Random access method, apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of communications, and in particular to a random access method, an apparatus, and a storage medium. The method is applied to a terminal side device, and comprises: determining a window end position for receiving a random access response message; in response to the window end position being not comprised in a first service time period, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message, wherein the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods on the current service beam time domain. According to the random access method, the apparatus, and the storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the problem of a data transmission time sequence of a terminal side device in a random access process can be solved.

Description

Random access method, device and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on May 31, 2023, with application number 202310638170.1 and invention name “Random Access Method, Device and Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a random access device and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), satellites can use beamforming technology to generate multiple beams for communication services. However, due to satellite capacity or resource limitations, it is difficult for satellites to simultaneously provide a large number of downlink beams for data transmission. To address this, beam hopping technology has been introduced. This technology dynamically adjusts beam direction within the satellite's coverage area based on service needs using a time-division system, providing a foundation for flexible allocation and efficient utilization of satellite resources. With the implementation of beam hopping technology on the satellite side, the challenge remains determining the timing of data transmission during random access on the terminal side.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a random access method, apparatus, and storage medium, which are helpful in solving the data transmission timing problem of a terminal-side device during a random access process.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a random access method, which is applied to a terminal side device and includes:

[0007] determining an end position of a window for receiving a random access response message;

[0008] In response to the fact that the window end position is not included in the first service time period, the window position for receiving the random access response message is determined based on the second service time period after the window end position, and the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam.

[0009] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message includes:

[0010] The starting position of the second service time period is used as the starting position of the window for receiving the random access response message.

[0011] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message includes:

[0012] The first offset time is postponed based on the starting position of the second service time period as the starting position of the window for receiving the random access response message.

[0013] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message includes:

[0014] determining a window starting position for receiving the random access response message in the first service time period;

[0015] The window end position of the random access response message is determined with the start position of the second service time period as the starting point, and the length from the window start position to the window end position is the window length for receiving the random access response message.

[0016] In one possible implementation manner, the window for receiving the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the synchronization signal block SSB associated with the current service beam.

[0018] In one possible implementation, determining an end position of a window for receiving a random access response message includes:

[0019] The end position of the window for receiving the random access response message is determined based on the end position of the random access message sent by the terminal side device and the round-trip time RTT from the terminal side device to the network side device.

[0020] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a random access method, which is applied to a network-side device and includes:

[0021] Determining an end position of a window for sending a random access response message;

[0022] In response to the fact that the window end position is not included in the first service time period, the window position for sending the random access response message is determined based on the second service time period after the window end position, and the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam.

[0023] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message includes:

[0024] The starting position of the second service time period is used as the starting position of the window for sending the random access response message.

[0025] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message includes:

[0026] The first offset time is postponed based on the starting position of the second service time period as the starting position of the window for sending the random access response message.

[0027] In one possible implementation manner, determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message includes:

[0028] determining a window starting position for sending the random access response message in the first service time period;

[0029] The window end position of the random access response message is determined with the start position of the second service time period as the starting point, and the length from the window start position to the window end position is the window length for sending the random access response message.

[0030] In one possible implementation manner, the window used to send the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the SSB associated with the current service beam.

[0032] In one possible implementation, determining an end position of a window for sending a random access response message includes:

[0033] The end position of the window for sending the random access response message is determined based on the end position of the random access message of the terminal side device and the round-trip time RTT from the terminal side device to the network side device.

[0034] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor is used to run the computer program to implement any communication method as described in the first aspect.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor is used to run the computer program to implement the communication method as described in any one of the second aspects above.

[0036] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, it implements any method described in the first aspect above, or implements any method described in the second aspect above.

[0037] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the above-mentioned computer program is executed by a computer, the computer implements the method as described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the program in the sixth aspect may be stored in whole or in part on a storage medium packaged together with the processor, or may be stored in whole or in part on a memory not packaged together with the processor.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication device, comprising: one or more functional modules, wherein the one or more functional modules are used to execute any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a communication device, comprising: one or more functional modules, wherein the one or more functional modules are used to execute any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0041] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: a communication device for executing any one of the methods provided in the first aspect and a communication device for executing any one of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0042] Among them, the communication device in the third aspect and the seventh aspect can be a chip or a terminal side device, and the communication device in the fourth aspect and the eighth aspect can be a chip or a network side device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG1 is a diagram of a system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] FIG2 is a flow chart of a random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] FIG3 is a flow chart of a four-step random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of determining a RAR window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining a RAR window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining a RAR window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining a RAR window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] FIG8 is a flowchart of a two-step random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of determining a MsgB window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining a MsgB window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining a MsgB window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another method for determining an MsgB window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] FIG13 is a flowchart of another random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the character " / " indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" describes the relationship between the associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exists simultaneously, or B exists alone.

