAC CE includes a first MAC CE, where P and Q are integers greater than or equal to 0. Based on the LCP priority of the P MAC SDU and Q MAC CE, the terminal device multiplexes the MAC SDU and MAC CE with higher priority and assembles the MAC SDU and MAC CE into the MAC PDU of Message 3. The terminal device may determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into Message 3 based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. For example, during the process of assembling the MAC PDU of Message 3, the terminal device may determine the transport block size (TBS) required by all MAC SDUs and MAC CEs that are in the P MAC SDU and Q MAC CE and have an LCP priority higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. Hereinafter, the TBS is abbreviated as the first TBS. If the terminal device determines that the first TBS is greater than or equal to the TBS of message 3, it may decide not to multiplex the first MAC CE to message 3. Correspondingly, if the terminal device determines that the first TBS is less than the TBS of message 3, and the difference between the TBS of message 3 and the first TBS is greater than or equal to the TBS required by the first MAC CE, the terminal device may decide to multiplex the first MAC CE to message 3.

[0089] In the above-described method procedure, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE containing channel quality information may be pre-configured. When transmitting Message 3, the terminal device determines whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into Message 3 based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. If the TBS of Message 3 is relatively large or the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is relatively high, the terminal device may transmit the first MAC CE through Message 3. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information increases, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0090] In this embodiment of the present application, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be configured by a network device, pre-set, or determined by a terminal device. The LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be determined according to actual circumstances. For example, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes a padding buffer status report (BSR).

[0091] If there is an idle bit in message 3, the padding BSR is transmitted using this idle bit, so the LCP priority of the second MAC CE that transmits the padding BSR may be lower than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE.

[0092] In the first possible scenario, the terminal device needs to transmit uplink data first. For example, if the terminal device needs to transmit message 3 to the uplink EDT, the terminal device decides that it needs to transmit uplink data first. Clearly, the foregoing description is merely an example. Alternatively, the terminal device may decide whether it needs to transmit uplink data first in other cases.

[0093] In this scenario, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be lower than the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU, and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel. In this case, the terminal device may preferentially multiplex the first MAC SDU with the MAC PDU of Message 3 to increase the transmission priority of the uplink data. Logical channels include, but are not limited to, broadcast channels, common control channels, dedicated control channels, etc. Further details are not described here.

[0094] In the method described above, during the uplink EDT process, since the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU, the transmission of uplink data can be guaranteed preferentially when the TBS of message 3 is relatively small. When the TBS of message 3 is relatively large, it can be guaranteed that channel quality information is transmitted through message 3 while all uplink data is being transmitted.

[0095] In a second possible scenario, the terminal device needs to receive downlink data transmitted by the network device first. For example, when the terminal device needs to transmit message 3 in the downlink EDT, the terminal device decides that it needs to receive downlink data transmitted by the network device first. Clearly, the foregoing description is merely an example. Alternatively, the terminal device may decide whether to receive downlink data transmitted by the network device first depending on other circumstances.

[0096] In this scenario, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU. In this case, the terminal device may preferentially multiplex the first MAC CE into the MAC PDU of message 3 to increase the transmission priority of the channel quality information.

[0097] In the method described above, during the downlink EDT process, since the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU, the success rate of transmitting channel quality information can be increased by transmitting channel quality information preferentially.

[0098] In the first and second possible scenarios, the reported channel quality information is transmitted by the first MAC CE and does not include the RRC layer. Based on the TBS of the MAC PDU of message 3, the terminal device can determine at the MAC layer whether to transmit the first MAC CE containing the channel quality information in message 3.

[0099] In this embodiment of the present application, when a terminal device needs to transmit data, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be configured to be lower than the LCP priority of the data of any logical channel, but since the TBS of the MAC PDU is not large enough to transmit the data and the first MAC CE simultaneously, the terminal device may transmit the data first so that the data transmission is not affected by the reported channel quality information.

