Communication method, terminal, network device, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending a plurality of first beams, wherein the plurality of first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, first information related to different first beams among the plurality of first beams is different, and the first information is used for indicating each first beam among the plurality of first beams. The technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can shorten the time of beam scanning, thereby reducing the time delay of initial access of the terminal.

Description

Communication method, terminal, network device, communication system and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the field of communications technology, to maximize coverage in all directions, a base station can perform synchronization signal block (SSB) beam scanning. Each beam in the beam scanning process can cover a certain solid angle range. During the initial access process of a terminal, the terminal can determine the terminal's random access opportunity (RACH occasion, RO) based on the information in the SSB and the mapping relationship in the protocol.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] When the terminal performs initial access, SSB beam scanning will cause a certain delay.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The method includes: transmitting multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, first information associated with different first beams in the multiple first beams is different, and the first information is used to indicate each first beam in the multiple first beams.

[0006] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The method includes: receiving a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

[0007] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to: transmit multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate each first beam in the multiple first beams.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided. The terminal includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to receive a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The memory stores executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the network device performs the method described in the first aspect.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided. The terminal includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The memory stores executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the terminal executes the method described in the second aspect.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a terminal and a network device. The network device is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect. The terminal is configured to implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0013] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program or computer program product is provided. The computer program or computer program product includes code. When executed by a processor, the code performs the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device transmits multiple first beams, each associated with different first information. The first information can be used to identify each of the multiple first beams. This allows the network device to simultaneously transmit multiple beams during beam scanning, shortening the beam scanning time and reducing the latency for initial terminal access.

[0015] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and do not constitute limitations on the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG2 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG3A is a schematic diagram of a first scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG3B is a schematic diagram of a second scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG3C is a schematic diagram of a third scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG4 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG5 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG6 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG7A is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG7B is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG7C is a schematic diagram of a third exemplary scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG8 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG9 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0032] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The method is performed by a network device. The method includes: transmitting multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate each of the multiple first beams.

[0033] In this embodiment, the network device transmits multiple first beams, each associated with different first information. The first information enables identification of each of the multiple first beams transmitted simultaneously. This allows the network device to transmit multiple beams simultaneously during beam scanning, thereby shortening the beam scanning time and reducing the latency for initial terminal access.

[0034] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a first index value, where the first index value is used to identify each first beam in the beam set, wherein multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

[0035] In this embodiment, each beam in the beam set has a corresponding first index value. The first index value uniquely identifies the first beam. The first index value can be a "global" index value. This allows the first beam to be identified by the terminal even when the network device simultaneously transmits multiple first beams.

[0036] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may further include: sending multiple second beams, wherein the multiple second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the multiple second beams belong to a beam set; wherein the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams.

[0037] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a second index value, where the second index value is used to identify each first beam in the plurality of first beams.

[0038] In this embodiment, each of the multiple first beams has a corresponding second index value. The second index value uniquely identifies the first beam in the multiple first beams. The second index value can be a "local" index value. Thus, combining the second index value with the BSS index value can determine the corresponding first beam. The second index value can be represented using fewer bits, reducing communication overhead.

[0039] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may further include: sending multiple second beams, wherein the multiple second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams; wherein the second index value associated with the second beam is used to identify the second beam in the multiple second beams, and the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams have the same index value set as the second index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams.

[0040] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple first beams may be associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the multiple first beams.

[0041] In this embodiment, the second information can be used to indicate the number of multiple first beams. This second information can promptly notify the terminal of the number of beams being transmitted simultaneously. When the first information is a second index value, the first information, the second information, and the SSB index value can be combined to uniquely determine the first beam in which the terminal is located.

[0042] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information may be carried in a master information block (MIB) and / or a system information block (SIB).

[0043] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may be carried in the MIB.

[0044] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include multiple synchronization signal sequences corresponding to multiple first beams, and the multiple synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets.

[0045] In this embodiment, each of the multiple first beams may use a different synchronization signal sequence, and different synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets. The multiple first beams correspond to different random access preamble sets and, therefore, may correspond to different random access preambles. Thus, the corresponding first beam can be determined based on the random access preamble.

[0046] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the random access preamble sets associated with multiple synchronization signal sequences of multiple first beams may be disjoint.