[0060] It should be pointed out that the words "first", "second", etc. involved in the embodiments of the present invention are only used for distinguishing description purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying order.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present invention, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more" refers to two or more. In addition, "at least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, which may include any combination of single items 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, B, and C. Each of A, B, and C can be an element itself or a set containing one or more elements.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "exemplary," "in some embodiments," and "in another embodiment" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0063] Some terms involved in the embodiments of the present invention are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0064] 1. Terminal device. In the embodiments of the present invention, the terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver functions, which may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal equipment, vehicle-mounted terminal equipment, industrial control terminal equipment, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal equipment, mobile device, UE terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, UE agent or UE device, etc. The terminal device may be fixed or mobile. It should be noted that the terminal device may support at least one wireless communication technology, such as long term evolution (LTE), new radio (NR), etc. For example, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an all-in-one computer, an in-vehicle terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future mobile communication network, or a terminal device in a future evolved public mobile land network (PLMN), etc.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be understood as a terminal-side device, which can be a device with transceiver functions, such as a chip system. The chip system can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0066] 2. Network equipment. In the embodiments of the present invention, network equipment refers to terrestrial network equipment, which is a device that provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices and may also be referred to as access network equipment, radio access network (RAN) equipment, etc. The network equipment may support at least one wireless communication technology, such as LTE, NR, etc. For example, network equipment includes, but is not limited to, next-generation base stations (gNBs), evolved node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs or home node Bs, HNBs), baseband units (BBUs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, etc. in the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system. The network device may also be a wireless controller, a centralized unit (CU), and / or a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or the network device may be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a terminal device, a wearable device, a network device in future mobile communications, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN, etc.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, the network device can also be understood as a network-side device, which can be a device that provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices, such as a chip system. For example, the chip system can include a chip and can also include other discrete devices.

[0068] Taking the network equipment as a base station as an example, the base station in NR (such as gNB) can be called an NR base station, and the base station in LTE (such as eNB) can be called an LTE base station.

[0069] 3. Beam hopping. Beam hopping technology dynamically adjusts the beam direction according to business needs within the satellite coverage area in the form of time division. Specifically, beam resources can be dynamically allocated according to the different business demands in different areas of the satellite. When the business volume in a certain area is large, beam resources of multiple time slots can be allocated. When the business volume in a certain area is small, the beam time slots in that area can be reduced accordingly, thereby improving the resource utilization efficiency of the entire system. It can be understood that when the satellite system adopts beam hopping, for the same area, the downlink beams serving different time periods are different. In order to ensure the normal communication of the terminal side device, the network side device can indicate the service cycle and service duration of each beam, or the service order and service duration of each beam to the terminal side device through high-level signaling. After receiving the indication information, the terminal side device can determine which beams are serving in different time periods and the service time of the beams.

[0070] 4. Random access: The random access process refers to the process from the terminal side device sending a random preamble to attempt to access the network to establishing a basic signaling connection with the network.

[0071] During the random access process, a random access request is initiated by the terminal side device, and the terminal side device needs to receive a random access response message in the coverage area of ​​the current service beam. After the network side device receives the random access request initiated by the terminal side device, it will also send a random access response message on the corresponding beam indicated by the terminal side device. However, in the beam hopping scenario, the beam is periodically served, and the service time of the beam is relatively short. After the terminal side device sends the random access request, the service time of the current service beam may end. Therefore, in the beam hopping scenario, how to determine the window position for receiving the random access response message is a technical problem that needs to be solved. In order to solve this technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides a random access method, and the random access method of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with a specific embodiment below.

[0072] The random access method of the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to non-terrestrial network scenarios. Referring to FIG1 , it is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a non-terrestrial network scenario provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] As shown in Figure 1, this non-terrestrial network scenario includes satellites, terminal-side devices, and gateways (also called ground stations). The wireless link between the satellite and the terminal-side device is called a service link, the wireless link between the satellite and the gateway is called a feedback link, and inter-satellite links can exist between satellites to provide data backhaul.