[0100] Furthermore, when a terminal device needs to transmit data, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE may be configured to be higher than the LCP priority of the data of any logical channel, but since the TBS of the MAC PDU is not large enough to transmit the data and the channel quality information MAC CE simultaneously, the terminal device may report the channel quality information first, and the data of the terminal device may be transmitted in a subsequent transmission.

[0101] In this embodiment of the present application, when the random access process is currently being performed, the TBS allocated to Message 3 by the network device is 56 bits or more. It can only guarantee that RRC messages that do not contain channel quality information (such as RRC messages, Connection Reestablishment Request messages, Connection Request messages, etc.) can be transmitted. If an RRC message contains channel quality information, the amount of bits required by the RRC message may be greater than the TBS in Message 3 allocated by the network device. Therefore, the RRC message cannot be transmitted. Accordingly, in this embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine in advance whether channel quality information can be transmitted through Message 3 before transmitting Message 3, and thereby increase the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information. Further details are described below.

[0102] Referring to the foregoing description, FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to one embodiment of the present application. The procedure of FIG. 4 may be applied to a random access process or an EDT process.

[0103] Referring to Fig. 4, this method includes the following steps.

[0104] Step 401: The terminal device determines whether to transmit channel quality information via message 3.

[0105] Step 402: When it is decided to transmit channel quality information via message 3, the terminal device generates an RRC message containing channel quality information and transmits message 3 containing the RRC message to the network device.

[0106] RRC messages can be RRC Early Data Request messages, RRC Connection Resume Request messages, RRC Connection Reestablishment Request messages, RRC Connection Request messages, etc.

[0107] Step 403: The network device receives message 3 transmitted by the terminal device.

[0108] Step 404: If it is determined that the RRC message of message 3 contains channel quality information, the network device determines the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information.

[0109] In the aforementioned method procedure, if the network device indicates that the terminal device can report channel quality information, the network device generally allocates a sufficiently large TBS to Message 3. In this case, the terminal device can transmit channel quality information through Message 3. However, currently, only some terminal devices support reporting channel quality information via Message 3. If the network device allocates a sufficiently large TBS to Message 3 for all terminal devices, resource waste occurs for terminal devices that do not support reporting channel quality information. Therefore, the TBS allocated to Message 3 by the network device may not be sufficiently large for the terminal device to transmit channel quality information. Therefore, before transmitting Message 3, the terminal device must determine whether to transmit channel quality information via Message 3. Only when it is determined that channel quality information can be transmitted via Message 3, the terminal device transmits an RRC message containing channel quality information via Message 3, thereby increasing resource utilization and ensuring uplink data transmission.

[0110] It should be noted that prior to step 401 or step 402, the terminal device may determine whether at least one of the following conditions is satisfied.

[0111] The terminal device receives first indication information transmitted by the network device - where the first indication information is used to indicate to the terminal device to report channel quality information - ;

[0112] The terminal device has the function of reporting channel quality information.

[0113] If at least one of the aforementioned conditions is satisfied, the terminal device may transmit a preamble to the network device, wherein the preamble is used to initiate a random access process or an EDT. The terminal device receives the RAR transmitted by the network device.

[0114] Before transmitting Message 3, the terminal device may determine in a plurality of ways whether to transmit channel quality information through Message 3. Details will be described later.

[0115] In a first possible embodiment, the terminal device may determine whether to transmit channel quality information through message 3 based on the TBS of message 3. Specifically, if the terminal device determines that the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it may determine to transmit channel quality information through message 3. Correspondingly, if the TBS of message 3 is less than the first threshold, the terminal device may determine not to transmit channel quality information through message 3.

[0116] According to the method described above, regardless of whether the terminal device initiates a conventional random access process, a downlink EDT process, or an uplink EDT process, the terminal device transmits channel quality information through message 3 only when it is determined that the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold and the resource of message 3 is sufficiently large. In this way, the probability of successfully transmitting channel quality information is increased, and the efficiency of transmitting channel quality information is further improved.

