System information sending method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a system information sending method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: on the basis of a transmission repetition period of RMSI, a network device determines a first sending period and a time domain resource corresponding to the first sending period, and sends the RMSI to a terminal device on the basis of the first sending period and the time domain resource corresponding to the first sending period. The transmission repetition period is a transmission repetition period in which the RMSI is transmitted by means of each beam among a plurality of beams. The time domain resource corresponding to the first sending period comprises: a time domain resource, among time domain resources corresponding to the transmission repetition period, for transmitting a first beam group among the plurality of beams and not transmitting the remaining beams among the plurality of beams other than the first beam group; that is, the RMSI does not need to be sent by means of each beam in one transmission repetition period, thereby reducing the proportion of the overhead of time domain resources for transmitting RMSI. Furthermore, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted in the first sending period, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the combining gain of RMSI.

Description

System information sending method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on June 29, 2023, with application number 202310788838.0 and application name “System Information Sending Method and Communication Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method for sending system information and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] The synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB) includes a master information block (MIB), which includes the configuration parameters required to obtain the remaining minimum system information (RMSI). RMSI includes the system information (SI) required for the terminal device to complete initial access. In order for the terminal device receiving the SSB to receive the RMSI, the coverage range of the beam sending the SSB and the beam sending the RMSI of the network device must be the same. Therefore, the network device needs to traverse each of multiple RMSI beams with different coverage ranges within a transmission repetition periodicity to send the RMSI.

[0004] However, when the repetitive transmission period is short, the time domain resource overhead of transmitting RMSI accounts for a large proportion within the time domain resources corresponding to the repetitive transmission period. Therefore, how to reduce the time domain resource overhead of transmitting RMSI is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The system information sending method and communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application can reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a network device, or by a component of the network device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the network device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions. The following description takes the method being executed by a network device as an example. The method includes: the network device determines a first transmission period and a time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period based on a repeated transmission period of RMSI, and sends the RMSI to the terminal device based on the first transmission period and the time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period. The repeated transmission period is a repeated transmission period for transmitting the RMSI through each beam in a plurality of beams. The time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, time domain resources for transmitting a first beam group in a plurality of beams, and not transmitting other beams in the plurality of beams except the first beam group, and the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted in the first transmission period.

[0009] Since, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device sends RMSI through the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period, the network device can send RMSI only through the first beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, without having to send RMSI through each beam, thereby reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period. Furthermore, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first sending period, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain. Therefore, based on the system information sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain can be reduced while reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0010] In one possible implementation, each beam in the multiple beams corresponds to an SSB. For example, each beam in the multiple beams may be an SSB beam corresponding to each SSB in the multiple SSBs, and the multiple SSBs may be multiple SSBs in an SSB burst set. For example, 4 SSBs are transmitted in an SSB burst set, and the number of the multiple beams is 4. For another example, 64 beams are transmitted in an SSB burst set, and the number of the multiple beams is 64. Furthermore, each beam in the multiple beams may also be a beam with a coverage range close to that of the SSB beam corresponding to it, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0011] In one possible implementation, a time domain resource used to transmit each of the multiple beams is determined according to an SSB corresponding to each of the multiple beams.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the repetition period may refer to the repetition period of the RMSI transmitted by each of the multiple beams within the RMSI transmission period. The repetition period may be a multiple of 20 ms, such as 20 ms, 40 ms, 60 ms, 80 ms, or 160 ms. It should be understood that the repetition period may not be a multiple of 20 ms, and this is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first transmission period may be an integer multiple of the repetitive transmission period. For example, the first transmission period may be 2, 3, 4, or more multiples of the repetitive transmission period. Furthermore, the first transmission period may be 160 ms, or the first transmission period may be greater than 160 ms, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0014] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle, the time domain resources used to transmit each of the multiple beams belong to the time domain resources corresponding to each of the multiple beams within the repeated transmission cycle. For example, taking the first transmission cycle as twice the repeated transmission cycle and 16 beams (i.e., beam #1 to beam #16) being transmitted within the repeated transmission cycle, the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle include the time domain resource #1 corresponding to the first repeated transmission cycle and the time domain resource #2 corresponding to the second repeated transmission cycle. Specifically, within the first transmission cycle, the time slot used to transmit beam #1 can be the time slot within time domain resource #1 for transmitting beam #1, and the time slot within time domain resource #16 can be the time slot within time domain resource #16 for transmitting beam #1. That is, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the multiple beams within the repeated transmission cycle can be reused.

[0015] Furthermore, the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period may include time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam, that is, time domain resources for transmitting the first beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting beams other than the first beam group among the multiple beams, within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period. In other words, by not transmitting beams other than the first beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI can be reduced.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the first beam group may include any Y beams from the multiple beams. Taking the multiple beams as M beams as an example, the value range of Y is: [1, M). When Y is greater than 1, the Y beams may be adjacent to each other or spaced apart, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose a specific limitation on this. Furthermore, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first transmission cycle. The number of repeated transmissions of the first beam group may be 1, 2, 3, or more times, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose a specific limitation on this. That is to say, for terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the first beam group, due to the repeated transmission of the first beam group, the terminal devices can receive RMSI multiple times within the first transmission cycle, thereby obtaining a combined gain of RMSI.

[0017] It can be understood that for the terminal device to perform RMSI merging, the terminal device can receive 3 to 5 RMSIs within a given time to perform RMSI merging, and the obtained RMSI merging gain can meet the coverage requirement.

[0018] Furthermore, in a possible implementation, the time interval for repeated transmission of the first beam group can be equal to the above-mentioned repeated transmission period. That is to say, since the period of repeated transmission of the first beam remains unchanged, the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group can receive at least two RMSIs for RMSI merging within a given time, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI merging gain. It can be understood that when the number of repeated transmissions of the first beam group is greater than or equal to 2 times, and the time interval for repeated transmission of the first beam group can be equal to the above-mentioned repeated transmission period, the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group can receive at least three RMSIs within a given time, that is, the RMSI merging gain will not be damaged.

[0019] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to a repeated transmission period, the time domain resources used to transmit the first beam group among the multiple beams and not transmit the time domain resources of the other beams among the multiple beams except the first beam group include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each of N1 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources used to transmit the first beam and not transmit the time domain resources of the other beams among the multiple beams except the first beam group, where N1 is an integer greater than 1. It can be understood that by using multiple time domain resources that only transmit the first beam group, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period can be reduced as a whole.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are spaced apart from each other. The interval may be, for example, one repetition transmission period, two repetition transmission periods, or more repetition transmission periods. Furthermore, the interval between the time domain resources corresponding to two different repetition transmission periods may vary. For example, taking N1 as 3, the interval between the time domain resources corresponding to the first repetition transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the second repetition transmission period may be one repetition transmission period. The interval between the time domain resources corresponding to the second repetition transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the third repetition transmission period may be two repetition transmission periods.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other. It can be understood that, compared to the aforementioned situation where the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods are spaced apart, the adjacent time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods can reduce the transmission time required to transmit the N1 first beam groups, thereby further reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0022] In one possible implementation, when N1 is greater than 2, the time domain resources corresponding to at least two of the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other. It will be appreciated that the time domain resources corresponding to at least two repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other, which can reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI in the time domain resources corresponding to adjacent repetition transmission periods.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the transmission time required for the first beam group in the first transmission cycle is the time corresponding to N1 repeated transmission cycles. That is, in the first transmission cycle, the first beam group is transmitted using the time domain resources used to transmit only the first beam group, and is not repeatedly transmitted on other time domain resources. This further reduces the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI. Furthermore, the loss of RMSI combining gain can be reduced by repeatedly transmitting the first beam group in adjacent intervals.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period further include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, time domain resources for transmitting a second beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting beams other than the second beam group among the multiple beams, where the beams included in the second beam group are different from the beams included in the first beam group. In other words, by not transmitting beams other than the second beam group, while only transmitting the first beam group, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI can be further reduced.

