Wireless communication method, terminal device, and network device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method, a terminal device, and a network device. The wireless communication method comprises: a first terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device, wherein the first message instructs a terminal device receiving the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

Description

Wireless communication method, terminal device and network device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method, terminal equipment, and network equipment. Background Art

[0002] In communication systems, terminal devices may be unable to receive messages sent by network devices due to obstructions or other reasons. In some cases, missing a message can have serious consequences, such as an emergency call or public safety message. Therefore, enhancing the messages sent by network devices is an urgent problem.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a wireless communication method, terminal device, and network device. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a first terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0006] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, including: a second terminal device receives a forwarding message of a first message sent by a network device from a first terminal device, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a network device sending a first message, wherein the first message instructs a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided, which is a first terminal device, and the terminal device includes: a first receiving module for receiving a first message sent by a network device, and the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0009] In the fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided, which is a second terminal device, and the terminal device includes: a receiving module for receiving a forwarding message of a first message sent by a network device from a first terminal device, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising: a sending module for sending a first message, wherein the first message instructs a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the terminal device executes part or all of the steps in the method of any one of the first to second aspects.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the network device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the third aspect.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned terminal device and / or network device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the terminal device or network device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a computer to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a computer to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in each of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which can be operated to enable a computer to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0017] In the thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a memory and a processor. The processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present application, the network device can assist in forwarding the first message through the first terminal device. That is, the terminal device that receives the first message can assist in forwarding the first message to other terminal devices. This approach is conducive to enhancing the messages sent by the network device, thereby facilitating the expansion of the coverage capability of the messages sent by the network device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] 1A-1C are diagrams illustrating system architecture examples of wireless communication systems to which embodiments of the present application may be applied.

[0020] FIG2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a satellite communication system.

[0021] FIG3 is an example diagram of a transparent forwarding NTN network architecture.

[0022] FIG4 is a diagram showing an example of a regeneration and forwarding NTN network architecture.

[0023] FIG5 is a diagram illustrating an example of signal obstruction in satellite communications.

[0024] FIG6 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG7 is an example diagram of a first message provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG8 is an example diagram of a first message provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG9 is an example diagram of a first message provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0028] FIG10 is an example diagram of an auxiliary forwarding downlink message provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] FIG11 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0030] FIG12 is an example diagram of a first message provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG13 is an example diagram of a first message provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0032] FIG14 is an example diagram of a possible implementation method of indicating the first resource provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] FIG15 is an example diagram of the auxiliary forwarding of uplink and downlink messages provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 18 is a structural diagram of the network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG19 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Communication system architecture

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system of mobile communication (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system, advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) system, new radio (NR) system, evolution system of NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system on unlicensed spectrum, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system on unlicensed spectrum, NTN system, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless fidelity (WLAN), etc. fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5G) systems or other communication systems, such as future communication systems, such as sixth-generation mobile communication systems, and satellite communication systems.

[0041] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0042] The communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0043] The communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, where the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, where the authorized spectrum can also be considered as a dedicated spectrum.

[0044] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to NTN systems as well as terrestrial networks (TN) systems. By way of example and not limitation, NTN systems include NR-based NTN systems and Internet of Things (IoT)-based NTN systems. For example, in scenarios where narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine type communications (eMTC) are connected to NTN, the system consisting of IoT terminal devices and NTN networks can be understood as an IoT-based NTN system.

[0045] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, where the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a station (STATION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a next-generation communication system such as a terminal device in an NR network, or a terminal device in a future-evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, an in-vehicle device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiment of the present application may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the terminal device can be used to act as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between terminal devices in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cellular phones and smart home devices communicate with each other without relaying the communication signal through a base station.

[0048] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station may broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. The base station may also refer to a communication module, modem or chip provided in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station may also be a mobile switching center and a device-to-device D2D, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), machine-to-machine (M2M) communication device that performs the base station function, a network side device in a 6G network, a device that performs the base station function in a future communication system, etc. The base station may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network equipment.

[0049] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0050] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device includes a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0051] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0052] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. In some embodiments of the present application, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. In some embodiments of the present application, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0054] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0055] Figure 1A exemplarily shows a network device and two terminal devices. In some embodiments of the present application, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other number of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] For example, FIG1B is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG1B , a terminal device 1101 and a satellite 1102 are included, and wireless communication can be performed between the terminal device 1101 and the satellite 1102. The network formed between the terminal device 1101 and the satellite 1102 can also be referred to as an NTN. In the architecture of the communication system shown in FIG1B , the satellite 1102 can have the function of a base station, and the terminal device 1101 and the satellite 1102 can communicate directly. In the system architecture, the satellite 1102 can be referred to as a network device. In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of network devices 1102 may be included in the communication system, and each network device 1102 may include other number of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0057] For example, FIG1C is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG1C , it includes a terminal device 1201, a satellite 1202, and a base station 1203. Wireless communication can be performed between the terminal device 1201 and the satellite 1202, and communication can be performed between the satellite 1202 and the base station 1203. The network formed between the terminal device 1201, the satellite 1202, and the base station 1203 can also be referred to as an NTN. In the architecture of the communication system shown in FIG1C , the satellite 1202 may not have the function of a base station, and the communication between the terminal device 1201 and the base station 1203 needs to be transferred through the satellite 1202. In this system architecture, the base station 1203 can be referred to as a network device. In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of network devices 1203 may be included in the communication system, and each network device 1203 may include other number of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0058] It should be noted that Figures 1A-1C are only examples of the system to which this application is applicable. Of course, the method shown in the embodiment of this application can also be applied to other systems, such as 5G communication systems, LTE communication systems, etc., and the embodiment of this application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, the wireless communication system shown in Figures 1A-1C may also include other network entities such as a mobility management entity (MME) and an access and mobility management function (AMF), but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0060] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A as an example, the communication device may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120 having a communication function. The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 may be the specific devices described above and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system 100, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0061] As previously mentioned, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application can be applied to both NTN and TN systems. To facilitate understanding, some relevant technical knowledge involved in the embodiments of this application (e.g., the NTN network architecture) is first introduced. The following related technologies, as optional solutions, can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any manner and fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least some of the following:

[0062] NTN

[0063] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently researching NTN technology. NTN systems generally refer to satellite communication systems and high-altitude platform communication systems (such as aircraft-based communication systems and hot air balloon-based communication systems). Satellite communication systems are a typical operating scenario among these systems. In some implementations, NTN generally uses satellite communication to provide communication services to ground users. Compared to terrestrial communication networks (such as ground cellular networks), satellite communication has many unique advantages due to the mobility of satellites.

[0064] First, satellite communications are not restricted by user geography. For example, conventional terrestrial communication networks cannot cover areas where network equipment cannot be deployed, such as oceans, mountains, and deserts. Alternatively, terrestrial communication networks cannot cover certain areas due to sparse populations. However, satellite communications, because a single satellite can cover a large ground area and orbits the Earth, theoretically, every corner of the Earth can be covered by a satellite communication network.