[0117] In this embodiment of the present application, the first threshold value may be determined in a plurality of ways. For example, the first threshold value may be transmitted by a network device, or may be agreed upon in advance by the network device and the terminal device. For example, the network device may transmit the first threshold value to the terminal device, and the first threshold value may be 64 bits, 8 bytes, etc. If the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the terminal device determines that the RRC message contains channel quality information. Otherwise, the terminal device determines that the RRC message contains channel quality information.

[0118] Alternatively, the first threshold is the sum of the TBS required by the uplink data transmitted in Message 3 and the TBS required by the RRC message containing channel quality information. If the terminal device determines that the TBS of Message 3 is greater than or equal to the first threshold, specifically, if the TBS of Message 3 can accommodate both the uplink data and the RRC message containing channel quality information, the TBS of Message 3 may be considered sufficiently large to transmit the channel quality information. Accordingly, if the terminal device determines that the TBS of Message 3 is smaller than the first threshold, it may be determined that the TBS of Message 3 is relatively small and therefore cannot transmit the channel quality information.

[0119] In the above process, when the terminal device determines whether to transmit channel quality information via an RRC message based on the TBS of message 3, if the TBS of message 3 is not sufficiently large, the terminal device may transmit data via message 3 first. The channel quality information is used as auxiliary information and may not be transmitted temporarily. Accordingly, when the TBS of message 3 is sufficiently large, the terminal device may transmit channel quality information via message 3.

[0120] In this embodiment of the present application, it should be noted that the MAC PDU of message 3 belongs to the MAC layer. Accordingly, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device can determine the TBS of message 3, and the MAC layer entity of the terminal device can display the TBS of message 3 to an upper layer. The upper layer may be the RRC layer.

[0121] Additionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device may determine whether to transmit channel quality information through Message 3 based on the TBS of Message 3. For example, if the TBS of Message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device determines that the RRC message contains channel quality information and transmits transmission instruction information to the RRC layer entity of the terminal device. The transmission instruction information is used to indicate that the TBS of Message 3 is greater than or equal to the first threshold. Accordingly, the RRC layer entity of the terminal device may determine that the RRC message must contain channel quality information.

[0122] Clearly, in another way, in this embodiment of the present application, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device may determine whether the RRC message of message 3 contains channel quality information and indicate the channel quality information to the RRC layer entity. For example, if the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device may directly indicate to the RRC layer entity of the terminal device that the RRC message contains channel quality information. As another example, the MAC layer entity of the terminal device may determine, based on information such as the TBS of message 3 and the TBS required by the uplink data, that message 3 does not have sufficient resources to transmit channel quality information, and thus indicate whether the RRC layer entity contains channel quality information in the RRC message of message 3.

[0123] In a second possible embodiment, if it is determined that Message 3 is a message of the EDT process, the terminal device may determine that the terminal device is performing an uplink EDT process or a downlink EDT process. The terminal device may consider that the TBS of Message 3 is sufficiently large, and thus the terminal device may transmit channel quality information through the RRC message of Message 3. Alternatively, if the terminal device determines that the RRC message in Message 3 is an RRC Early Data Request message or an RRC Connection Resume Request message, the terminal device may consider that the TBS of Message 3 is sufficiently large so that channel quality information can be transmitted through the RRC message of Message 3. Accordingly, if it is determined that Message 3 is a message of the Random Access process, the terminal device may determine that the TBS allocated by the network device to Message 3 is relatively small so that channel quality information cannot be transmitted through the RRC message of Message 3.

[0124] In the above process, the terminal device determines whether the process is an uplink EDT process or a downlink EDT process by determining the type of message 3. In the uplink EDT process or the downlink EDT process, the TBS of message 3 is generally sufficiently large, so in most cases, it can be guaranteed that both the channel quality information and the terminal device's data are transmitted.

[0125] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device may be configured to perform the operation of a terminal device in the procedure of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. The communication device (500) includes a processing unit (501) and a transceiver unit (502).