[0025] It should be understood that, for the sake of convenience, the above-mentioned “time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group in multiple beams within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, and not transmitting time domain resources of other beams in multiple beams except the second beam group” is replaced by “time domain resources for only sending the second beam group”.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the number of beams included in the second beam group may be K. Taking the case where the plurality of beams is M and the number of beams included in the first beam group is Y as an example, the value range of K is: [1, MY]. Furthermore, when K is greater than 1, the K beams are adjacent to each other or spaced apart, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this. It can be understood that the above-mentioned K may be the same as or different from Y. Taking M=16 as an example, Y may be equal to 4, and K may be equal to any value from 1 to 12. For example, taking the case where M beams include SSB beam #1 to SSB beam #16, and the first beam group is: SSB beam #1, SSB beam #2, and SSB beams #14 to #16 as an example, the second beam group may be: any one, two, three, or 12 of SSB beam #3 to SSB beam #13, etc. Furthermore, taking the second beam group including SSB beam #3 to SSB beam #13 as an example, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle, within one repeated transmission cycle of 20ms, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from the original 16 time slots to 11 time slots, thereby reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0027] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to a repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group among the multiple beams and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams among the multiple beams except the second beam group include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each of N2 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams among the multiple beams except the second beam group, where N2 is an integer greater than 1. That is, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period, the second beam group may also be repeatedly transmitted, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain for terminal devices within the coverage of the second beam group.

[0028] It can be understood that the time domain resources for sending only the second beam group are similar to the time domain resources for sending only the first beam group. For example, the number of time domain resources for sending only the second beam group can be N2; for another example, the time domain resources corresponding to the N2 repeated transmission periods can be located at any time domain position within the first transmission period; for another example, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N2 repeated transmission periods can be interspersed, adjacent, or partially adjacent.

[0029] In one possible implementation, N1 and N2 may be different. The time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group and the time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group may be arranged alternately first or later. For example, taking N1=3 and N2=5 as an example, three time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group and three time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group may be arranged alternately first, and then the remaining two time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group may be arranged alternately. It is understood that the time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group and the time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group may also be arranged in other ways.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the first beam group is periodically transmitted within the first transmission cycle. The transmission period of the first beam group within the first transmission cycle may be a repeated transmission period. That is to say, for the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group, it can continuously receive N1 RMSIs for RMSI merging, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI merging gain. It can be understood that the second beam group may also be periodically transmitted within the first transmission cycle, and the transmission period of the second beam group within the first transmission cycle may also be a repeated transmission period. In this way, for the terminal device within the coverage of the second beam group, the degree of damage to the RMSI merging gain can be reduced.

[0031] It is understood that if the number of beams between the first beam group and the second beam group is less than the number of beams that need to be traversed, the network device may further transmit a third beam group, or a third beam group and a fourth beam group, etc. The third beam group may include beams other than the first and second beam groups in the plurality of beams. The fourth beam group may include beams other than the first through third beam groups in the plurality of beams. Furthermore, the number of transmissions for each of the first through fourth beam groups within the first transmission period may be the same or different.

[0032] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be a network device in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, or a device comprising the network device, or a device contained in the network device, such as a core. The communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to the method described above, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software implementations in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0033] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The transceiver module, which may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement the sending and / or receiving functions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0034] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible implementation methods thereof.

[0035] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is configured to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device performs the method described in the first aspect. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is configured to communicate with a module external to the communication device; and the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction to cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip.

[0037] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in the first aspect. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip.

[0038] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in the first aspect or any of its implementation methods.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect or any of its implementations.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in the above-mentioned first aspect or any implementation method thereof.

[0041] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0042] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0043] It can be understood that when the communication device provided in any one of the second to eighth aspects is a chip, the above-mentioned sending action / function can be understood as output, and the above-mentioned receiving action / function can be understood as input.

[0044] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the second to eighth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0045] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the network device described in the above aspects.

[0046] In some possible designs, the communication system also includes the terminal device described in the above aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of RMSI transmission provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for sending system information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an RMSI transmitted through 16 SSB beams within 160 ms provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present application, wherein RMSI is transmitted through 16 SSB beams within 160 ms;

[0053] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of the embodiments of this application is first given. The brief introduction is as follows:

[0055] First, the time and frequency resources of the new radio (NR) system:

[0056] Time-frequency resources include time domain resources and frequency domain resources. Among them, the time domain resources and frequency domain resources of the NR system are related to the transmission scheme of the NR system. The uplink (UL) transmission scheme and downlink (DL) transmission scheme of the NR system can use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology. The principle of OFDM is: divide multiple subchannels in the frequency domain, convert the data to be transmitted into serial and parallel, and obtain multiple groups of data for parallel transmission, and then modulate each group of data to the subcarrier corresponding to each subchannel for transmission, that is, the data to be transmitted can be transmitted through multiple subcarriers superimposed in space. In other words, the minimum frequency domain resource in the NR system is 1 subcarrier, and the minimum time domain resource is 1 OFDM symbol.

[0057] It is understood that the specific OFDM configuration is related to the subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration. Table 1 shows the SCS supported by the NR system. In Table 1, the first column is the SCS configuration μ, and the second column Δf represents the SCS.

[0058] Table 1

[0059] The following introduces the time domain resources and frequency domain resources in the NR system in conjunction with SCS.

[0060] 1.1, Time Domain Resources:

[0061] In the time domain, the NR system can be transmitted in units of radio frames. The duration of each radio frame is T f =10ms. Each wireless frame can be composed of 10 frames with a duration of T sf =1ms subframe. The 10 subframes within a radio frame can be arranged sequentially. For example, the 10 subframes within a radio frame can be arranged in ascending chronological order as: subframe #0 to subframe #9. For another example, the 10 subframes can be arranged in descending chronological order as: subframe #9 to subframe #0. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the subframe ordering method.

[0062] It is understood that a radio frame can also be divided into two half-frames of equal size, namely half-frame #0 and half-frame #1. Each half-frame includes five subframes. For example, half-frame #0 can consist of subframes #0 to #4, and half-frame #1 can consist of subframes #5 to #9.

[0063] It should be understood that the above numbering and sequence of half frames and subframes are only exemplary. For example, the starting number can also be #1. For example, the 10 subframes in a wireless frame can be represented as: subframe #1 to subframe #10.

[0064] Furthermore, in the NR system, a subframe may include several time slots. For the subcarrier spacing configuration μ, the time slots may be numbered in ascending order within a subframe. Arranged, and can be numbered in ascending order within a radio frame In a time slot there are consecutive OFDM symbols, It is related to the cyclic prefix (CP) used by OFDM symbols. CP can be divided into normal CP and extended CP. Normal CP corresponds to Please refer to Table 2 for the corresponding extended CP. Please refer to Table 3.

[0065] It should be understood that the time slots in a subframe The time domain starting position of the OFDM symbol in the same subframe The time domain starting positions of OFDM symbols are aligned. For example, when a time slot includes 14 OFDM symbols, the OFDM symbols can be sorted in chronological order as: OFDM symbol #0 to OFDM symbol #13, where the time domain starting position of OFDM symbol #0 is the same as the time domain starting position of the time slot.