[0074] Generally, one or several gateways in the non-terrestrial network scenario may be connected to a public data network (PDN), such as the network shown in FIG1 .

[0075] In some embodiments, base stations in non-terrestrial network scenarios can be located on land. For example, the gateway in Figure 1 can function as a base station. In this case, the satellite acts as a relay between the terminal device and the gateway, receiving data sent by the terminal device via a service link and forwarding the data to the ground gateway.

[0076] In other embodiments, base stations in non-terrestrial network scenarios may also be located on satellites. For example, the satellite in FIG1 may have base station functionality. In this case, the satellite having base station functionality may be considered an evolved NodeB (eNB) or a 5G base station (gNB).

[0077] In the embodiments of the present invention, the terminal side device can communicate with the network side device, and the network side device can be understood as a device capable of data processing and network communication. Exemplarily, the network side device may include a base station (e.g., eNB, gNB, etc.) or a network access device, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0078] The random access method of the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the system shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the processing steps of the method include:

[0079] 101. The terminal side device sends a random access request message to the network side device. In some embodiments, the random access process may include two methods, for example, 4-step access and 2-step access. Usually, the 4-step access method includes 4 messages (for example, Msg1-Msg4), and the 2-step access method includes 2 messages (for example, MsgA and MsgB). The following will be specifically explained in conjunction with the embodiments and will not be repeated here. Optionally, the random access request message in this step may correspond to Msg1 in the 4-step random access method. Optionally, the random access request message in this step may also correspond to MsgA in the 2-step random access method. After the network side device receives the random access request message, it needs to feedback a random access response message to the terminal side device. In an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal side device may first execute step 102 before receiving the random access response message fed back by the network side device.

[0080] 102. The terminal side device determines the end position of the window for receiving the random access response message. Optionally, the random access response message in this step may correspond to Msg2 in the 4-step random access method. Optionally, the random access response message in this step may also correspond to MsgB in the 2-step random access method.

[0081] 103. In response to the window end position not being included in the first service time period, the terminal side device determines, based on a second service time period following the window end position, a window position for receiving a random access response message. Optionally, the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam, that is, the terminal side device can determine the window position for receiving the random access response message in the next service period of the current service beam.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present invention, after a terminal-side device initiates a random access request message, the terminal-side device may determine the window end position for a random access response message. If the window end position is not included in the first service time period of the current service beam, that is, the window end position is not included in the current service time period of the current service beam, the terminal-side device may determine the window position for receiving the random access response message based on the second service time period following the window end position, thereby enabling the terminal-side device to determine the random access timing and complete the random access process.

[0083] Refer to Figure 3, which is a flow chart of a 4-step random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the 4-step random access method includes:

[0084] 201. The terminal-side device completes downlink synchronization with the network-side device based on the MIB and SIB messages sent by the network-side device. MIB stands for Master Information Block (in English and is also known as Master Information Block in Chinese). SIB stands for System Information Block (in Chinese and is also known as System Information Block in Chinese).

[0085] 202. The terminal side device sends a random access request message to the network side device to initiate random access to the network side device. The random access request message may also be referred to as Msg1. Msg1 includes a random access preamble.

[0086] 203. After receiving the random access request message, the network device returns a random access response message to the terminal device. The random access response message may also be referred to as Msg2. Optionally, Msg2 may include a timing advance (TA), a temporary cell-radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), power adjustment, and a resource indication for the terminal device to send Mgs3.

[0087] 204. After receiving Msg2, the terminal side device sends a radio resource control connection request message to the network side device. The radio resource control connection request message may also be referred to as Msg3.

[0088] 205. After receiving Msg3, the network side device returns a radio resource control establishment message to the terminal side device. The radio resource control establishment message may also be referred to as Msg4.

[0089] In the above-mentioned 4-step random access method, when the terminal side device sends Msg1, the terminal side device can determine the window for receiving Msg2. Optionally, in the 4-step random access method, the window for receiving Msg2 can be called a RAR (Random Access Response) window. In the embodiment method of the present invention, the terminal side device can determine the starting position of the RAR window based on the end position of Msg1 and the round-trip time (RTT) from the terminal side device to the network side device. Optionally, the end position of the RAR window can be determined based on the starting position and window length of the RAR window. Optionally, the starting position and window length of the RAR window can be determined according to a preset communication protocol.