[0065] Secondly, satellite communications have significant social value. They can provide low-cost coverage to remote, mountainous areas and impoverished countries and regions, enabling people in these areas to enjoy advanced voice communications and mobile internet technologies. From this perspective, satellite communications help narrow the digital divide with developed regions and promote their development.

[0066] Thirdly, satellite communications have long ranges, and the cost of communications does not increase significantly with increasing distance. Furthermore, because the communication distance between a terminal device and a satellite is much greater than the distance between a terminal device and a ground base station, satellite communications place higher demands on the terminal device's transmit power and receiver sensitivity. Satellites also require larger antenna arrays and higher receiver sensitivity.

[0067] Then, satellite communications are highly stable and not affected by natural disasters.

[0068] Finally, the high-speed movement of satellites causes cells to move at high speeds, making the mobility of terminal devices relatively small.

[0069] Communication satellites can be divided into LEO satellites, MEO satellites, GEO satellites, HEO satellites, etc. according to the different orbital altitudes. At the current stage, the main research is on LEO satellites and GEO satellites.

[0070] LEO satellites typically operate at altitudes between 500 and 1500 km. Accordingly, their orbital period is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. For LEO satellites, the signal propagation delay for single-hop communication between users is typically less than 20 milliseconds. The maximum satellite visibility time for LEO satellites is approximately 20 minutes. LEO satellites offer advantages such as short signal propagation distances, low link loss, and low transmit power requirements for terminal devices.

[0071] GEO satellites orbit at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km. They orbit the Earth every 24 hours. For GEO satellites, the signal propagation delay for single-hop communication between users is typically about 250 milliseconds.

[0072] To ensure satellite coverage and increase the capacity of the entire satellite communication system, satellites typically use multiple beams to cover the ground. Therefore, a single satellite can form dozens or even hundreds of beams to cover the ground. A single satellite beam can cover a ground area with a diameter of tens to hundreds of kilometers.

[0073] Currently, NTN systems can include NR NTN systems and IoT NTN systems.

[0074] NTN Network Architecture

[0075] The NTN network architecture may include the following network elements: gateway, feeder link, service link and satellite.

[0076] The NTN network architecture may include one or more gateways, which may be used to connect satellites and terrestrial public networks. Generally speaking, the gateways may be deployed on the ground.

[0077] The feeder link may refer to a link for communication between a gateway and a satellite. In some embodiments, the feeder link may also be referred to as an air interface link.

[0078] The service link may refer to a link for communication between a terminal device and a satellite.

[0079] Figure 2 shows an example diagram of a satellite communication system. As shown in Figure 2, a satellite communication system can include satellites and one or more gateways. The gateways can establish feeder links (air interfaces) between the satellites and ground base stations. The satellites can forward signals from the ground base stations to supplement coverage areas not covered by the ground base stations. Within the satellite coverage area, terminal devices can communicate with the corresponding satellites. This is particularly true for areas beyond the reach of ground base stations, such as remote areas, deserts, high mountains, and oceans, where satellite communication systems can provide effective coverage.

[0080] In terms of the functions provided by satellites, they can be categorized as those with transparent payloads or those with regenerative payloads. Transparent payload satellites provide only radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification. In other words, transparent payload satellites transparently forward signals without altering the waveform of the transmitted signal. Regenerative payload satellites, in addition to providing radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, can also provide one or more of the following functions: demodulation, decoding, routing, conversion, encoding, and modulation. Regenerative payload satellites can have some or all of the functions of a base station. Depending on the functions provided by satellites in an NTN network, NTN network architectures can be categorized as either transparent or regenerative. Figures 3 and 4 provide example diagrams of transparent and regenerative payload NTN architectures, respectively. In the regeneration and forwarding NTN network architecture, the terminal equipment and the satellite can communicate through the NR Uu interface, and the satellite and the gateway can communicate through the satellite radio interface (SRI). The SRI interface can be used to send interface messages between the satellite and the core network.

[0081] In some embodiments, the NTN network architecture may further include inter-satellite links (ISLs). For example, ISLs may exist in a regenerative forwarding NTN network architecture.

[0082] In a communication system, a terminal device may be unable to receive messages sent by a network device due to obstructions, or messages sent by a terminal device may not be received by the network device due to obstructions. For example, in a TN system, if a terminal device is indoors or obstructed by an object, the terminal device may not be able to receive messages sent by the network device, or messages sent by the terminal device may not be received by the network device. Alternatively, in an NTN system, the communication distance between the terminal device and the satellite is very long, making it very easy for the signals transmitted by the terminal device or the satellite to be obstructed. Consequently, the terminal device may not be able to receive messages sent by the network device, or messages sent by the terminal device may not be received by the network device. In other words, obstructions and other factors can cause uplink or downlink coverage holes. The following example uses the NTN system as an example to illustrate signal obstruction in satellite communications.

[0083] Figure 5 is an example diagram of signal blocking in satellite communications. As shown in Figure 5, the terminal device 1 is indoors or blocked by objects. At this time, the terminal device 1 may not be able to receive the downlink signal from the satellite. Of course, the uplink transmission of the terminal device 1 may not be able to reach the satellite.

[0084] In some implementations, the terminal device may be unable to receive messages from the network device due to being blocked, and the messages may include downlink paging messages and / or broadcast messages. In the current mechanism, when the terminal device cannot receive messages (such as paging messages and / or broadcast messages) sent by the network device due to being blocked, etc., no measures (actions) may be taken. This approach is usually acceptable, but in some cases, if the terminal device misses the message sent by the network device, serious consequences may occur. For example, the message is an emergency call, a system broadcast message and / or paging message related to public safety (public safety), etc. sent by the network device. If the terminal device misses such messages, serious consequences may occur. As an example, in emergency situations such as earthquakes and tsunamis, network devices usually broadcast corresponding public safety messages, but in reality some terminal devices may not be able to receive the public safety information or respond to paging because they are indoors, underground, blocked by buildings, etc.

[0085] It should be understood that Figure 5 uses the NTN satellite communication system as an example. However, such emergency call and public safety scenarios exist not only in the NTN scenario but also in the TN scenario. However, this problem may be more prominent in the NTN scenario.

[0086] Therefore, to address the issue of some terminal devices being unable to receive messages sent by network devices (such as critical system broadcast messages, emergency call messages, public safety messages, etc.) due to obstruction or other reasons, it is necessary to consider how to enhance the messages sent by network devices to expand the coverage of the messages sent by network devices. In some implementations, messages sent by some terminal devices may not be received by network devices due to obstruction or other reasons. Therefore, it may also be necessary to consider how to enhance the messages sent by terminal devices to improve the communication performance of the communication system.

[0087] To address the above issues, embodiments of the present application provide a wireless communication method, terminal device, and network device, which ensure that a terminal device that receives a message sent by a network device can assist in forwarding the message to other terminal devices, thereby enhancing the messages sent by the network device and thereby facilitating the expansion of the coverage capabilities of the messages sent by the network device. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application may have various application scenarios, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the embodiments of the present application may be applied to an NTN system or a TN system.

[0089] The technical solution of this application can be implemented through interaction between different devices. The following is an example of the technical solution being implemented through interaction between different devices in the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the network device. For ease of understanding, the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the network device are first introduced below.