[0066] Table 2

[0067] Table 3

[0068] Furthermore, since the transmission of the NR system can be divided into uplink transmission and downlink transmission, a time slot may be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission. Among them, the network can be configured within a downlink-uplink transmission periodicity (DL-UL transmission periodicity), the ratio between the uplink time slot for uplink transmission and the downlink time slot for downlink transmission. For example, the downlink-uplink transmission periodicity can be 0.5ms, 0.625ms, 1.25ms, or 2.5ms, etc., and the ratio between the uplink time slot and the downlink time slot can be 1:4, 3:7, or 1:3, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0069] For example, for an SCS configuration of μ = 3, that is, SCS = 120 kHz, as shown in Table 2, a subframe (1 ms) can include 8 time slots, and a radio frame (10 ms) can include 80 time slots. Taking a 1:4 ratio of uplink time slots to downlink time slots as an example, the 80 time slots in a radio frame can be divided into 16 uplink time slots and 64 downlink time slots.

[0070] It should be understood that the downlink-uplink transmission period and the ratio between the uplink time slot and the downlink time slot can be specifically referred to the relevant description in TS 38.213, which will not be repeated here.

[0071] 1.2 Frequency Domain Resources

[0072] In the NR system, a subcarrier in the frequency domain and an OFDM symbol in the time domain can be defined as a resource element (RE). RE is the smallest granularity resource in the physical layer.

[0073] Furthermore, in the frequency domain, regardless of the subcarrier spacing, the NR system can define 12 consecutive subcarriers as a resource block (RB).

[0074] Second, SSB:

[0075] SSB may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). Among them, the terminal device must first detect the PSS and SSS to obtain downlink time-frequency synchronization, as well as the physical cell identifier (PCID), and then decode the PBCH. The PBCH includes the MIB and other information related to the SSB transmission time. The MIB contains the configuration parameters required to obtain RMSI. The terminal device can blindly detect the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) according to the configuration parameters, and then obtain downlink control information (DCI). The DCI can be used to indicate the time-frequency resources of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carrying RMSI, so that the terminal device can receive RMSI according to the time-frequency resources and complete the initial access according to the RMSI. The specific process of the above-mentioned terminal device obtaining RMSI can be found in the relevant description of TS 38.213, which will not be repeated here.

[0076] Furthermore, due to the large propagation loss of high-frequency carriers, beamforming is required to increase the coverage distance of wireless signals. Each beam has a limited coverage angle, i.e., a narrow beam width, and thus terminal devices outside the beam coverage range cannot reliably receive wireless signals from network devices. However, SSB is a broadcast signal (or broadcast channel) that requires all terminal devices within a cell to receive it. A beam with a limited coverage angle cannot actually meet the requirements for full cell coverage, and network devices are required to transmit SSB through beam scanning.

[0077] Furthermore, transmitting SSB by beam scanning may mean transmitting SSB in beams in different directions at different times to cover the entire cell. The beam that transmits SSB may be called an SSB beam, and different SSB beams have different directions, that is, different SSB beams have different coverage ranges. The multiple SSBs required to complete a beam scan constitute an SSB burst set, and the maximum number of SSBs contained in an SSB burst set may be 4, 8, 16, or 64. The SSB burst set needs to be transmitted within 5ms of a half frame, and the transmission period of the SSB burst set may be {5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160}ms.

[0078] Third, RMSI:

[0079] RMSI may also be referred to as system information block type 1 (SIB1). RMSI may include a public land mobile network (PLMN) ID, a cell global ID, a cell barring status, cell selection parameters, or other system information. For details, see TS 38.331 for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0080] It can be understood that, as described in the aforementioned "Second, SSB", different SSB beams have different coverage and transmission times, and the terminal device needs to determine the time-frequency resources for receiving RMSI based on the received SSB. In order to enable terminal devices located at different locations in the cell to receive RMSI, the network device needs to send RMSI through each SSB beam in multiple SSB beams, so that the terminal device can access the network device.

[0081] Furthermore, the RMSI transmission period can be 160ms, and the same information can be repeatedly transmitted within 160ms, that is, the RMSI is periodically transmitted through each beam in multiple SSB beams within 160ms. Among them, the network device can send the RMSI after sending the SSB burst set, or the network device can reuse the time-frequency resources corresponding to each SSB in the SSB burst set to send the RMSI. For details, please refer to the relevant description in TS 38.213, which will not be repeated here.

[0082] It should be understood that the default repetition transmission period for transmitting RMSI through each SSB beam in multiple SSB beams is 20ms, but the actual repetition transmission period can be set by the network, for example, by the network equipment, or by the core network (CN).

[0083] Furthermore, within the above-mentioned repeated transmission period, the time domain resources in each SSB beam used to transmit multiple SSB beams are determined according to the SSB corresponding to the SSB beam. For example, the time domain resources used to transmit an SSB beam are different from the time domain resources for transmitting the SSB corresponding to the SSB beam, and the time interval between the two can be determined based on the MIB in the SSB corresponding to the SSB beam. For another example, the time domain resources used to transmit an SSB beam can reuse the time domain resources for transmitting the SSB corresponding to the SSB beam. It can be understood that the above-mentioned time domain resources for transmitting an SSB beam can be specifically referred to the relevant description of TS 38.213 and will not be repeated here.

[0084] The following describes the transmission of RMSI in conjunction with FIG1 .

[0085] Figure 1 is a transmission diagram of an RMSI provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the transmission period of the SSB burst set is 20ms, and the SSB burst set completes transmission within 5ms of a half frame. 16 SSBs are transmitted in the SSB burst set, namely SSB#1 to SSB#16, and the SSB beams of the 16 SSBs are SSB beam#1 to SSB beam#16 (that is, the SSB beam of SSB#1 is SSB beam#1, the SSB beam of SSB#2 is SSB beam#2, ..., the SSB beam of SSB#16 is SSB beam#16), and then RMSI needs to be transmitted through each SSB beam in SSB beam#1 to SSB beam#16, that is, RMSI is transmitted through SSB beam#1, RMSI is transmitted through SSB beam#2, ..., RMSI is transmitted through SSB beam#16.

[0086] Furthermore, the RMSI transmission period is 160ms, and the RMSI transmitted via SSB beams #1 to #16 can be transmitted repeatedly within 160ms. As shown in Figure 1, the repetition period is 20ms, meaning that within the RMSI transmission period (160ms), the RMSI transmitted via SSB beams #1 to #16 can be transmitted a total of eight times.

[0087] Furthermore, within the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the RMSI may be after the time domain resources for transmitting the SSB burst set. Among the time domain resources for transmitting the RMSI, the time domain resources for transmitting each of SSB beams #1 to SSB beam #16 may be one time slot.

[0088] However, when there are many SSB beams transmitting RMSI, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI accounts for a large proportion of the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period. For example, taking the 80 time slots in a radio frame in the aforementioned "1.1, Time Domain Resources" as an example, including 64 downlink time slots, the time domain resources corresponding to the 20ms repeated transmission period include 128 downlink time slots. In Figure 1 above, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI via 16 SSB beams requires 16 time slots, and the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI accounts for 12.5%. Therefore, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI accounts for a large proportion.