[0090] In the beam hopping scenario, the terminal side device can determine the target SSB corresponding to the beam according to the coverage area of ​​the current service beam. Among them, SSB includes the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel block PBCH Block (Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel Block, referred to as SSB). The terminal side device selects the uplink random access channel (Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH) resource to send Msg1 according to the target SSB, that is, the PRACH resource selected by the terminal side device is the PRACH resource associated with the target SSB. After the terminal side device sends Msg1, it needs to receive Msg2 in the coverage area of ​​the current service beam. The network side device will also only send Msg2 to the beam corresponding to the SSB indicated by the terminal side device. In the beam hopping scenario, since the beam is periodically served and the service time is relatively short, the service time of the current service beam may end after the terminal side device sends Msg1. Therefore, after the terminal device sends Msg1, the service time of the current service beam (SSB associated with Msg1) ends, and the terminal device needs to wait for the next service period. To address this situation, the following RAR window position determination scheme is designed:

[0091] As shown in Figure 4, if the window end position of the RAR window determined by the terminal side device is within the service time of the current service beam (referred to as beam1 in Figure 4), Msg2 is received based on the currently determined starting position of the RAR window, that is, Msg2 is received within the current service time of beam1.

[0092] If the window end position of the RAR window determined by the terminal side device is not included in the service time of the current service beam, the following three methods can be used to determine the RAR window.

[0093] Method 1, as shown in Figure 5, the starting position of the RAR window determined by the terminal device side is in the current service period (called the first service time period) of the current service beam beam1. As shown in Figure 5, the end position of the RAR window determined by the terminal device side is not included in the first service time period of beam1. Then the RAR window can be determined in the next service period (called the second service time period) of the current service beam after the end position of the RAR window. Optionally, the terminal side device can use the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position of the RAR window. That is, in this solution, the terminal side device can use the starting position of the next service period of the current service beam beam1 as the starting position of the RAR window, thereby determining the RAR window.

[0094] Method 2, as shown in Figure 6, introduces a first offset time on the terminal device side. When the starting position of the RAR window determined by the terminal side device is in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1 and the window end position is not included in the first service time period, the terminal side device can determine the RAR window in the second service time period of the current service beam. Optionally, the terminal side device can postpone the first offset time based on the starting position of the second service time period as the actual window starting position of the RAR window. In this solution, the terminal side device can postpone the first offset time based on the starting position of the next service period of the current service beam beam1 as the starting position of the RAR window, thereby determining the RAR window.

[0095] Method three, as shown in Figure 7, the RAR window starting position determined by the terminal side device is in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1, and the window ending position is not included in the first service time period. Then the terminal side device can use the currently determined window starting position as the window starting position of the RAR window, and the terminal side device further determines the window ending position of the RAR window with the starting position of the second service time period as the starting point, wherein the length from the window starting position to the window ending position is the window length of the RAR window. That is, in this solution, the RAR window is determined in a cross-beam manner. The starting position of the RAR window can be in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1, and the ending position of the RAR window is in the second service time period of beam1. The length 1 of the RAR window in the first service time period is from the RAR window starting position to the end of the first service time period. The length 2 of the RAR window in the second service time period is the RAR window length - length 1.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first service time period and the second service time period refer to the service time of the SSB associated with the current service beam beam1.

[0097] Refer to Figure 8, which is a flow chart of a two-step random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, the two-step random access method includes:

[0098] 301. The terminal side device determines the appropriate SSB index based on the SSB measurement.

[0099] 302. The terminal side device selects a corresponding random access opportunity (RACH Occasion, RO) / preamble (Preamble) according to the determined SSB index. RACH (Random Access Channel) is a random access channel.

[0100] 303. The terminal side device selects the corresponding PO / DMRS resource index according to the RO / Preamble.

[0101] 304. The terminal device sends MsgA based on the RO / Preamble and the PO / DMRS resource index. MsgA corresponds to Msg1 and Msg3 in the four-step random access method. In addition, MsgA introduces the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission. In this step, the RO / Preamble is used to send the preamble, and the PO / DMRS resource index is used to send the PUSCH payload.