[0090] The first terminal device and the second terminal device may be, for example, the terminal devices shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 4 , such as terminal devices in an NTN system, terminal devices in a TN system, and the like.

[0091] In the embodiment of the present application, the first terminal device is located within the coverage of the network device and can normally receive downlink messages sent by the network device. In other words, the message sent by the network device to the first terminal device will not be blocked.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first terminal device can send messages to the network device normally, or in other words, the message sent by the first terminal device to the network device will not be blocked.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first terminal device can assist in forwarding messages. For example, the first terminal device can assist in forwarding a downlink message sent by a network device (such as a satellite, a ground base station, etc.) so as to forward the downlink message to a second terminal device (for example, other obscured terminal devices). Alternatively, the first terminal device can assist in forwarding an uplink message sent by a second terminal device (for example, other obscured terminal devices) so as to forward the uplink message to a network device (such as a satellite, a ground base station, etc.). Therefore, in some embodiments, the first terminal device can also be understood as or referred to as an auxiliary forwarding terminal device.

[0094] In some embodiments, whether the first terminal device can assist in forwarding messages (e.g., assist in forwarding uplink messages and / or assist in forwarding downlink messages) is indicated by capability information of the first terminal device. In other words, whether the first terminal device is an assisting forwarding terminal device can be indicated by the capability information of the first terminal device.

[0095] Exemplarily, the capability information of the first terminal device includes first capability information, which can be used to indicate the auxiliary forwarding-related capabilities (or auxiliary forwarding capabilities, forwarding capabilities, etc.) of the first terminal device. For example, the first capability information can be used to indicate the bidirectional forwarding capability, unidirectional forwarding capability (such as single downlink forwarding capability, single uplink forwarding capability), and other related information of the first terminal device.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first capability information can be used to indicate that the first terminal device supports one of the following capabilities: the first terminal device can assist in forwarding downlink messages, and the first terminal device can assist in forwarding uplink messages; the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding downlink messages; and the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding uplink messages.

[0097] As an example, the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device can assist in forwarding downlink messages, and the first terminal device can assist in forwarding uplink messages. In this case, the first terminal device can not only assist in forwarding downlink messages sent by the network device to the second terminal device (for example, other blocked terminal devices), but also assist in forwarding uplink messages sent by the second terminal device to the network device.

[0098] As another example, the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding downlink messages. In this case, the first terminal device can assist in forwarding downlink messages sent by the network device to the second terminal device, but cannot assist in forwarding uplink messages sent by the second terminal device to the network device.

[0099] As another example, the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding uplink messages. In this case, the first terminal device can assist in forwarding uplink messages sent by the second device to the network device, but cannot assist in forwarding downlink messages sent by the network device to the second network device.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may be a terminal device that is closer to the second terminal device. In other words, the first terminal device may be a terminal device that is closer to the blocked terminal device.

[0101] In some embodiments, the signal transmitted by the first terminal device (such as the first message mentioned below) can be received by the second terminal device. For example, the first terminal device is close to the second terminal device, and the signal transmitted by the first terminal device can penetrate the obstruction and thus be received by the second terminal device.

[0102] In embodiments of the present application, the second terminal device may be unable to properly receive messages sent by the network device. For example, the second terminal device may be unable to properly receive messages sent by the network device due to obstruction or other reasons. In other words, the message sent by the network device to the second terminal device may be obscured. In some embodiments, the second terminal device is within the coverage area of ​​the network device but is unable to properly receive messages sent by the network device.

[0103] In some embodiments, the message sent by the second terminal device may not be received by the network device. For example, the message sent by the second terminal device may not be received by the network device due to being obstructed. In other words, the message sent by the second terminal device to the network device may be obstructed. In some embodiments, the second terminal device is within the coverage area of ​​the network device, but the message sent by the second terminal device cannot be properly received by the network device.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, the network device may be, for example, the network device shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 4 , such as a network device in an NTN system (such as a satellite), a network device in a TN system (such as a ground base station), etc.

[0105] The following describes an embodiment of the method of the present application. Figure 6 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 6 is described from the perspective of the interaction between the first terminal device and the network device. For relevant introductions to the first terminal device and the network device, please refer to the previous text. The method shown in Figure 6 may include step S610, which is described below.

[0106] In step S610, a first terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device.

[0107] The first message is used to instruct a terminal device (eg, a first terminal device) that has received the first message to assist a network device in forwarding the first message.

[0108] In some embodiments, the network device may send a first message to one or more terminal devices so that, after receiving the first message, the one or more terminal devices can assist the network device in forwarding the first message. In some embodiments, the one or more terminal devices are able to normally receive messages sent by the network device, and / or the network device is able to normally receive messages sent by the one or more terminal devices. In other words, in some embodiments, the one or more terminal devices are not obstructed.

[0109] The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the type of the first message. For example, the first message may be a broadcast message, or the first message may be a message targeted at a target terminal device. In other words, the first message may be a broadcast message directed to all terminal devices, or a message targeted at a specific terminal device (a certain terminal device or certain terminal devices).

[0110] In some embodiments, the first message may be a message of high urgency or importance, or a message carrying key information, such as urgent or important information. Thus, embodiments of the present application can utilize the first terminal device to promptly forward the first message, ensuring that the first message is promptly received by the target terminal device or by all terminal devices within the broadcast range.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the first message is a broadcast message, the broadcast message may be, for example, one or more of the following messages: a call message, a public safety message, and a system broadcast message.

[0112] In some embodiments, the call message may be, for example, an emergency call message.

[0113] In some embodiments, the public safety message may be a public safety message broadcast by a network device in an emergency such as an earthquake or tsunami.

[0114] In some embodiments, the system broadcast message may refer to a system broadcast message that is relatively important or carries critical information. For example, the system broadcast message may be a synchronization-related system broadcast message, such as a synchronization signal block (SSB) system broadcast message, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) system broadcast message, etc.

[0115] In some embodiments, when the first message is a message for a target terminal device, the first message may be, for example, a message that is important to the target terminal device or a message that carries key information about the target terminal device. Exemplarily, when the first message is a message for a target terminal device, the first message may be a paging-related message, such as a paging message for the target terminal device.

[0116] In an embodiment of the present application, the first message sent by the network device can be forwarded by a terminal device that is not blocked (such as the first terminal device), which is conducive to expanding the downlink coverage capability of the first message.

[0117] In some embodiments, after receiving a first message sent by a network device, a first terminal device needs to determine whether the first message requires its assisted forwarding. Therefore, how the first terminal device determines whether the first message requires its assisted forwarding is a problem that needs to be solved. This is described below.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first message may carry relevant identification information so that the first terminal device can determine whether to forward the first message based on the identification information. In other words, in some embodiments, the first message may include (carry) a first identifier, which is used to instruct the terminal device receiving the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. In this way, after receiving the first message, the terminal device (such as the first terminal device) can determine whether to forward the first message based on whether the first message carries the first identifier.

[0119] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the name of the first identifier. For example, the first identifier can also be called an auxiliary forwarding identifier, a forwarding identifier, etc.