[0089] It is understandable that the time domain resources for transmitting RMSI are difficult to use for downlink data transmission. For example, in the frequency range (FR) 2 (such as the millimeter wave band) scenario, in order to compensate for the transmission loss of high-frequency signals, it is necessary to concentrate the limited energy within a narrow beam width. That is, the SSB beam used on the time domain resources for transmitting RMSI can only cover a limited number of terminal devices and cannot be used for downlink data scheduling of other terminal devices outside the coverage range of the SSB beam, which will limit downlink data transmission. Furthermore, according to Chapter 5 of TS 38.214 (h20 version), regarding the relevant instructions on PDSCH scheduling restrictions, for the same cell operating in FR2, in the process of obtaining system information triggered by paging-radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), if there is a PDSCH that partially or completely overlaps in time with the PDSCH scheduled using system information-radio network temporary identifier (SI-RNTI), the terminal device does not expect to simultaneously decode the PDSCH scheduled using cell-radio network temporary identifier (cell RNTI, C-RNTI), modulation and coding scheme-cell-radio network temporary identifier (modulation and coding scheme-cell-RNTI, MCS-RNTI), or configured scheduling-radio network temporary identifier (configured scheduling RNTI, CS-RNTI), that is, in the FR2 scenario, in the same cell, the terminal device does not expect to demodulate RMSI and downlink data at the same time.

[0090] In summary, the time domain resources used to transmit RMSI are difficult to use for downlink data transmission. In other words, if the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI accounts for a large proportion, the time domain resources used for downlink data transmission will account for a small proportion, affecting the downlink data transmission rate.

[0091] Furthermore, when the network device is unloaded or lightly loaded, the time domain resource overhead of transmitting the RMSI accounts for a large proportion, which will lead to high power consumption of the network device and is not conducive to energy saving of the network device.

[0092] It should be understood that by lengthening the RMSI repetition transmission period, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI can be reduced. However, for terminal devices that receive RMSI multiple times for RMSI merging, lengthening the RMSI repetition transmission period will result in a loss of RMSI merging gain. For example, in Figure 1, the RMSI repetition transmission period is 20ms, that is, within 160ms, the RMSI transmitted through SSB beam #1 to SSB beam #16 can be transmitted a total of 8 times, and the terminal device can perform RMSI merging based on the RMSI received 3 times within 80ms; or, the terminal device can perform RMSI merging based on the RMSI received 4 times within 100ms. If the RMSI repetition transmission period is lengthened to 80ms, then within 160ms, the RMSI transmitted through SSB beam #1 to SSB beam #16 is transmitted twice, and the terminal device then receives only one RMSI within 80ms, making it impossible to perform RMSI merging; or, the terminal device performs RMSI merging based on the RMSI received twice within 160ms. In other words, by lengthening the RMSI retransmission period, the number of RMSIs received by the terminal device within a given time period decreases, which results in a loss of RMSI combining gain. Furthermore, in scenarios with limited coverage, the loss of RMSI combining gain leads to a decrease in RMSI coverage performance.

[0093] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a system information sending method that can reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0094] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0095] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0096] 1. In the embodiments of the present application, for ease of description, when numbering or indexing is involved, the numbering can be started from 1 or from 0, or from any parameter.

[0097] 2. "Pre-definition," "pre-configuration," or "protocol agreement" may be achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods for indicating relevant information in a device (e.g., a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Storage" may mean storage in one or more memories.

[0098] 3. The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0099] 4. In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device (such as the first device or the second device) will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform a judgment action when implementing it, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0100] 5. In the embodiments of the present application, “sending information to… (terminal device)” can be understood as the destination end of the information being the terminal device, and can include sending information to the terminal device directly or indirectly. “Receiving information from… (network device)” or “receiving information from… (network device)” can be understood as the source end of the information being the network device, and can include receiving information from the network device directly or indirectly. The information may be processed as necessary between the source end and the destination end of the information transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0101] 6. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the "and / or" in the embodiments of the present application indicates that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, wherein A and B can be singular or plural. Moreover, "at least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions.

[0102] The embodiments of the present application can be applicable to LTE systems or NR systems (also referred to as fifth generation (5G) systems), systems with hybrid LTE and NR networking, vehicle to everything (V2X) systems, device-to-device (D2D) systems, machine to machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems (such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems), 6G systems, and other next-generation communication systems. Alternatively, the communication system may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (cloud RAN, CRAN), without limitation.

[0103] In addition, the communication architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the communication architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0104] As shown in Figure 2, a structural diagram of a communication system 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. In Figure 2, the communication system 200 includes at least one network device (such as 210a or 210b in Figure 2), and at least one terminal device (such as 220a to 220j in Figure 2) connected to the network device is used as an example for explanation. It should be understood that the network device can be connected to the CN in a wireless or wired manner, and the CN device and the network device in the CN can be different physical devices respectively, or can be the same physical device that integrates the CN logical function and the wireless access network logical function. It can be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices in Figure 2 is only an example, and can be more or less, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0105] In one possible implementation, the network device determines the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period based on the repeated transmission period of the RMSI, and sends the RMSI to the terminal device based on the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period. The repeated transmission period is the repeated transmission period for transmitting the RMSI through each beam in the multiple beams. The time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam group in the multiple beams, and not transmitting the other beams in the multiple beams except the first beam group, and the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted in the first transmission period.

[0106] The specific implementation of the above solution will be described in detail in the following embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0107] Since, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device sends RMSI through the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period, the network device can send RMSI only through the first beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, without having to send RMSI through each beam, thereby reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period. Furthermore, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first sending period, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain. Therefore, based on the system information sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain can be reduced while reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the network device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device that communicates with a terminal device. The network device may also be referred to as an access network (RAN) device, an access node, a RAN entity, or a RAN node. As shown in FIG2 , multiple network devices in the communication system 200 may be nodes of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the network device and the terminal device are relative. For example, the network element 220i in FIG2 may be a helicopter or a drone, which may be configured as a mobile base station. For those terminal devices 220j that access the communication system 200 through the network element 220i, the network element 220i may be the base station 210a; but for the base station 210a, the network element 220i is a terminal device. Network devices and terminal devices are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, the network elements 210a and 210b in FIG2 may be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and the network elements 220a-220j may be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0109] In one possible scenario, the network device may be a transmission and reception point (TRP), a base station, a remote radio unit (RRU) or a baseband unit (BBU) (also referred to as a digital unit (DU)) of a split base station, a broadband network gateway (BNG), an aggregation switch, a non-3GPP access device, a relay station or an access point, etc. The network device may be a macro base station (such as the network element 210a in FIG2 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as the network element 210b in FIG2 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the network device may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an on-board device, etc. For example, the network device in a V2X system may be a road side unit (RSU). In addition, the network device in the embodiment of the present application can be an eNB or eNodeB (evolutional NodeB) in LTE, a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario, a base station in a 5G communication system (such as the next generation Node B (gNodeB, gNB)), or a base station in a future evolution system (such as a 6G communication system), etc., which is not specifically limited here.

[0110] In one possible implementation, in some deployments, a gNB may include a centralized unit (CU), a DU, a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some gNB functions, while the DU implements some gNB functions. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing RRC and / or PDCP layer functions. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing RLC, MAC, and PHY layer functions. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna-related functions. Because RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is converted from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or by a combination of the DU and the AAU. It is understood that a network device may include one or more of a CU node, a DU node, or an AAU node. In addition, the CU may be divided into a network device in the RAN, or may be divided into a network device in the CN, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0111] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, the embodiments of the present application are described by taking CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may be a device for implementing wireless communication functions, such as a terminal or a chip that can be used in a terminal. The terminal may be a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a terminal unit, a terminal station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a terminal agent, or a terminal device in a 5G network or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). The access terminal may be 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 capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a VR terminal device, an AR terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, 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, etc. In one possible implementation, the terminal device may be mobile or fixed.