[0102] 305. After the network side device successfully detects MsgA sent by the terminal side device, the network side device sends MsgB to the terminal side device. MsgB carries the successful random access response (called successRAR) corresponding to the terminal side device.

[0103] 305. After receiving MsgB, the terminal side device sends a HARQ-ACK feedback message to the network side device. Optionally, the successful random access response in MsgB is used to indicate the uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources for sending HARQ-ACK.

[0104] In embodiments of the present invention, the time window for receiving MsgB messages may be referred to as an MsgB window. In embodiments of the present invention, after a terminal device sends MsgA, the terminal device may determine the starting position of the MsgB window based on the ending position of MsgA and the round-trip time (RTT) from the terminal device to the network device. Alternatively, the ending position of the MsgB window may be determined based on the starting position and window length of the MsgB window.

[0105] In the beam hopping scenario, the terminal side device determines the target SSB corresponding to the beam based on the coverage area of ​​the current service beam. The terminal side device selects the uplink random access channel (Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH) resource to send MsgA based on the target SSB, that is, the PRACH resource selected by the terminal side device is the PRACH resource associated with the target SSB. After the terminal side device sends MsgA, it needs to receive MsgB in the coverage area of ​​the current service beam. The network side device will also only send MsgB to the beam corresponding to the SSB indicated by the terminal side device. In the beam hopping scenario, since the beam is periodically served and the service time is relatively short, the service time of the current service beam may end after the terminal side device sends MsgA. Therefore, after the terminal side device sends MsgA, the service time of the current service beam (SSB associated with MsgA) ends, and the terminal side device needs to wait for the next service period. In response to this situation, the following window position determination scheme for MsgB is designed:

[0106] As shown in Figure 9, if the window end position of the MsgB window judged by the terminal side device is within the service time of the current service beam (referred to as beam1 in Figure 9), MsgB is received based on the judged starting position of the MsgB window, that is, MsgB is received within the current service time of beam1.

[0107] If the window end position of the MsgB window determined by the terminal side device is not included in the service time of the current service beam, the following three methods can be used to determine the MsgB window.

[0108] Method 1, as shown in Figure 10, the starting position of the MsgB window determined by the terminal device side is in the current service period (called the first service time period) of the current service beam beam1. As shown in Figure 10, the end position of the MsgB window determined by the terminal device side is not included in the first service time period of beam1. Then the MsgB window can be determined in the next service period (called the second service time period) after the end position of the MsgB window. Optionally, the terminal side device can use the starting position of the second service time period as the actual window starting position of the MsgB window. In an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal side device can use the starting position of the next service period of the current service beam beam1 as the starting position of the MsgB window, thereby determining the MsgB window.

[0109] Method 2, as shown in Figure 11, introduces a first offset time on the terminal device side. When the starting position of the MsgB window determined by the terminal side device is in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1, and the window end position is not included in the first service time period, the terminal side device can determine the MsgB window in the second service time period of the current service beam. Optionally, the terminal side device can postpone the first offset time based on the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position of the MsgB window. In an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal side device can postpone the first offset time based on the starting position of the next service period of the current service beam beam1 as the actual starting position of the MsgB window, thereby determining the MsgB window.

[0110] Method three, as shown in Figure 12, the starting position of the MsgB window determined by the terminal side device is in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1, and the window end position is not included in the first service time period. Then the terminal side device can use the currently determined window starting position as the window starting position of the MsgB window, and the terminal side device further determines the window end position of the MsgB window with the starting position of the second service time period as the starting point, wherein the length from the window starting position to the window end position is the window length of the MsgB window. That is, in this solution, the MsgB window is determined by a cross-beam method. The starting position of the MsgB window can be in the first service time period of the current service beam beam1, and the end position of the MsgB window is in the second service time period of beam1. The length 1 of the MsgB window in the first service time period is from the MsgB window starting position to the end of the first service time period. The length 2 of the MsgB window in the second service time period is the MsgB window length - length 1.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first service time period and the second service time period may refer to the service time of the SSB associated with the current service beam beam1.

[0112] The above embodiment mainly describes the random access method of the present invention from the perspective of the terminal device. The following describes the random access method of the present invention from the perspective of the network device. See Figure 13, which is a flowchart of another random access method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 13, the processing steps of this method include:

[0113] 401. The network device determines the end position of the window for sending a random access response message. Optionally, after receiving a random access request message sent by a terminal device, the network device may determine the end position of the window for sending a random access response message. Optionally, the random access response message in this step may correspond to Msg2 in a four-step random access scheme. Optionally, the random access response message in this step may also correspond to MsgB in a two-step random access scheme.