[0120] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the implementation form of the first identifier. In some embodiments, the first identifier may be 1-bit indication information, and when the indication bit is "1", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message needs an auxiliary network device to forward the first message. Of course, in some implementations, when the indication bit is "0", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message needs an auxiliary network device to forward the first message, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In other embodiments, the first identifier may be multiple bits (2 or more bits) of indication information. For example, when the multiple bits are used to indicate "true" or to indicate related information such as "needing auxiliary forwarding", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message needs an auxiliary network device to forward the first message.

[0121] In some embodiments, if the network device needs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist in forwarding the first message, the first identifier can be carried in the first message; if the network device does not need the terminal device that receives the first message to assist in forwarding the first message, the first identifier can be not carried in the first message, or the first identifier can be omitted.

[0122] However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In some embodiments, the first identifier can be used to indicate whether the terminal device receiving the first message needs to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. For example, when the first identifier uses 1-bit indication information, if the indication bit is "1", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message needs to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. If the indication bit is "0", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message does not need to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. Alternatively, when the first identifier uses multiple bits of indication information, if the indication bit is used to indicate "true" or to indicate related information such as "assisted forwarding is required", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message needs to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. If the indication bit is used to indicate "false" or to indicate related information such as "no assisted forwarding is required", it indicates that the terminal device receiving the first message does not need to assist the network device in forwarding the first message. In some embodiments, if the network device does not need the terminal device receiving the first message to assist in forwarding the first message, the first identifier may not be carried in the first message, or the first identifier may be omitted.

[0123] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the location of the first identifier in the first message. For example, the network device may add the first identifier to the message header of the first message. For an example of the first identifier being located in the message header of the first message, see Figure 7. However, the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and the first identifier may also be located elsewhere in the first message. In other words, the first identifier may be located in the header of a message format or elsewhere in a message format.

[0124] In some embodiments, if the first message is an emergency message (for example, a public safety message carrying critical information such as earthquakes and tsunamis, an emergency call message, etc.), the first message may carry an identifier for identifying the first message as an emergency message, so that when the first terminal device receives the first message, it can assist the network device in forwarding the first message as much as possible or in a timely manner (as soon as possible).

[0125] For example, the first message may include (carry) a second identifier, which may be used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message or an important message (critical message). In this way, after receiving the first message, the terminal device (such as the first terminal device) can determine whether to forward the first message in a timely manner based on whether the first message carries the second identifier.

[0126] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the name of the second identifier. For example, the second identifier may also be called an emergency message identifier, an emergency identifier (emergency identification), etc.

[0127] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the implementation form of the second identifier. In some embodiments, the second identifier can be 1-bit indication information, and when the indication bit is "1", it indicates that the first message is an emergency message. Of course, in some implementations, when the indication bit is "0", it indicates that the first message is an emergency message, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In other embodiments, the second identifier can be multiple bits (2 or more bits) of indication information. For example, when the multiple bits are used to indicate "true" or to indicate related information such as "emergency message", it indicates that the first message is an emergency message.

[0128] In some embodiments, if the first message is an emergency message, the network device may carry a second identifier in the first message; if the first message is a non-emergency message or the first message is not an emergency message, the network device may not carry the second identifier in the first message, or in other words, the second identifier may be omitted.

[0129] However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In some embodiments, the second identifier can be used to indicate whether the first message is an emergency message. For example, when the second identifier uses 1-bit indication information, if the indication bit is "1", it indicates that the first message is an emergency message, and if the indication bit is "0", it indicates that the first message is a non-emergency message. Alternatively, when the second identifier uses multiple bits of indication information, if the indication bit is used to indicate "true" or to indicate related information such as "emergency message", it indicates that the first message is an emergency message, and if the indication bit is used to indicate "false" or to indicate related information such as "non-emergency message", it indicates that the first message is a non-emergency message. In some embodiments, if the network device considers the first message to be a non-emergency message, the second identifier may not be carried in the first message, or in other words, the second identifier may be omitted.

[0130] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the location of the second identifier in the first message. For example, the network device may add the second identifier to the message header of the first message. For an example of the second identifier being located in the message header of the first message, see Figure 8. However, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this, and the second identifier may also be located elsewhere in the first message. In other words, the second identifier may be located in the header of a message format or elsewhere in a message format.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first message may carry the first identifier and / or the second identifier. For example, referring to FIG9 , the first message may carry both the first identifier and the second identifier. In some embodiments, the first message may carry one of the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0132] In some embodiments, if the first message is a message that requires the terminal device receiving the first message to promptly assist the network device in forwarding, that is, the first message is an urgent message and the terminal device receiving the first message needs to assist the network device in forwarding, the first identifier can be omitted in the first message, and only the second identifier can be carried. In other words, if the first message is a message that requires the terminal device receiving the first message to promptly assist the network device in forwarding, in the presence of the second identifier, the first identifier can be omitted and the default operation can be adopted. In this case, when a terminal device (such as a first terminal device) receives a first message containing the second identifier, the terminal device believes that the first message requires an assisted forwarding operation.

[0133] In some embodiments, when a network device requires a terminal device to assist in forwarding a first message, it may not select a specific terminal device for forwarding, but instead send the first message to all terminal devices, and include the first identifier in the first message. In this case, all terminal devices that receive the first message need to assist the network device in forwarding the first message, resulting in a waste of resources.

[0134] In some embodiments, when a network device requires assistance from a terminal device in forwarding a first message, it may select specific terminal devices (or select some terminal devices) for forwarding to save resources. As an implementation method, the first message may carry a relevant identifier for indicating which terminal devices assist the network device in forwarding the first message, so that the terminal device corresponding to the identifier assists the network device in forwarding the first message after receiving the first message.

[0135] Exemplarily, the first message may carry a third identifier, which may be used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message. In some cases, if the first message carries a third identifier, only the terminal device corresponding to the third identifier needs to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0136] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the name of the third identifier. For example, the third identifier can also be called an auxiliary forwarding terminal identifier, an identity identifier of a forwarding terminal, etc.

[0137] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the implementation of the third identifier, as long as the third identifier can uniquely determine the identity of the terminal device. Exemplarily, the third identifier can include the identity of the terminal device, that is, the third identifier can include the identity of the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message.

[0138] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the position of the third identifier in the first message. For example, the network device can add the third identifier to the message header of the first message, or the third identifier can be located at other positions in the first message.

[0139] As mentioned above, the first message can be a broadcast message for all terminal devices or a message for a target terminal device (a specific terminal device). If the first message is a message for a target terminal device, how the terminal device receiving the first message determines the target terminal device is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0140] As an implementation method, the first message may carry an identifier for indicating the target terminal device of the first message, so that the terminal device receiving the first message (such as the first terminal device) can forward the first message to the target terminal device (such as the second terminal device). Exemplarily, the first message may carry a fourth identifier, which may be used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message, that is, the fourth identifier may be used to indicate the terminal devices to which the first message needs to be forwarded.

[0141] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the name of the fourth identifier. For example, the fourth identifier can also be called a target terminal identifier, an identity identifier of the target terminal, etc.