[0113] In one possible implementation, the network device and terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general device or a dedicated device, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the relevant functions of the terminal device or network device in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a single device, or by multiple devices, or by one or more functional modules within a single device, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. It is understood that the above functions can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0115] For example, the relevant functions of the network device or terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the communication device 300 in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a structural diagram of the communication device 300 provided in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 300 includes one or more processors 301, a communication line 302, and at least one communication interface (Figure 3 is only exemplary and is illustrated by including a communication interface 304 and a processor 301 as an example). Optionally, the communication device 300 may also include a memory 303.

[0116] The processor 301 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0117] The communication line 302 may include a path for connecting different components.

[0118] Communication interface 304 can be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, and wireless local area networks (WLAN). For example, the transceiver module can be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. In one possible implementation, communication interface 304 can also be a transceiver circuit located within processor 301, used to implement signal input and output to the processor.

[0119] The memory 303 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may exist independently and be connected to the processor via a communication line 302. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0120] The memory 303 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 301. The processor 301 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 303, thereby implementing the signal transmission method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0121] Alternatively, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 301 may also perform functions related to the processing of the signal transmission method provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 304 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0122] In one possible implementation, the memory 303 in the embodiment of the present application can also be used to store the information or parameters described in the following embodiments, such as RMSI, the repeated transmission period of RMSI, the first sending period, or the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period.

[0123] The computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0124] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 301 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 3 .

[0125] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 300 may include multiple processors, such as processor 301 and processor 307 in Figure 3. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0126] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication apparatus 300 may further include an output device 305 and an input device 306. The output device 305 communicates with the processor 301 and may display information in a variety of ways.

[0127] The communication device 300 described above can be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 300 can be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, an embedded device, or a device having a similar structure to that shown in FIG3 . The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the communication device 300.

[0128] The following will describe the system information sending method provided in an embodiment of the present application in detail with reference to FIG4 .

[0129] It should be understood that the signal names between the various devices or the names of the various parameters in the signals in the following embodiments of the present application are merely examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any specific limitations on this.

[0130] Taking the interaction between the network device and the terminal device shown in FIG2 as an example, as shown in FIG4 , a method for sending system information provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0131] S401. The network device determines a first transmission period and a time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period based on a repeated transmission period of the RMSI. The repeated transmission period is a repeated transmission period for transmitting the RMSI through each of the multiple beams. The time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period includes: within the time domain resource corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resource used to transmit the first beam group among the multiple beams, and the time domain resource not used to transmit other beams among the multiple beams except the first beam group. The first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first transmission period.

[0132] S402: The network device sends RMSI to the terminal device according to the first sending period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the RMSI from the network device.

[0133] The above steps S401 to S402 are described in detail below.

[0134] For step S401:

[0135] In one possible implementation, each beam in the multiple beams corresponds to an SSB. For example, each beam in the multiple beams may be an SSB beam corresponding to each SSB in a plurality of SSBs, and the plurality of SSBs may be a plurality of SSBs in an SSB burst set. For details, see SSB beams #1 to #16 for transmitting RMSI in a repeated transmission period in FIG. 1 , which are not further described here.

[0136] It is understood that the number of the multiple beams is related to the number of SSBs transmitted in the SSB burst set. For example, if 4 SSBs are transmitted in the SSB burst set, the number of the multiple beams is 4. For another example, if 64 beams are transmitted in the SSB burst set, the number of the multiple beams is 64.

[0137] Furthermore, each of the multiple beams may also be a beam with a coverage range close to that of its corresponding SSB beam, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0138] In one possible implementation, a time domain resource used to transmit each of the multiple beams is determined according to an SSB corresponding to each of the multiple beams.

[0139] Among them, the specific method for determining the time domain resources of each of the above beams can be found in the relevant description in the aforementioned "Third, RMSI", which will not be repeated here.

[0140] In a possible implementation, the repetitive transmission period in step S401 may refer to the repetitive transmission period in the aforementioned “RMSI”. For details, please refer to the relevant description, which will not be repeated here.

[0141] Furthermore, the repetitive transmission period in the embodiment of the present application may be a multiple of 20 ms, such as 20 ms, 40 ms, 60 ms, 80 ms, or 160 ms. It should be understood that the repetitive transmission period may not be a multiple of 20 ms, such as 21 ms, 22 ms, 30 ms, 31 ms, 39 ms, 41 ms, 49 ms, or 50 ms, and this is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0142] The first sending cycle and the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle are introduced below.

[0143] It should be understood that the first transmission period may refer to the transmission period during which the network device transmits the RMSI. During the first transmission period, each of the multiple beams is transmitted at least once. In other words, some of the multiple beams may be transmitted repeatedly, so that terminal devices within the coverage of these beams can receive the RMSI multiple times, thereby achieving RMSI combining gain.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the first transmission period may be an integer multiple of the repetitive transmission period. For example, the first transmission period may be 2, 3, 4, or more multiples of the repetitive transmission period. Furthermore, the first transmission period may be 160 ms, or the first transmission period may be greater than 160 ms, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0145] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle, the time domain resources used to transmit each of the multiple beams belong to the time domain resources corresponding to each of the multiple beams within the repeated transmission cycle. For example, taking the case where the first transmission cycle is twice the repeated transmission cycle and 16 beams (i.e., beam #1 to beam #16) are transmitted within the repeated transmission cycle, the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle include time domain resource #1 corresponding to the first repeated transmission cycle and time domain resource #2 corresponding to the second repeated transmission cycle. Specifically, within the first transmission cycle, the time slot used to transmit beam #1 may be the time slot within time domain resource #1 for transmitting beam #1, and the time slot used to transmit beam #16 may be the time slot within time domain resource #16 for transmitting beam #1.

[0146] That is to say, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period, the time domain resources corresponding to each beam in the multiple beams in the repeated transmission period can be multiplexed.

[0147] Furthermore, the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period may include time domain resources for sending only the first beam, that is, in step S401: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources are used to transmit the first beam group among multiple beams, and the time domain resources other than the first beam group among multiple beams are not transmitted.

[0148] That is to say, within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI can be reduced by not sending beams other than the first beam group.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the first beam group may include any Y beams from the plurality of beams. For example, if the plurality of beams is M, the value range of Y is [1, M]. Furthermore, when Y is greater than 1, the Y beams may be adjacent to each other or spaced apart, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0150] Furthermore, as described in step 401, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first transmission period. The number of times the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted may be 1, 2, 3, or more times, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0151] That is to say, for the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group, due to the repeated transmission of the first beam group, the terminal device can receive RMSI multiple times within the first sending period, thereby obtaining the combined gain of RMSI.

[0152] It can be understood that for the terminal device to perform RMSI merging, the terminal device can receive 3 to 5 RMSIs within a given time to perform RMSI merging, and the obtained RMSI merging gain can meet the coverage requirement.

[0153] Furthermore, in one possible implementation, the interval between repeated transmissions of the first beam group can be equal to the repeated transmission period. That is, because the repeated transmission period of the first beam remains unchanged, a terminal device within the coverage area of ​​the first beam group can receive at least two RMSIs for RMSI combining within a given time period, thereby reducing the degree of loss in RMSI combining gain.