[0126] When the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the terminal device in the procedure of FIG. 3, the processing unit (501) and the transceiver unit (502) each perform the following:

[0127] The processing unit (501) is configured to generate a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE), wherein the first MAC CE includes channel quality information, and determines whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3.

[0128] The transceiver unit (502) is configured to transmit message 3 containing the first MAC CE to a network device when the processing unit (501) determines that the first MAC CE is multiplexed into message 3.

[0129] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) specifically,

[0130] It is configured to determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 based on the Logical Channel Priority Planning (LCP) priority of the first MAC CE.

[0131] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes padding BSR.

[0132] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0133] In a possible design, the transceiver unit (502) is also configured to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device, wherein the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0134] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0135] When the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the terminal device in the procedure of FIG. 4, the processing unit (501) and the transceiver unit (502) each perform the following:

[0136] When the processing unit (501) determines that channel quality information is transmitted via message 3, the transceiver unit (502) generates an RRC message containing channel quality information and transmits message 3 containing the RRC message to a network device.

[0137] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) specifically,

[0138] It is configured to determine whether to transmit channel quality information through Message 3 based on the transmission block size (TBS) of Message 3.

[0139] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) specifically,

[0140] When it is determined that the transmission block size (TBS) of message 3 is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it is configured to determine to transmit channel quality information through message 3.

[0141] In a possible design, the transceiver unit (502) is further configured to receive a first threshold from a network device.

[0142] In a possible design, the first threshold is the sum of the TBS required by the uplink data delivered in message 3 and the TBS required by the RRC message containing channel quality information.

[0143] In a possible design, the TBS of message 3 is presented to the RRC layer of the terminal device by the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the terminal device.

[0144] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) is specifically configured to determine to transmit channel quality information through message 3 when it is determined that message 3 is a message of the initial data transmission (EDT) process.

[0145] In a possible design, the RRC message is an RRC early data transmission request message, an RRC connection resumption request message, an RRC connection re-establishment request message, or an RRC connection request message.

[0146] In a possible design, the transceiver unit (502) is configured to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device, and the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0147] In a possible design, the processing unit (501) has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0148] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device shown in FIG. 6 may be an example of the hardware circuit of the communication device shown in FIG. 5. The communication device may be applied to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 and performs the function of the terminal device of the method embodiment described above. For ease of explanation, FIG. 6 shows only the main components of the communication device. Optionally, the communication device may be a terminal device, or a device within the terminal device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. The chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or individual components. Optionally, for example, the communication device is a terminal device. As shown in FIG. 6, the communication device (600) includes a processor (601), memory (602), a transceiver (603), an antenna (604), and an input / output device (605). The processor (601) is configured to primarily process communication protocols and communication data, execute software programs, and process data of software programs. For example, the processor (601) is configured to support the wireless communication device in performing the operation described in the above-described method embodiment. The memory (602) is configured to primarily store software programs and data. The transceiver (603) is configured to primarily perform conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and radio frequency signal processing. The antenna (604) is configured to primarily transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device (605), for example, a touch screen, display, or keyboard, is configured to primarily receive data entered by the user and output it to the user.

[0149] When the communication device is configured to perform the function of the terminal device of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3,

[0150] The processor (601) is configured to generate a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE), wherein the first MAC CE includes channel quality information, and is configured to determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, and

[0151] The transceiver (603) is configured to transmit message 3 containing the first MAC CE to a network device when the processor (601) determines to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3.

[0152] In a possible design, the processor (601) specifically,

[0153] Based on the LCP priority of the first MAC CE, it is configured to determine whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3.

[0154] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes padding BSR.

[0155] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0156] In a possible design, the transceiver (603) is also configured to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device, wherein the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0157] In a possible design, the processor (601) has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0158] If the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the terminal device in the procedure of FIG. 4,

[0159] The processor (601) is configured to determine whether to transmit channel quality information via message 3, and

[0160] The transceiver (603) is configured to generate a wireless resource control (RRC) message containing channel quality information and transmit the message 3 containing the RRC message to a network device when the processor (601) determines that it will transmit channel quality information through message 3.