[0114] 402. In response to the window end position not being included in the first service time period, determine a window position for sending the random access response message based on a second service time period following the window end position. The first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam. That is, the network device may determine the window position for sending the random access response message in the next service period of the current service beam.

[0115] Optionally, the network side device determines the window position for sending the random access response message based on a second service time period after the window end position, including: using the starting position of the above-mentioned second service time period as the window starting position for sending the random access response message.

[0116] Optionally, the network side device determines the window position for sending the random access response message based on the second service time period after the window end position, including: postponing the first offset time based on the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position for sending the random access response message.

[0117] Optionally, the network side device determines the window position for sending the random access response message based on the second service time period after the window end position, including: determining the window starting position for sending the random access response message in the first service time period; determining the window end position of the random access response message with the starting position of the second service time period as the starting point, and the length from the window starting position to the window end position is the window length for sending the random access response message.

[0118] Optionally, the window used to send the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

[0119] Optionally, the first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the SSB associated with the current service beam.

[0120] In the embodiment of the present invention, the random access method executed by the network side device is a step corresponding to the network side device. For parts not described in detail in the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to the relevant description of the network side device and will not be repeated here.

[0121] Refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 50 includes: a first judgment module 51 and a first determination module 52.

[0122] The first determination module 51 determines an end position of a window for receiving a random access response message.

[0123] The first determining module 52 is configured to determine, when the window end position is not included in the first service time period, a window position for receiving the random access response message according to a second service time period after the window end position. The first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam.

[0124] Optionally, determining the window position for receiving the random access response message based on a second service time period after the window end position includes: using the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position for receiving the random access response message.

[0125] Optionally, determining the window position for receiving the random access response message based on the second service time period after the window end position includes: postponing the first offset time based on the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position for receiving the random access response message.

[0126] Optionally, determining the window position for receiving the random access response message based on the second service time period after the window end position includes: determining the window starting position for receiving the random access response message in the first service time period; determining the window end position of the random access response message based on the starting position of the second service time period, and the length from the window starting position to the window end position is the window length for receiving the random access response message.

[0127] Optionally, the window for receiving the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

[0128] Optionally, the first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the synchronization signal block SSB associated with the current service beam.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the communication device 50 may be a chip or a terminal-side device.

[0130] The communication device 50 provided in the embodiment shown in FIG14 can be used to execute the technical solution of the method embodiment shown in this application. Its implementation principle and technical effects can be further referred to the relevant description in the method embodiment.

[0131] Refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 60 may include: a second judgment module 61 and a second determination module 62.

[0132] The second determination module 61 determines an end position of a window for sending a random access response message.

[0133] The second determining module 62 is configured to determine a window position for sending the random access response message according to a second service time period after the window end position when the window end position is not included in the first service time period.

[0134] Optionally, determining the window position for sending the random access response message based on a second service time period after the window end position includes: using the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position for sending the random access response message.

[0135] Optionally, the window position for sending the random access response message is determined based on the second service time period after the window end position, including: postponing the first offset time based on the starting position of the second service time period as the window starting position for sending the random access response message.

[0136] Optionally, determining the window position for sending the random access response message based on the second service time period after the window end position includes: determining the window starting position for sending the random access response message in the first service time period; determining the window end position of the random access response message based on the starting position of the second service time period, and the length from the window starting position to the window end position is the window length for sending the random access response message.

[0137] Optionally, the window used to send the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

[0138] Optionally, the first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the SSB associated with the current service beam.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the communication device 60 may be a chip or a network-side device.

[0140] The communication device 60 provided in the embodiment shown in FIG15 can be used to execute the technical solution of the method embodiment shown in this application. Its implementation principle and technical effects can be further referred to the relevant description in the method embodiment.

[0141] It should be understood that the division of the various modules of the communication device 50 shown in Figure 14 and the communication device 60 shown in Figure 15 is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or physically separated. Moreover, these modules can all be implemented in the form of software called through processing elements; or all be implemented in the form of hardware; or some modules can be implemented in the form of software called through processing elements, and some modules can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, the detection module can be a separately established processing element, or it can be integrated into a chip of an electronic device. The implementation of other modules is similar. In addition, these modules can all or partly be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. During the implementation process, each step of the above method or each of the above modules can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit in the processor element or by instructions in the form of software.