[0142] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the implementation of the fourth identifier, as long as the fourth identifier can uniquely determine the identity of the terminal device. Exemplarily, the fourth identifier can include the identity of the terminal device, that is, the fourth identifier can include the identity of the target terminal device.

[0143] In some embodiments, the fourth identifier may be an identifier of a single terminal device. In other words, the first message may be a message directed to a specific terminal device.

[0144] In some embodiments, the fourth identifier may be an identifier of a group of terminal devices. In other words, the first message may be a message directed to a group of terminal devices or to certain specific terminal devices.

[0145] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the position of the fourth identifier in the first message. For example, the network device can add the fourth identifier to the message header of the first message, or the fourth identifier can be located at other positions in the first message.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first message may carry one or more of the above-mentioned identifiers (the first identifier, the second identifier, the third identifier, and the fourth identifier), which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the first message may carry the first identifier, the second identifier, and the third identifier. For another example, the first message may carry the second identifier and the third identifier. For another example, the first message may carry the second identifier, the third identifier, and the fourth identifier, and so on.

[0147] In some embodiments, the above identifier is carried in the first message. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, one or more of the above identifiers may also be carried in other messages or other signaling. For example, one or more of the above identifiers may be carried in a radio resource control (RRC) message, a medium access control control element (MAC CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI).

[0148] In some embodiments, after receiving the first message, the terminal device (such as the first terminal device) that receives the first message can send a forwarding message of the first message to the target terminal device (such as the second terminal device), or in other words, after receiving the first message, the terminal device that receives the first message can forward the first message to the target terminal device. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In some embodiments, the terminal device that receives the first message can choose whether to send a forwarding message of the first message to the target terminal device. For example, even if the first message carries the first identifier and / or the second identifier, the terminal device that receives the first message can choose not to send a forwarding message of the first message to the target terminal device.

[0149] 10 and 11 , how the first terminal device sends a forwarding message of the first message to the second terminal device after receiving the first message will be described below.

[0150] Figure 10 is an example diagram of downlink auxiliary forwarding based on a first terminal device. As shown in Figure 10, the first terminal device receives a first message from a network device (an NTN satellite is shown in Figure 10) and forwards the first message under certain conditions so that a second terminal device can receive the first message.

[0151] Figure 11 is a flow chart of a wireless communication method provided by another embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 11 is described from the perspective of interaction between a first terminal device, a second terminal device, and a network device. The method shown in Figure 11 includes steps S1110 and S1120.

[0152] In step S1110, the first terminal device receives a first message sent by the network device.

[0153] For a detailed description of step S1110, please refer to the previous description of step S610, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0154] For a detailed introduction to the first message, please refer to the previous introduction, such as the type of the first message, the identification information contained in the first message, etc. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0155] In step S1120, the first terminal device sends a forwarding message of the first message to the second terminal device.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may send a forwarding message of the first message to one or more target terminal devices (e.g., a second terminal device). For example, if the first message is a broadcast message directed to all terminal devices, the first terminal device may send the forwarding message to multiple target terminal devices. For another example, if the first message is directed to a specific terminal device, the first terminal device may send the forwarding message to the specific terminal device (a single terminal device or a group of terminal devices).

[0157] In some embodiments, the forwarded message of the first message may be the same as the first message.

[0158] In some embodiments, the forwarding message of the first message may be a message obtained after the first terminal device processes the first message. That is, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device may process the first message to obtain the forwarding message of the first message, and then send the forwarding message of the first message to the target terminal device (such as the second terminal device). The embodiment of the present application does not limit the manner in which the first terminal device processes the first message to obtain the forwarding message of the first message. For example, the first terminal device may process the message header of the first message but not the message content (message body) of the first message.

[0159] It should be understood that if the forwarded message of the first message sent by the first terminal device does not carry any identification information, then the target terminal device (such as the second terminal device) receiving the forwarded message may not know that there is currently an obstruction problem between it and the network device, or in other words, the target terminal device receiving the forwarded message may not know that it cannot normally receive the message sent by the network device and / or the network device cannot normally receive the message sent by it.

[0160] In response to the above problem, in order to let the target terminal device receiving the forwarded message know that it currently has an obstruction problem, or in other words, in order to let the target terminal device receiving the forwarded message know that it is currently unable to communicate directly with the network device, as an implementation method, the first terminal device can carry a fifth identifier when sending a forwarded message of the first message. The fifth identifier can be used to indicate that the type of message is a forwarded message. In other words, the fifth identifier can be used to indicate that the forwarded message of the first message is a forwarded message. In this way, the target terminal device receiving the forwarded message knows that the forwarded message is a message forwarded by the terminal device to assist the network device, and thus knows that it may not be able to communicate directly with the network device at present.

[0161] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the implementation of the fifth identifier. In some embodiments, the fifth identifier can reuse the content indicated by the first identifier, that is, the content of the fifth identifier can be the same as the content of the first identifier. As an implementation method, when the first terminal device sends a forwarding message of the first message, it can forward the first identifier carried in the first message. In some embodiments, the fifth identifier can be other indication information for indicating that the type of the message is a forwarding message.

[0162] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the location of the fifth identifier in the forwarded message of the first message. For example, the fifth identifier may be located in the message header of the forwarded message. An example of the fifth identifier being located in the message header of the forwarded message can be seen in Figure 12. However, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this, and the fifth identifier may also be located elsewhere in the forwarded message. In other words, the fifth identifier may be located in the header of a message format or elsewhere in a message format.

[0163] In some embodiments, the forwarding message of the first message may carry a sixth identifier, which may be used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message, so that the target terminal device receiving the forwarding message knows which terminal device's auxiliary forwarding message is from.

[0164] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the name of the sixth identifier. For example, the sixth identifier can also be called a forwarding terminal identifier, an auxiliary forwarding terminal identifier, etc.

[0165] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the implementation of the sixth identifier, as long as the sixth identifier can uniquely determine the identity of the terminal device. Exemplarily, the sixth identifier may include the identity identifier of the terminal device, that is, the sixth identifier may include the identity identifier of the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message of the first message.

[0166] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the position of the sixth identifier in the forwarded message of the first message. For example, the sixth identifier can be located in the message header of the forwarded message, or in other positions of the forwarded message.

[0167] In some embodiments, the forwarded message of the first message may carry one or more of the fifth identifier and the sixth identifier. For example, the forwarded message may carry both the fifth identifier and the sixth identifier. FIG13 illustrates an example of a forwarded message carrying both the fifth identifier and the sixth identifier. For another example, the forwarded message may carry the fifth identifier but not the sixth identifier.

[0168] In some embodiments, when the first terminal device sends a forwarding message of the first message, it is necessary to determine on which resources the forwarding message is sent. The following introduces the bearer resources of the forwarding message of the first message.

[0169] In some embodiments, the forwarding message of the first message may be carried on a first resource. The first resource may be a resource determined according to predefined information or a resource determined according to indication information.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first resource may be a resource determined based on predefined information. In some embodiments, the predefined information may be associated with one or more types of information, such as the time at which the first message was received, and / or the size of the packet of the first message. In some embodiments, the first resource being a resource determined based on predefined information may be understood as being determined based on predefined information associated with the time at which the first message was received.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first resource may be a resource determined according to a reception time of the first message.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first resource can be determined based on one or more of the following: the first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message, the first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time unit in which the first system broadcast message is located after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time unit in which the first downlink control channel (or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) is located after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message, etc.