[0154] It can be understood that when the number of repeated transmissions of the first beam group is greater than or equal to 2 times, and the time interval of repeated transmission of the first beam group can be equal to the above-mentioned repeated transmission period, the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group can receive RMSI at least 3 times within a given time, that is, the RMSI combining gain will not be damaged.

[0155] The time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle are further described below with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. 7 .

[0156] Exemplarily, taking the case where the multiple beams are 16 SSB beams (i.e., SSB beam #1 to SSB beam #16), the repeated transmission period is 20ms, and the first transmission period is 160ms as an example, the time domain resources corresponding to the above-mentioned first transmission period are explained. As shown in Figure 5, (a) in Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a type of RMSI defined in TS 38.213 being repeatedly transmitted through 16 SSB beams within 160ms. (b) in Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a time domain resource that only transmits the first beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period. In (b) in Figure 5, the first beam group may include: SSB beam #1, SSB beam #2, and SSB beams #14 to #16. On time domain resources other than the time domain resources that only transmit the first beam group, the network device may transmit RMSI through each of the multiple beams.

[0157] That is to say, within one repeated transmission cycle of 20ms, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from the original 16 time slots to 5 time slots, and thus the proportion of the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from 16 / 128=12.5% ​​in the previous example to 5 / 128=3.9%.

[0158] It can be understood that (b) in Figure 5 above is only an example. The time domain resources for sending only the first beam group may not be within the time domain resources corresponding to the first repeated transmission period within the first sending period, and may also be on other time domain resources except the time domain resources corresponding to the first repeated transmission period. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0159] It should be understood that the number of time domain resources for sending only the first beam group can be multiple, which is described in detail below.

[0160] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to a repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam group among multiple beams, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the first beam group among the multiple beams, include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each repeated transmission period among the time domain resources corresponding to N1 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the first beam group among the multiple beams, where N1 is an integer greater than 1.

[0161] It can be understood that by using multiple time domain resources that only send the first beam group, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI in the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period can be reduced as a whole.

[0162] Furthermore, in a possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are spaced apart from each other, where the interval may be, for example, one repetition transmission period, two repetition transmission periods, or more repetition transmission periods.

[0163] Furthermore, the interval between the time domain resources corresponding to two different repetition transmission periods can be variable. For example, taking N1 as 3, the interval between the time domain resources corresponding to the first repetition transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the second repetition transmission period can be one repetition transmission period. The interval between the time domain resources corresponding to the second repetition transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the third repetition transmission period can be two repetition transmission periods.

[0164] The following takes (c) in FIG5 as an example to illustrate the ratio of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0165] As shown in (c) of Figure 5 , N1 is 2, which is a schematic diagram of two time domain resources that only transmit the first beam group in the first transmission cycle. The time interval between the two time domain resources that only transmit the first beam group is one repeated transmission cycle. In other words, the transmission time required for the two time domain resources that only transmit the first beam group is the time corresponding to three repeated transmission cycles. Therefore, within the time corresponding to three repeated transmission cycles, the time domain resource overhead ratio of the time domain resource overhead of the RMSI transmission in Figure 5 (c) can be reduced to (5+16+5) / (3×128)=6.8% compared to 12.5% ​​in Figure 5 (a).

[0166] In another possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other. It can be understood that, compared to the aforementioned situation where the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods are spaced apart, the adjacent time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods can reduce the transmission time required to transmit the N1 first beam groups, thereby further reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0167] For example, while the two time-domain resources in Figure 5(c) that transmit only the first beam group require three repetition transmission periods (i.e., 60 ms), the two time-domain resources in Figure 5(d) that transmit only the first beam group are adjacent to each other, and thus require only two repetition transmission periods (i.e., 40 ms). That is, for Figure 5(d), the proportion of time-domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the required transmission time can be reduced from 6.8% in Figure 5(c) to (5+5) / (2×128)=3.9%.

[0168] It can be understood that within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle, within the time resources (40ms) corresponding to the first two repeated transmission cycles, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI in the first 40ms in (c) of Figure 5 is (5+16) / (2×128)=8.2%, and the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI in the first 40ms in (d) of Figure 5 is 3.9%.

[0169] That is to say, within a certain time period within the first sending cycle, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repeated transmission cycles are adjacent to each other, which can further reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the certain time period.

[0170] It can also be understood that (c) and (d) in Figure 5 above are only examples, and the time domain resources for sending only the first beam group can also be at any time domain position within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0171] In one possible implementation, when N1 is greater than 2, the time domain resources corresponding to at least two of the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other. It will be appreciated that the time domain resources corresponding to at least two repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other, which can reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI in the time domain resources corresponding to adjacent repetition transmission periods.

[0172] For example, Figure 5(e) illustrates the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle when N1 is adjusted to 7. As shown in Figure 5(e), of the seven time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission cycles, the time domain resources corresponding to six repeated transmission cycles are adjacent to each other. In other words, within the last 120ms of the 160ms, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI accounts for 3.9%.

[0173] It should be understood that in (a) to (e) in Figure 5 above, the first beam group is transmitted a total of 8 times within the first transmission cycle, and the time interval between two adjacent transmissions is the repeated transmission cycle, that is, for the terminal equipment within the coverage range of the first beam group, the RMSI combining gain will not be damaged.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the transmission time required for the first beam group in the first transmission cycle is the time corresponding to N1 repeated transmission cycles. That is, in the first transmission cycle, the first beam group is transmitted using the time domain resources used to transmit only the first beam group, and is not repeatedly transmitted on other time domain resources. This further reduces the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI. Furthermore, the loss of RMSI combining gain can be reduced by repeatedly transmitting the first beam group in adjacent intervals.

[0175] For example, in Figure 5 (d), if the first beam group is not transmitted in the last 120ms of the 160ms, the time domain resource overhead of transmitting RMSI in the last 120ms is reduced from 12.5% ​​to 3.9%. Furthermore, a terminal device within the coverage area of ​​the first beam group can receive two RMSIs in the first 40ms of the 160ms for RMSI combination, thereby reducing the degree of loss in RMSI combination gain.

[0176] It can be understood that on the basis of not repeatedly sending the first beam group on other time domain resources, other time domain resources can be used to send other beams in multiple beams except the first beam group, such as the second beam group, and then can be used for terminal devices within the coverage of the second beam group to receive RMSI.

[0177] The following describes the time domain resources used to transmit the second beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period also include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting other beams among the multiple beams except the second beam group, and the beams included in the second beam group are different from the beams included in the first beam group.

[0179] That is to say, on the basis of sending only the first beam group, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI can be further reduced by not sending other beams except the second beam group.

[0180] It should be understood that, for the sake of convenience, the above-mentioned “time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group in multiple beams within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, and not transmitting time domain resources of other beams in multiple beams except the second beam group” is replaced by “time domain resources for only sending the second beam group”.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the number of beams included in the second beam group may be K. Taking the case where the plurality of beams is M and the number of beams included in the first beam group is Y as an example, the value range of K is [1, M Y]. Furthermore, when K is greater than 1, the K beams are adjacent to each other or spaced apart, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0182] It can be understood that the above K can be the same as or different from Y. Taking M=16 as an example, Y can be equal to 4, and K can be equal to any value from 1 to 12. For example, the first beam group in (a) to (e) in Figure 5 is: SSB beam #1, SSB beam #2, and SSB beam #14 to #16, and the second beam group can be: any 1, 2, 3, or 12 of SSB beam #3 to SSB beam #13. Among them, taking the second beam group including SSB beam #3 to SSB beam #13 as an example, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle, within one repeated transmission cycle of 20ms, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from the original 16 time slots to 11 time slots, and thus the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from 12.5% ​​to 8.6%.