[0047] In this embodiment, the random access preamble sets associated with the multiple synchronization signal sequences of the multiple first beams do not overlap, which means that the random access preambles associated with the multiple synchronization signal sequences are different from each other. In this case, based on the random access preambles, the first beam in which the terminal is located can be determined from the multiple first beams.

[0048] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may also include: receiving a first random access preamble; determining a first beam among multiple first beams based on the first random access preamble, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with a synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

[0049] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The method is performed by a terminal. The method includes receiving a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

[0050] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a first index value, where the first index value is used to identify the first beam in the beam set, wherein multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

[0051] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may further include: receiving a second beam, wherein the second beam is one of multiple second beams, the multiple second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the multiple second beams belong to a beam set; wherein the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams.

[0052] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a second index value, where the second index value is used to identify the first beam among multiple first beams.

[0053] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may further include: receiving a second beam, wherein the second beam is one of multiple second beams, the multiple second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams; wherein the second index value associated with the second beam is used to identify the second beam among the multiple second beams, and the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams have the same index value set as the second index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams.

[0054] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple first beams may be associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the multiple first beams.

[0055] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information may be carried in the MIB and / or SIB.

[0056] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may be carried in the MIB.

[0057] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, multiple first beams may correspond to multiple synchronization signal sequences, and the multiple synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets; wherein the first information may include a synchronization signal sequence corresponding to the first beam.

[0058] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the random access preamble sets associated with multiple synchronization signal sequences of multiple first beams may be disjoint.

[0059] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above method may also include: sending a first random access preamble, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with a synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

[0060] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network device. The network device includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to transmit multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate each first beam in the multiple first beams.

[0061] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a first index value of each first beam in a beam set of multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

[0062] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a second index value of each first beam in the multiple first beams.

[0063] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple first beams may be associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the multiple first beams.

[0064] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the second information may be carried in the MIB and / or SIB.

[0065] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the first information can be carried in the MIB.

[0066] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include multiple synchronization signal sequences corresponding to multiple first beams, and the multiple synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets.

[0067] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, random access preamble sets associated with multiple synchronization signal sequences of multiple first beams may be disjoint.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module may be further configured to receive a first random access preamble. The network device may further include a processing module. The processing module is configured to determine, based on the first random access preamble, a first beam among multiple first beams, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with a synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

[0069] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal. The terminal includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to receive a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same SSB index value, different first beams in the multiple first beams have different first information associated with them, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

[0070] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a first index value of each first beam in a beam set of multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

[0071] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first information may include a second index value of the first beam in the multiple first beams.

[0072] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple first beams may be associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the multiple first beams.

[0073] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the second information can be carried in the MIB and / or SIB.

[0074] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first information can be carried in the MIB.

[0075] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, multiple first beams may correspond to multiple synchronization signal sequences, and the multiple synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets; wherein the first information may include a synchronization signal sequence corresponding to the first beam.

[0076] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the random access preamble sets associated with multiple synchronization signal sequences of multiple first beams may be disjoint.

[0077] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module can also be configured to: send a first random access preamble, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with the synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

[0078] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device. The network device includes at least one processor. The network device is configured to execute the method described in any one of the first aspect and its embodiments.

[0079] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal. The terminal includes at least one processor. The terminal is configured to execute the method described in any one of the second aspect and its embodiments.

[0080] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication system. The communication system includes a terminal and a network device. The network device is configured to implement the method described in any one of the first aspect and its embodiments. The terminal is configured to implement the method described in any one of the second aspect and its embodiments.

[0081] In an eighth aspect, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the embodiments thereof is performed.

[0082] In a ninth aspect, a computer program or computer program product is provided. The computer program or computer program product comprises code. When executed by a processor, the code performs the method as described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the embodiments thereof.

[0083] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, computer programs, and computer program products are all used to execute the methods provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0084] The present disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, communication system, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms management method, communication method, information processing method, and information transmission method are interchangeable; the terms communication device, information processing device, and information transmission device are interchangeable; and the terms communication system, information processing system, and information processing system are interchangeable.

[0085] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0086] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0087] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0088] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0089] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one", "one or more", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0091] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "in one case A, in another case B," or "in one case A, in another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0092] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0093] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0094] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0095] In some embodiments, terms such as "...", "determine...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0096] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0097] In some embodiments, devices, etc. can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as "device", "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0098] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (for example, access network equipment, core network equipment, data network equipment, etc.).