[0173] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the time unit. For example, the time unit may be any one of a frame, a subframe, a time slot, a symbol, or the like; or, the time unit may be a time unit in a future communication system. Taking a time slot as an example, the first resource may be determined based on one or more of the following: the first uplink time slot or downlink time slot after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time slot of the first system broadcast message after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time slot of the first PDCCH after the first terminal device receives the first message, the time slot in which the first terminal device receives the first message, etc.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first terminal device determining the first resource based on the time unit of receiving the first message can be understood as the first terminal device immediately sending a forwarding message of the first message after receiving the first message. In other words, the time unit of receiving the first message by the first terminal device can be the time unit when the first terminal device completes receiving the first message.

[0175] The first terminal device sends a forwarding message immediately after receiving the first message, or sends a forwarding message in the first relevant time unit (such as the first uplink time unit, the first downlink time unit, the time unit where the first system broadcast message is located, the time unit where the first PDCCH is located, etc.) after receiving the first message, which can ensure that the forwarding message can be forwarded in time (as soon as possible). However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In some embodiments, the first terminal device may send a forwarding message at intervals after receiving the first message. For example, the first resource may be determined based on the second, third or more uplink time units (or downlink time units) after the first terminal device receives the first message; or, the first resource may be determined based on the second, third or more time units where the system broadcast message is located after the first terminal device receives the first message; or, the first resource may be determined based on the second, third or more time units where the PDCCH is located after the first terminal device receives the first message, and so on.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first resource may be determined based on the first indication information. As an implementation, the first resource may be determined based on the first indication information carried in the first message, or the first message may include the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first resource. An example of determining the first resource based on the first indication information included in the first message can be seen in Figure 14. As another implementation, the first resource may be determined based on the first indication information carried in a message carrying one or more of the first identifier, the second identifier, the third identifier, and the fourth identifier, or the message carrying one or more of the first identifier, the second identifier, the third identifier, and the fourth identifier may include the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the first resource.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first resource may be a periodic resource. In other words, the first terminal device may use a periodic resource as the first resource to send a forwarding message of the first message. For example, the first terminal device may determine a periodic resource as the first resource based on predefined information. Alternatively, the first terminal device may determine a periodic resource as the first resource based on the reception time of the first message. Alternatively, the first terminal device may determine a periodic resource as the first resource based on first indication information (such as the first indication information included in the first message).

[0178] The following is an exemplary introduction to two application scenarios in which the auxiliary network device sends a forwarding message of the first message to the second terminal device after the first terminal device receives the first message.

[0179] Application scenario 1: The first message is a broadcast message

[0180] In this application scenario, the first message can be, for example, a broadcast message to all terminal devices, such as a broadcast message to all terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the network device. In this application scenario, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device can send a forwarding message of the first message on the first resource.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first message may carry the first identifier and / or the second identifier.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first resource is determined according to predefined information / a reception time of the first message, or is determined according to first indication information.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first terminal device may be a terminal device that is closer to the second terminal device. Therefore, the signal sent by the first terminal device can penetrate the obstruction and be received by the second terminal device.

[0184] In some embodiments, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device may also choose not to send a forwarding message of the first message, or in other words, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device may choose not to forward the first message.

[0185] Application scenario 2: The first message is for the target terminal device

[0186] In this application scenario, the first message may be, for example, a message directed to one or more specific terminal devices, such as a paging message directed to a single terminal device or a group of terminal devices. The network device may assist in forwarding the first message through the first terminal device to expand downlink coverage.

[0187] Unlike Application Scenario 1, Application Scenario 2 requires a clear target terminal device. That is, the first message must carry the identity information of the target terminal device, such as the target terminal device's identifier. In other words, in Application Scenario 2, the first message can carry a fourth identifier. For example, if the first message is a paging message, in Application Scenario 2, a specific paging target is required, and the first message can carry the identifier of the paging target.

[0188] In this application scenario, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device can send a forwarding message of the first message on the first resource.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first resource may be determined based on predefined information / a time at which the first message is received. For example, the first terminal device may send a forwarding message of the first message in the time slot of the first PDCCH after receiving the first message. Alternatively, the first terminal device may send a forwarding message of the first message immediately after receiving the first message.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first resource may be determined according to first indication information.

[0191] In some embodiments, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device may also choose not to send a forwarding message of the first message, or in other words, after receiving the first message, the first terminal device may choose not to forward the first message.

[0192] In some embodiments, the target terminal device (e.g., the second terminal device) needs to respond to the network device, or in other words, needs to send a message in response to the network device. In this case, the target terminal device may also need to forward the message with the assistance of other terminal devices. The following describes how the target terminal device responds to the network device with the assistance of other terminal devices.

[0193] In some embodiments, the target terminal device may send a response message to the first message through the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message. For example, if the first message is forwarded to the second terminal device by the first terminal device with the assistance of the network device, the second terminal device may forward the response message to the first message to the network device through the first terminal device.

[0194] As an implementation, if the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message (such as the first terminal device) supports bidirectional forwarding capabilities, the target terminal device can use the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message to forward the response message of the first message to the network device. Figure 15 shows an example in which the network device uses the first terminal device to assist in forwarding the first message, and the second terminal device uses the first terminal device to assist in forwarding the response message of the first message.

[0195] Referring again to Figure 11, in some embodiments, the method shown in Figure 11 may further include step S1130, in which the second terminal device sends a response message to the first message to the first terminal device, so that the first terminal device assists the second terminal device in forwarding the response message to the network device. In some embodiments, in step S1130, the first terminal device may further forward the response message to the first message to the network device.

[0196] However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In some embodiments, the target terminal device may forward the response message of the first message through other terminal devices other than the terminal device that assisted in forwarding the first message. In other words, the embodiments of the present application do not specify the terminal device for uplink forwarding. The terminal device for uplink forwarding may be other terminal devices other than the terminal device that assisted in forwarding the first message. For example, if the first message is forwarded by the first terminal device to the second terminal device with the assistance of the network device, the second terminal device may forward the response message of the first message to the network device through other terminal devices other than the first terminal device.

[0197] As an implementation method, when the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message (such as the first terminal device) only supports assisting in forwarding downlink messages, the target terminal device can use other terminal devices except the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message to forward the response message of the first message.

[0198] In some embodiments, the response message to the first message may include one or more information. For example, the response message to the first message may include one or more of the following information: the first request information, and the seventh identifier.

[0199] The first request information may be used to request a terminal device that has received a response message to the first message to forward the response message to a network device.

[0200] The seventh identifier can be used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message of the first message. In some embodiments, the seventh identifier can reuse the content of the sixth identifier, that is, the seventh identifier and the sixth identifier can be the same. For example, when the terminal device that forwards the response message of the first message and the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message of the first message are the same terminal device, the seventh identifier is the same as the sixth identifier. In some embodiments, the seventh identifier and the sixth identifier can be different. For example, when the terminal device that forwards the response message of the first message and the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message of the first message are different terminal devices, the seventh identifier and the sixth identifier are different.