[0183] In one possible implementation, within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the second beam group among the multiple beams, include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each of the time domain resources corresponding to N2 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the second beam group among the multiple beams, where N2 is an integer greater than 1.

[0184] That is to say, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period, the second beam group can also be transmitted repeatedly, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain for terminal devices within the coverage range of the second beam group.

[0185] It can be understood that the time domain resources for sending only the second beam group are similar to the time domain resources for sending only the first beam group. For example, the number of time domain resources for sending only the second beam group can be N2; for another example, the time domain resources corresponding to the N2 repeated transmission periods can be located at any time domain position within the first transmission period; for another example, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N2 repeated transmission periods can be interspersed, adjacent, or partially adjacent. For details, please refer to the aforementioned explanation on "only sending the time domain resources of the first beam group", which will not be repeated here.

[0186] The time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period are further explained below in combination with the time domain resources for sending only the first beam group and the time domain resources for sending only the second beam group.

[0187] In a possible implementation, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods and the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N2 repetition transmission periods may be adjacent.

[0188] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 6 , the first beam group is the first beam group in (a) to (d) of Figure 5 , and the second beam group includes: SSB beam #3 to SSB beam #13. The time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period can be divided into two categories: time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group and time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group. Furthermore, the number of time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group is N1, and the number of time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group is N2. The two types of time domain resources can be arranged alternately in the time domain, as shown in (a) of Figure 6 .

[0189] It can be understood that, as shown in (a) of FIG6 , within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle, the proportion of the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from 12.5% ​​to 6.25%.

[0190] In one possible implementation, N1 and N2 may be different. The time domain resources that transmit only the first beam group and the time domain resources that transmit only the second beam group may be arranged alternately first or later. As shown in FIG6(b), N1 = 3, N2 = 5. Three time domain resources that transmit only the first beam group and three time domain resources that transmit only the second beam group may be arranged alternately first, followed by the remaining two time domain resources that transmit only the second beam group.

[0191] It is understandable that the time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group and the time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group may also be arranged in other ways. For example, as shown in (c) of FIG6 , the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period are arranged in chronological order as follows: the time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group, two time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group, the time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group, the time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group, the time domain resources for transmitting only the first beam group, and two time domain resources for transmitting only the second beam group.

[0192] In a possible implementation, the first beam group is periodically transmitted within a first transmission period, wherein the transmission period of the first beam group within the first transmission period may be a repeated transmission period.

[0193] That is to say, for the terminal device within the coverage of the first beam group, it can continuously receive N1 RMSIs for RMSI merging, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI merging gain.

[0194] It can be understood that the second beam group can also be transmitted periodically within the first sending period, and the transmission period of the second beam group within the first sending period can also be a repeated transmission period. In this way, for the terminal equipment within the coverage range of the second beam group, the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain can be reduced.

[0195] It should be understood that the network device may first transmit the first beam group N1 times and then transmit the second beam group N2 times in the first transmission cycle. Alternatively, the network device may first transmit the second beam group N2 times and then transmit the first beam group N1 times.

[0196] For example, as shown in (d) in Figure 6, within the first sending cycle, the first beam group can be transmitted 4 times, and then the second beam group can be transmitted 4 times. Then, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle, the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the first 80ms accounts for 3.9%, and the time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the last 80ms accounts for 11 / 128=8.6%.

[0197] It is understood that if the number of beams between the first beam group and the second beam group is less than the number of beams that need to be traversed, the network device may further transmit a third beam group, or a third beam group and a fourth beam group, etc. The third beam group may include beams other than the first and second beam groups in the plurality of beams. The fourth beam group may include beams other than the first through third beam groups in the plurality of beams.

[0198] For example, as shown in (e) of FIG6 , the network device may transmit the first to fourth beam groups. The first beam group includes SSB beams #1 to #4. The second beam group includes SSB beams #5 to #8. The third beam group includes SSB beams #9 to #12. The fourth beam group includes SSB beams #13 to #16.

[0199] Furthermore, the number of transmissions of each beam group in the first beam group to the fourth beam group within the first transmission period may be the same or different, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0200] For example, in the example shown in (e) of Figure 6 , each of the first to fourth beam groups is transmitted twice in the first transmission cycle, meaning it can be transmitted repeatedly once. The transmission time required for each of the first to fourth beam groups in the first transmission cycle is the time corresponding to two repeated transmission cycles, or 40ms. In other words, SSB Beam #1 to SSB Beam #4 can be transmitted twice in the first 40ms of the first transmission cycle, SSB Beam #5 to SSB Beam #8 can be transmitted twice in the 40ms to 80ms of the first transmission cycle, SSB Beam #9 to SSB Beam #12 can be transmitted twice in the 80ms to 120ms of the first transmission cycle, and SSB Beam #13 to SSB Beam #16 can be transmitted twice in the 120ms to 160ms of the first transmission cycle. Thus, within the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission cycle, the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI is reduced from 12.5% ​​to 1 / 4 of the original amount.

[0201] It can also be understood that the transmission time required for each of the first to fourth beam groups in the first transmission period may be a multiple of the repeated transmission period, such as 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, etc. For example, if the transmission time required for each of the first to fourth beam groups in the first transmission period is 160 ms, the first transmission period is 640 ms.

[0202] It should be understood that, as described above regarding the first sending cycle, transmitting RMSI through the first sending cycle and the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending cycle can reduce the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI and reduce the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain, thereby increasing the proportion of time domain resources used for downlink data transmission and reducing the power consumption of network equipment when it is unloaded or underloaded.

[0203] The following exemplifies a scenario in which the network device determines the first sending period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period (ie, step S401 ) according to the repetitive transmission period of the RMSI.

[0204] For example, the network device may perform step S401 when it is unloaded or lightly loaded. When it is unloaded or lightly loaded, fewer terminal devices need to access the network in the cell corresponding to the network device, and the network device may not need to send RMSI frequently, thereby saving power consumption.

[0205] For another example, the network device may perform step S401 when the downlink data transmission demand is high, and then use the time domain resources saved for transmitting RMSI for PDSCH scheduling of other terminal devices to improve the downlink data transmission rate.

[0206] It is understandable that the network device may also execute step S401 according to the CN instruction, and this embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0207] For step S402:

[0208] It can be understood that, as described above regarding "Second, SSB", after the terminal device receives the SSB from the network device, it can obtain the required configuration parameters of the RMSI according to the MIB in the SSB, and blindly detect the PDCCH according to the configuration parameters, and then obtain the DCI indicating the time-frequency resources of the PDSCH carrying the RMSI, so that the terminal device can receive the RMSI from the network device. Among them, the specific process of the above-mentioned terminal device obtaining the RMSI can be found in the relevant description of TS 38.213, which will not be repeated here.

[0209] It can be understood that, for the above-mentioned case of transmitting only the first beam group, the network device may not send the PDCCHs corresponding to the other beams in the multiple beam groups except the first beam group.

[0210] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the network device may be the O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU in the aforementioned ORAN, or a combination of the O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU. For example, the O-DU may determine how to broadcast system information based on scheduling parameters. For example, the O-DU may determine the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period based on the repeated transmission period of the RMSI. Furthermore, the O-DU may send the RMSI through the O-RU based on the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period.