[0161] In a possible design, the processor (601) specifically,

[0162] It is configured to determine whether to transmit channel quality information through Message 3 based on the transmission block size (TBS) of Message 3.

[0163] In a possible design, the processor (601) specifically,

[0164] If it is determined that the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it is configured to determine to transmit channel quality information through message 3.

[0165] In a possible design, the transceiver (603) is also configured to receive a first threshold from a network device.

[0166] In a possible design, the first threshold is the sum of the TBS required by the uplink data delivered as message 3 and the TBS required by the RRC message containing channel quality information.

[0167] In a possible design, the TBS of message 3 is presented to the RRC layer of the terminal device by the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the terminal device.

[0168] In a possible design, the processor (601) is specifically configured to determine to transmit channel quality information through message 3 if message 3 is a message of the initial data transmission (EDT) process.

[0169] In a possible design, the RRC message is an RRC early data transmission request message, an RRC connection resumption request message, an RRC connection re-establishment request message, or an RRC connection request message.

[0170] In a possible design, the transceiver (603) is also configured to receive first indication information transmitted by a network device, and the first indication information is used to instruct a terminal device to report channel quality information.

[0171] In a possible design, the processor (601) has the capability to report channel quality information.

[0172] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device may be configured to perform the operation of a network device in the procedure of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. The communication device (700) includes a processing unit (702) and a transceiver unit (701).

[0173] When the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the network device in the procedure of FIG. 3, the processing unit (702) and the transceiver unit (701) each perform the following:

[0174] The transceiver unit (701) is configured to receive message 3 transmitted by the terminal device.

[0175] The processing unit (702) is configured to determine the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information of the first MAC CE when it is determined that message 3 includes the first media access control layer control element (MAC CE).

[0176] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes padding BSR.

[0177] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0178] When the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the terminal device in the procedure of FIG. 4, the processing unit (702) and the transceiver unit (701) each perform the following:

[0179] The transceiver unit (701) is configured to receive message 3 transmitted by the terminal device.

[0180] The processing unit (702) is configured to determine the quality of the channel between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information when it is determined that the RRC message of message 3 contains channel quality information.

[0181] In a possible design, the transceiver unit (701) is also configured to transmit a first threshold value to a terminal device.

[0182] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device shown in FIG. 8 may be an example of the hardware circuit of the communication device shown in FIG. 7. The communication device may be applied to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 and performs the function of the network device of the method embodiment described above. For ease of explanation, FIG. 8 shows only the main components of the communication device. Optionally, the communication device may be a network device, or a device within a terminal device such as a chip or a chip system, for example. The chip system includes at least one chip, and the chip system may further include other circuit structures and / or individual components. Optionally, for example, the communication device is a network device. As shown in FIG. 8, the communication device (800) includes a processor (801), memory (802), transceiver (803), antenna (804), etc.

[0183] When the communication device (800) is configured to perform the function of the network device of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3,

[0184] The transceiver (803) is also configured to receive message 3 transmitted by the terminal device, and

[0185] The processor (801) is configured to determine the quality of the channel between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information of the first MAC CE when it is determined that message 3 includes a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE).

[0186] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE is a MAC CE that includes padding BSR.

[0187] In a possible design, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the first MAC SDU is a MAC SDU containing data of a logical channel.

[0188] If the communication device is configured to perform the operation of the network device in the procedure of FIG. 4,

[0189] The transceiver (803) is configured to receive message 3 transmitted by the terminal device, and

[0190] The processor (801) is configured to determine the quality of the channel between the network device and the terminal device based on the channel quality information when it is determined that the RRC message of message 3 contains channel quality information.

[0191] In a possible design, the transceiver (803) is configured to transmit a first threshold value to a terminal device.