[0201] As an example, when the target terminal device forwards a response message of the first message through a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message, the response message of the first message may carry a seventh identifier, where the seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message. In some embodiments, when the target terminal device forwards a response message of the first message through a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message, the response message of the first message may carry the first request information in addition to the seventh identifier.

[0202] As another example, when the target terminal device forwards a response message to the first message through another terminal device other than the terminal device that assisted in forwarding the first message, the response message to the first message may carry the first request information. For example, the response message to the first message may carry the first request information without carrying the seventh identifier. Of course, in this case, the response message to the first message may carry the first request information and the seventh identifier, except that the seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwarded the response message to the network device, and this terminal device is different from the terminal device that assisted in forwarding the first message.

[0203] The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 15 . The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 16 to 19 . It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment. Therefore, for portions not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0204] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device may be any of the first terminal devices described above. The terminal device 1600 shown in FIG16 may include a first receiving module 1610.

[0205] The first receiving module 1610 can be used to receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message instructs a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0206] Optionally, the first message includes one or more of the following: a first identifier, used to indicate that the terminal device receiving the first message assists the network device in forwarding the first message; a second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; a third identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; and a fourth identifier, used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

[0207] Optionally, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

[0208] Optionally, the terminal device 1600 further includes: a sending module 1620, configured to send a forwarding message of the first message to a second terminal device.

[0209] Optionally, the forwarded message is carried on a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: predefined information; and a reception time of the first message.

[0210] Optionally, the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: the first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; the first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first system broadcast message is located after the first terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first downlink control channel is located after the first terminal device receives the first message; and the time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

[0211] Optionally, the first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

[0212] Optionally, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0213] Optionally, the forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: a fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarding message; and a sixth identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

[0214] Optionally, the terminal device further includes: a second receiving module 1630, configured to receive a response message to the first message sent by the second terminal device.

[0215] Optionally, the response message includes one or more of the following information: a first request information, used to request the terminal device that receives the response message to forward the response message to the network device; and a seventh identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

[0216] Optionally, the capability information of the first terminal device includes first capability information, and the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device supports one of the following capabilities: the first terminal device can assist in forwarding downlink messages, and the first terminal device can assist in forwarding uplink messages; the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding downlink messages; and the first terminal device can only assist in forwarding uplink messages.

[0217] Optionally, the first message is a broadcast message or a message directed to a target terminal device.

[0218] Optionally, the broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

[0219] Optionally, the first terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

[0220] Optionally, the first receiving module 1610 may be a transceiver 1930. The terminal device 1600 may further include a processor 1910 and a memory 1920, as specifically shown in FIG19 .

[0221] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided by another embodiment of the present application. The terminal device shown in FIG17 can be any of the second terminal devices described above. The terminal device 1700 shown in FIG17 can include a receiving module 1710.

[0222] The receiving module 1710 can be used to receive a forwarding message of a first message sent by a network device from a first terminal device, where the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0223] Optionally, the first message includes one or more of the following: a first identifier, used to indicate that the terminal device receiving the first message assists the network device in forwarding the first message; a second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; a third identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; and a fourth identifier, used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

[0224] Optionally, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

[0225] Optionally, the forwarded message is carried on a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: predefined information; and a reception time of the first message.

[0226] Optionally, the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: the first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; the first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first system broadcast message is located after the first terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first downlink control channel is located after the first terminal device receives the first message; and the time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

[0227] Optionally, the first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

[0228] Optionally, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0229] Optionally, the forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: a fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarding message; and a sixth identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

[0230] Optionally, the terminal device 1700 further includes: a sending module 1720, configured to send a response message to the first message to the first terminal device.

[0231] Optionally, the response message includes one or more of the following information: a first request information, used to request the terminal device that receives the response message to forward the response message to the network device; and a seventh identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message.

[0232] Optionally, the first message is a broadcast message or a message directed to a target terminal device.

[0233] Optionally, the broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

[0234] Optionally, the second terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

[0235] Optionally, the receiving module 1710 may be a transceiver 1930. The terminal device 1700 may further include a processor 1910 and a memory 1920, as specifically shown in FIG19 .

[0236] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. The network device 1800 shown in FIG18 may include a sending module 1810.

[0237] The sending module 1810 can be used to send a first message, where the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

[0238] Optionally, the first message includes one or more of the following: a first identifier, used to indicate that the terminal device receiving the first message assists the network device in forwarding the first message; a second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; a third identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; and a fourth identifier, used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

[0239] Optionally, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

[0240] Optionally, the forwarding message of the first message is carried on a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: predefined information; and a reception time of the first message.

[0241] Optionally, the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: the first uplink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; the first downlink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first system broadcast message is located after the terminal device receives the first message; the time unit in which the first downlink control channel is located after the terminal device receives the first message; and the time unit in which the terminal device receives the first message.

[0242] Optionally, the first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit a forwarding message of the first message.

[0243] Optionally, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0244] Optionally, the forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: a fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarding message; and a sixth identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

[0245] Optionally, the network device 1800 further includes: a receiving module 1820, configured to receive a response message to the first message forwarded by the first terminal device.

[0246] Optionally, the response message includes one or more of the following information: a first request information, used to request the terminal device that receives the response message to forward the response message to the network device; and a seventh identifier, used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

[0247] Optionally, the first message is a broadcast message or a message directed to a target terminal device.

[0248] Optionally, the broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

[0249] Optionally, the network device is a network device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

[0250] Optionally, the sending module 1810 may be a transceiver 1930. The network device 1800 may further include a processor 1910 and a memory 1920, as specifically shown in FIG19 .

[0251] Figure 19 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 19 indicate that the unit or module is optional. Device 1900 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Device 1900 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0252] The device 1900 may include one or more processors 1910. The processor 1910 may support the device 1900 to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The processor 1910 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0253] The apparatus 1900 may further include one or more memories 1920. The memories 1920 store programs that can be executed by the processor 1910, causing the processor 1910 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 1920 may be independent of the processor 1910 or integrated into the processor 1910.

[0254] The apparatus 1900 may further include a transceiver 1930. The processor 1910 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1930. For example, the processor 1910 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1930.

[0255] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in the present application, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0256] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0257] The present application also provides a computer program that can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in the present application, and enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0258] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0259] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0260] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0261] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0262] In the embodiments of this application, the term "include" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Alternatively, the term "include" in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicates" or "is used to determine." For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B."

[0263] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0264] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” 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, and the present application does not limit this.