[0211] For another example, the O-CU may determine the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period based on the repeated transmission period of the RMSI, and send the RMSI through the O-RU based on the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period.

[0212] For another example, the O-CU may determine the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period based on the repeated transmission period of the RMSI, the O-DU may generate the specific content of the RMSI, and then send the RMSI through the O-RU. It is understandable that the O-DU may also determine the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period based on the repeated transmission period of the RMSI, and the O-CU may generate the specific content of the RMSI.

[0213] It should be understood that since the O-CU and O-DU are responsible for the functions of the high-level protocol layer, and the high-level information will eventually become the information of the PHY layer, or be converted from the information of the PHY layer, therefore, under the ORAN architecture, the RMSI in the embodiment of the present application can also be considered to be sent by the O-CU and / or O-DU.

[0214] Since, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device sends RMSI through the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period, the network device can send RMSI only through the first beam group within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, without having to send RMSI through each beam, thereby reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period. Furthermore, the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted within the first sending period, thereby reducing the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain. Therefore, based on the system information sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the degree of damage to the RMSI combining gain can be reduced while reducing the proportion of time domain resource overhead for transmitting RMSI.

[0215] Among them, the actions of the network device in the above steps S401 to S402 can be performed by the processor 301 in the communication device 300 shown in Figure 3 calling the application code to instruct the communication device 300 to execute, and the actions of the terminal device in the above steps S401 to S402 can be performed by the processor 301 in the communication device 300 shown in Figure 3 calling the application code to instruct the communication device 300 to execute. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0216] The above description primarily describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be the network device described in the method embodiments described above, or a device including the network device described above, or a component usable in a network device; or the communication device may be the first terminal device described in the method embodiments described above, or a device including the first terminal device described above, or a component usable in a first terminal device. It will be understood that, to implement the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0217] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device can be divided into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be understood that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0218] For example, taking the communication device as the network device in the above method embodiment as an example, Figure 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a network device 700. The network device 700 includes a transceiver module 701 and a processing module 702. The transceiver module 701, which may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement transceiver functions and may be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0219] The processing module 702 is used to implement the processing function corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiment, and the transceiver module 701 is used to implement the transceiver function corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0220] For example, the processing module 702 is used to determine the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period according to the repeated transmission period of the RMSI; the transceiver module 701 is used to send the RMSI to the terminal device according to the first transmission period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period. The repeated transmission period is the repeated transmission period for transmitting the RMSI through each beam in the multiple beams. The time domain resources corresponding to the first transmission period include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam group in the multiple beams, and not transmitting the other beams in the multiple beams except the first beam group, and the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted in the first transmission period.

[0221] In some embodiments, the time domain resource used to transmit each of the multiple beams is determined according to the SSB corresponding to each of the multiple beams.

[0222] In some embodiments, within the time domain resources corresponding to a repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam group among multiple beams, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the first beam group among the multiple beams, include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each of the time domain resources corresponding to N1 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources for transmitting the first beam, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the first beam group among the multiple beams, where N1 is an integer greater than 1.

[0223] In some embodiments, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are spaced apart from each other.

[0224] In some embodiments, the time domain resources corresponding to each of the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other.

[0225] In some embodiments, when N1 is greater than 2, time domain resources corresponding to at least two of the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repetition transmission periods are adjacent to each other.

[0226] In some embodiments, the transmission time required for the first beam group in the first transmission cycle is the time corresponding to N1 repeated transmission cycles.

[0227] In some embodiments, the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period also include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting other beams among the multiple beams except the second beam group, and the beams included in the second beam group are different from the beams included in the first beam group.

[0228] In some embodiments, within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam group among the multiple beams, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the second beam group among the multiple beams, include: within the time domain resources corresponding to each of the time domain resources corresponding to N2 repeated transmission periods, the time domain resources for transmitting the second beam, and not transmitting the time domain resources of other beams except the second beam group among the multiple beams, where N2 is an integer greater than 1.

[0229] Among them, all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0230] In the embodiment of the present application, the network device 700 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can imagine that the network device 700 can take the form of the communication device 300 shown in Figure 3.

[0231] For example, the processor 301 in the communication device 300 shown in FIG3 may call a computer to execute instructions, so that the communication device 300 executes the system information sending method in the above method embodiment.

[0232] Specifically, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 701 and the processing module 702 in FIG7 can be implemented by the processor 301 in the communication device 300 shown in FIG3 calling a computer to execute instructions. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 702 in FIG7 can be implemented by the processor 301 in the communication device 300 shown in FIG3 calling a computer to execute instructions, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 701 in FIG7 can be implemented by the communication interface 304 in the communication device 300 shown in FIG3.

[0233] Since the network device 700 provided in the embodiment of the present application can execute the above-mentioned system information sending method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0234] It should be understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented in software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions. Optionally, the computer program instructions are stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow. The processor can be built into an SoC (system on chip) or an ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), PLDs (programmable logic devices), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0235] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0236] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0237] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data. The processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute any of the above-mentioned method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be located in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. This embodiment of the application is not specifically limited to this.

[0238] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementation methods.

[0239] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the network device described in the above method embodiment and the terminal device described in the above method embodiment.

[0240] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0241] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0242] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to include such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for sending system information, characterized in that: The method comprises: The network device determines, according to the repeated transmission period of the remaining minimum system information RMSI, a first transmission period and a time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period, where the repeated transmission period is a repeated transmission period for transmitting the RMSI through each beam in a plurality of beams, and the time domain resource corresponding to the first transmission period includes: within the time domain resource corresponding to the repeated transmission period, a time domain resource for transmitting a first beam group in the plurality of beams, and not transmitting other beams in the plurality of beams except the first beam group, and the first beam group is repeatedly transmitted in the first transmission period; The network device sends the RMSI to the terminal device according to the first sending period and the time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period are used to transmit the first beam group among the multiple beams, and the time domain resources other than the first beam group among the multiple beams are not transmitted, including: the time domain resources corresponding to each repeated transmission period among N1 time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission periods are used to transmit the first beam, and the time domain resources other than the first beam group among the multiple beams are not transmitted, and N1 is an integer greater than 1.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that When N1 is greater than 2, time domain resources corresponding to at least two of the time domain resources corresponding to the N1 repeated transmission periods are adjacent to each other.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The time domain resources corresponding to each repetitive transmission period in the N1 time domain resources corresponding to the repetitive transmission periods are adjacent to each other.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The time domain resources corresponding to each repetitive transmission period in the N1 time domain resources corresponding to the repetitive transmission periods are spaced apart from each other.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The transmission time required for the first beam group in the first sending cycle is the time corresponding to N1 repeated transmission cycles.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The time domain resources corresponding to the first sending period also include: within the time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period, time domain resources are used to transmit the second beam group among the multiple beams, and do not transmit other beams among the multiple beams except the second beam group, and the beams included in the second beam group are different from the beams included in the first beam group.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission period are used to transmit the second beam group among the multiple beams, and the time domain resources other than the second beam group among the multiple beams are not transmitted, including: the time domain resources corresponding to each repeated transmission period among N2 time domain resources corresponding to the repeated transmission periods are used to transmit the second beam, and the time domain resources other than the second beam group among the multiple beams are not transmitted, and N2 is an integer greater than 1.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The time domain resources used for transmitting each of the multiple beams are determined according to a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block SSB corresponding to each of the multiple beams.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is used to execute the system information sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a processor and a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the system information sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the system information sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the system information sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

14. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system comprises a network device, and the network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

Images