[0192] Those skilled in the art should understand that embodiments of the present application may be provided as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present application may be used in the form of embodiments for hardware only, embodiments for software only, or embodiments having a combination of software and hardware. Additionally, the present application may be used in the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk memory, optical memory, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0193] The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that computer program instructions may be used to implement each process and / or each block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, and combinations of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, an embedded processor, or any other programmable data processing device for creating a machine, thereby enabling instructions executed by the processor of the computer or any other programmable data processing device to create a device for implementing specific functions in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more blocks in the block diagram.

[0194] These computer program instructions may also be stored in computer-readable memory to instruct a computer or any other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, and thus the instructions stored in computer-readable memory may generate an artifact comprising an instruction unit. The instruction unit implements a specific function in one or more processes of a flowchart and / or one or more blocks of a block diagram.

[0195] Clearly, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. This application is intended to include such modifications and variations of this application, provided that they fall within the scope of protection defined by the following claims and equivalent technology.

Claims

Claim 1 A communication method comprises the steps of: generating a first media access control layer control element (MAC CE) and a first media access control service data unit (MAC SDU) by a terminal device, wherein the first MAC CE includes channel quality information of the terminal device and the first MAC SDU includes a radio resource control (RRC) message; and determining by the terminal device whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 based on the Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) priority of the first MAC CE, wherein the step of determining whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3 comprises determining whether the transport block size (TBS) required by all MAC SDUs and all MAC CEs having an LCP priority higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is smaller than the TBS of message 3, and determining whether the LCP priority higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE A communication method comprising the steps of determining whether the difference between the TBS required by all MAC SDUs and all MAC CEs and the TBS of message 3 is greater than or equal to the TBS required by the first MAC CE, and in response to determining to multiplex the first MAC CE into message 3, transmitting the message 3 including the first MAC CE and the first MAC SDU to a network device by the terminal device, wherein the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU is higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. Claim 2 A communication method according to claim 1, wherein the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE includes a padding buffer status report (BSR). Claim 3 A communication method according to claim 1, wherein the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the second Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the second MAC SDU includes data of a logical channel. Claim 4 A communication method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a first display information from a network device by the terminal device, wherein the first display information instructs the terminal device to report the channel quality information. Claim 5 A communication method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device has the capability to report the channel quality information. Claim 6 A communication device comprises a processor connected to a memory storing computer instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by at least one of the processors, the device comprises generating a first Media Access Control Layer Control Element (MAC CE) and a first Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU)—wherein the first MAC CE contains channel quality information of the communication device and the first MAC SDU contains a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message—and determining whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into Message 3 based on the Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP) priority of the first MAC CE, and determining whether to multiplex the first MAC CE into Message 3 comprises determining whether the transmit block size (TBS) required by all MAC SDUs and all MAC CEs having an LCP priority higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is smaller than the TBS of Message 3, and all MAC SDUs and all MACs having an LCP priority higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE A communication device comprising determining whether the difference between the TBS required by the CE and the TBS of the message 3 is greater than or equal to the TBS required by the first MAC CE, and determining to multiplex the first MAC CE into the message 3, and transmitting the message 3 including the first MAC CE and the first MAC SDU to a network device, wherein the LCP priority of the first MAC SDU is higher than the LCP priority of the first MAC CE. Claim 7 In claim 6, the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is higher than the LCP priority of the second MAC CE, and the second MAC CE includes a padding buffer status report (BSR), a communication device. Claim 8 A communication device according to claim 7, wherein the LCP priority of the first MAC CE is lower than the LCP priority of the second Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU), and the second MAC SDU contains data of a logical channel. Claim 9 A communication device according to claim 6, wherein, when the instruction is executed by at least one of the processors, the device further performs receiving first indication information from the network device—the first indication information instructs the communication device to report the channel quality information. Claim 10 In claim 6, the communication device is a communication device having the capability to report the channel quality information. Claim 11 A computer program comprising instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Claim 12 A computer-readable storage medium containing a computer program according to paragraph 11.

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