[0265] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0266] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0267] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0268] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0269] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0270] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part 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, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. 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 read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available 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 digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0271] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The first terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device, where the first message instructs the terminal device that has received the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first terminal device sends a forwarding message of the first message to the second terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The forwarding message is carried by a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; A time unit in which a first system broadcast message is received after the first terminal device receives the first message; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the first terminal device receives the first message is located; and The time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: The first resource is a periodic resource.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that: The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first terminal device receives a response message to the first message sent by the second terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The capability information of the first terminal device includes first capability information, where the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device supports one of the following capabilities: The first terminal device is capable of assisting in forwarding downlink messages, and the first terminal device is capable of assisting in forwarding uplink messages; The first terminal device is only capable of assisting in forwarding downlink messages; and The first terminal device can only assist in forwarding uplink messages.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The first terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

16. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The second terminal device receives a forwarding message of a first message sent by a network device from the first terminal device, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that has received the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that: The forwarding message is carried by a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; A time unit in which a first system broadcast message is received after the first terminal device receives the first message; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the first terminal device receives the first message is located; and The time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that The first resource is a periodic resource.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, characterized in that The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second terminal device sends a response message to the first message to the first terminal device.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message.

26. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 25, characterized in that The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

28. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 27, characterized in that The second terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

29. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The network device sends a first message, wherein the first message instructs a terminal device that has received the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

32. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that The forwarded message of the first message is carried on a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; The time unit in which the first system broadcast message is received by the terminal device after the first message is received; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the terminal device receives the first message is located; as well as The time unit in which the terminal device receives the first message.

34. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit a forwarding message of the first message.

35. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that The first resource is a periodic resource.

36. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 35, characterized in that The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

37. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 36, characterized in that The method further comprises: The network device receives a response message to the first message forwarded by the first terminal device.

38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

39. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 38, characterized in that The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

40. The method according to claim 39, characterized in that The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

41. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 40, characterized in that The network device is a network device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

42. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device is a first terminal device, and the terminal device includes: The first receiving module is used to receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message instructs a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

43. The terminal device according to claim 42, characterized in that: The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

44. The terminal device according to claim 43, characterized in that: The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

45. The terminal device according to any one of claims 42 to 44, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: A sending module is used to send a forwarding message of the first message to a second terminal device.

46. ​​The terminal device according to claim 45, characterized in that: The forwarding message is carried by a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

47. The terminal device according to claim 46, characterized in that: The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; A time unit in which a first system broadcast message is received after the first terminal device receives the first message; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the first terminal device receives the first message is located; and The time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

48. The terminal device according to claim 45, characterized in that: The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

49. The terminal device according to any one of claims 46 to 48, characterized in that: The first resource is a periodic resource.

50. The terminal device according to any one of claims 45 to 49, characterized in that: The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

51. The terminal device according to any one of claims 45 to 50, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: The second receiving module is used to receive a response message to the first message sent by the second terminal device.

52. The terminal device according to claim 51, characterized in that: The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

53. The terminal device according to any one of claims 42 to 44, characterized in that: The capability information of the first terminal device includes first capability information, where the first capability information indicates that the first terminal device supports one of the following capabilities: The first terminal device is capable of assisting in forwarding downlink messages, and the first terminal device is capable of assisting in forwarding uplink messages; The first terminal device is only capable of assisting in forwarding downlink messages; and The first terminal device can only assist in forwarding uplink messages.

54. The terminal device according to any one of claims 42 to 53, characterized in that: The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

55. The terminal device according to claim 54, characterized in that: The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

56. The terminal device according to any one of claims 42 to 55, characterized in that: The first terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

57. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device is a second terminal device, and the terminal device includes: The receiving module is used to receive a forwarding message of a first message sent by a network device from a first terminal device, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message.

58. The terminal device according to claim 57, characterized in that: The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

59. The terminal device according to claim 58, characterized in that: The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

60. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57 to 59, characterized in that: The forwarding message is carried by a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

61. The terminal device according to claim 60, characterized in that: The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the first terminal device receives the first message; A time unit in which a first system broadcast message after the first terminal device receives the first message is located; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the first terminal device receives the first message is located; and The time unit in which the first terminal device receives the first message.

62. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57 to 59, characterized in that: The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit the forwarding message.

63. The terminal device according to any one of claims 60-62, characterized in that: The first resource is a periodic resource.

64. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57 to 63, characterized in that: The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

65. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57 to 64, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: A sending module is used to send a response message of the first message to the first terminal device.

66. The terminal device according to claim 65, characterized in that: The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message.

67. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57 to 66, characterized in that: The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

68. The terminal device according to claim 67, characterized in that: The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

69. The terminal device according to any one of claims 57-68, characterized in that: The second terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

70. A network device, characterized in that: include: The sending module is configured to send a first message, wherein the first message instructs the terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device. The device forwards the first message.

71. The network device according to claim 70, characterized in that The first message includes one or more of the following: A first identifier, used to instruct a terminal device that receives the first message to assist the network device in forwarding the first message; A second identifier, used to indicate that the first message is an emergency message; A third identifier, used to indicate a terminal device that assists in forwarding the first message; as well as The fourth identifier is used to indicate the target terminal device of the first message.

72. The network device according to claim 71, characterized in that The fourth identifier is an identifier of a single terminal device; or, the fourth identifier is an identifier of a group of terminal devices.

73. The network device according to any one of claims 70 to 72, characterized in that: The forwarded message of the first message is carried on a first resource, and the first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: Predefined information; and The time when the first message was received.

74. The network device according to claim 73, characterized in that The first resource is determined based on one or more of the following: The first uplink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; The first downlink time unit after the terminal device receives the first message; The time unit in which the first system broadcast message is received by the terminal device after the first message is received; The time unit in which the first downlink control channel after the terminal device receives the first message is located; as well as The time unit in which the terminal device receives the first message.

75. The network device according to any one of claims 70 to 72, characterized in that: The first message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, and the first resource is used to transmit a forwarding message of the first message.

76. The network device according to any one of claims 73-75, characterized in that: The first resource is a periodic resource.

77. The network device according to any one of claims 73 to 76, characterized in that: The forwarding message includes one or more of the following information: A fifth identifier, used to indicate that the type of the message is a forwarded message; and The sixth identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that transmits the forwarding message.

78. The network device according to any one of claims 70 to 77, characterized in that: The network device also includes: A receiving module is used to receive a response message to the first message forwarded by the first terminal device.

79. The network device according to claim 78, characterized in that The response message includes one or more of the following information: first request information, used to request the terminal device that has received the response message to forward the response message to the network device; as well as The seventh identifier is used to indicate the terminal device that forwards the response message to the network device.

80. The network device according to any one of claims 70 to 79, characterized in that: The first message is a broadcast message or a message for a target terminal device.

81. The network device according to claim 80, characterized in that: The broadcast message is a call message, a public safety message or a system broadcast message.

82. The network device according to any one of claims 70 to 81, characterized in that: The network device is a network device in a non-terrestrial mobile communication system.

83. A terminal device, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so that the terminal device executes the method as described in any one of claims 1-15 and 16-28.

84. A network device, characterized in that: It comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so that the network device executes the method as described in any one of claims 29-41.

85. A device, characterized in that It comprises a processor, which is used to call a program from a memory so that the device executes the method as described in any one of claims 1-41.

86. A chip, characterized in that: It comprises a processor, which is used to call a program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as described in any one of claims 1 to 41.

87. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, the program causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 41.

88. A computer program product, characterized in that A program is included, which causes a computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 41.

89. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 41.

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