[0142] For example, the above modules may 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 (DSPs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). For another example, these modules may be integrated together to implement a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0143] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 1000 may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory in communication connection with the processor. The communication device 1000 may be a network-side device or a terminal-side device. The memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor. If the communication device 1000 is a network-side device, the processor can call the program instructions to execute the actions performed by the network-side device in the random access method provided by the embodiment of the present invention. If the communication device 1000 is a terminal-side device, the processor can call the program instructions to execute the actions performed by the terminal-side device in the random access method provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0144] As shown in Figure 16, the communication device 1000 is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. Components of the communication device 1000 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors 1010, a memory 1020, a communication bus 1040 connecting various system components (including the memory 1020 and the processor 1010), and a communication interface 1030.

[0145] Communication bus 1040 represents one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Examples of such architectures include, but are not limited to, the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, the Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, the Enhanced ISA bus, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnection (PCI) bus.

[0146] The communication device 1000 typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the communication device 1000, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0147] The memory 1020 may include a computer system readable medium in the form of a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (Random Access Memory; hereinafter referred to as: RAM) and / or a cache memory. The communication device 1000 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. Although not shown in Figure 16, a disk drive for reading and writing a removable non-volatile disk (such as a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading and writing a removable non-volatile optical disk (such as a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (hereinafter referred to as: CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only disk (hereinafter referred to as: DVD-ROM) or other optical media) may be provided. In these cases, each drive can be connected to the communication bus 1040 via one or more data medium interfaces. The memory 1020 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) program modules that are configured to perform the functions of each embodiment of the present application.

[0148] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules may be stored in memory 1020. Such program modules include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which, or some combination thereof, may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules generally perform the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0149] The communication device 1000 can also communicate with one or more external devices (e.g., a keyboard, pointing device, display, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the communication device 1000, and / or any device that enables the communication device 1000 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., a network card, a modem, etc.). Such communication can be performed via the communication interface 1030. Furthermore, the communication device 1000 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via a network adapter (not shown in FIG. 16 ). The network adapter can communicate with other modules of the electronic device via the communication bus 1040. It should be understood that, although not shown in FIG. 16 , other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the communication device 1000, including but not limited to microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0150] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices, and units can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0151] Each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into a processing unit, each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0152] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network side device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as flash memory, mobile hard disk, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0153] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A random access method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal side device, comprising: Determining an end position of a window for receiving a random access response message; In response to the window end position not being included in the first service time period, the window position for receiving the random access response message is determined according to the second service time period after the window end position, and the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message comprises: The starting position of the second service time period is used as the starting position of the window for receiving the random access response message.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message comprises: The first offset time is postponed based on the starting position of the second service time period as the starting position of the window for receiving the random access response message.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for receiving the random access response message comprises: Determine a window start position for receiving the random access response message in the first service time period; The window end position of the random access response message is determined with the start position of the second service time period as the starting point, and the length from the window start position to the window end position is the window length for receiving the random access response message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The window for receiving the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the synchronization signal block SSB associated with the current service beam.

7. A random access method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a network side device, comprising: Determining an end position of a window for sending a random access response message; In response to the window end position not being included in the first service time period, the window position for sending the random access response message is determined according to the second service time period after the window end position, and the first service time period and the second service time period are two adjacent service time periods in the time domain of the current service beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message comprises: The starting position of the second service time period is used as the starting position of the window for sending the random access response message.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message comprises: The first offset time is postponed based on the starting position of the second service time period as the starting position of the window for sending the random access response message.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The determining, according to a second service time period after the window end position, a window position for sending the random access response message comprises: Determine a window start position for sending the random access response message in the first service time period; The window end position of the random access response message is determined with the start position of the second service time period as the starting point, and the length from the window start position to the window end position is the window length for sending the random access response message.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that: The window used to send the random access response message is a RAR window or a MsgB window.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that: The first service time period and the second service time period are the service times of the SSB associated with the current service beam.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor is used to run the computer program to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The communication device is a chip, or the communication device is a terminal side device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor is used to run the computer program to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 7 to 12.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The communication device is a chip, or the communication device is a network side device.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12 is implemented.

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