[0099] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station" "fixed station", "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0101] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it is also possible to set the structure in which the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by terms corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links.

[0102] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0103] In some embodiments, a network device may also be referred to as a network function, a network function entity, or a network element.

[0104] In some embodiments, the access network device may also be referred to as an access network function, an access network element, etc.

[0105] In some embodiments, core network devices may also be referred to as core network functions, core networks, core network elements, etc. Furthermore, in some embodiments, each network device in the core network may also be referred to as a network device, a network element, etc.

[0106] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0107] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0108] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0109] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0110] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the network device 102 in the communication system 100 may be replaced with another terminal.

[0112] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include at least two terminals, and these terminals may communicate using the communication method of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 in the communication system 100 may be replaced by another network device.

[0114] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include at least two network devices, and these network devices may communicate using the communication method of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0115] In some embodiments, the access network device may be, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a satellite base station, a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0116] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces within the network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0117] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0118] In some embodiments, the core network device may be a single device, multiple devices, or a group of devices. The access network device may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an evolved packet core (EPC), a 5G core network (5GCN), or a next-generation core (NGC).

[0119] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0120] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in Figure 1, or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in Figure 1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in Figure 1, or may include other entities outside of Figure 1. The number and form of the entities may be arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0121] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0122] In the field of communication technology, during the initial access process of terminal 101, it is necessary to determine the RO of the terminal through SSB beam scanning. In some embodiments, SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a public broadcasting channel (PBCH).

[0123] In some embodiments, SSB transmission can be performed for a single SSB beam scan. Network device 102 (e.g., an access network device) transmits beams in different directions using time-division multiplexing (TDM), transmitting only one beam at a time. In this case, each SSB is mapped to at least one RO. The mapping between SSBs and ROs can be one of the following: one-to-one mapping, many-to-one mapping, or one-to-many mapping.

[0124] In some embodiments, an SSB index may be used to identify an SSB. Then, the SSB indexes corresponding to different SSB beams may be different, thereby achieving correspondence between the SSB, the RO, and the preamble sequence.

[0125] In some embodiments, the SSB transmission may be directed to SSB multi-beam scanning. In other words, the network device 102 may transmit multiple SSB beams simultaneously. In this way, the duration of the SSB beam scanning may be shortened when the total number of SSB beams is constant.

[0126] In some embodiments, as a capability of the network device 102, SSB multi-beam scanning requires the network device 102 to have a corresponding hardware architecture. The hardware architecture includes the following types: analog beamforming architecture, digital beamforming architecture, and hybrid beamforming architecture. In the digital beamforming architecture and the hybrid beamforming architecture, the network device 102 may include multiple radio frequency chains to simultaneously transmit SSB beams in multiple directions. The network device 102 can implement SSB multi-beam transmission through frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), or a combination of frequency division multiplexing and code division multiplexing.

[0127] Figure 2 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is applied to a communication system 100. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes steps S210 to S230.

[0128] In step S210 , the network device 102 transmits a plurality of first beams.

[0129] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send multiple first beams to the terminal 101 .

[0130] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may receive a first beam. It is understood that the network device 102 may transmit multiple first beams, and the terminal 101 may receive at least one first beam from the multiple first beams.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first beam may be a plurality of beams sent by the network device 102 in different directions at the same time during the SSB beam scanning process. In some embodiments, all beams of the network device 102 during the SSB beam scanning process constitute a beam set. In one example, the number of beams in the beam set may be N, and N is a positive integer. In one example, in the beam set, the number of first beams sent by the network device 102 at the same time may be M. M is a positive integer. Here, N is greater than or equal to M. For example, the network device 102 may have 64 beams (i.e., N is 64), and the number of first beams sent at the same time may be 2 (i.e., M is 2), then the network device 102 may perform a total of 32 beam transmissions to complete one round of beam scanning.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first beam may carry SSB.

[0133] In some embodiments, the SSB may include an SSB index. The SSB index may be used to identify the SSB. In one example, the SSB index may be carried in the PBCH of the SSB.

[0134] In some embodiments, multiple first beams may correspond to the same SSB index value. In one example, the SSB index values ​​associated with each beam in the beam set may be: index 1, index 1, index 2, index 2, ..., index N / M, index N / M, respectively. Then, the same SSB index value corresponding to the multiple first beams may be one of the following: index 1, index 2, ..., index N / M. For example, when N is 64 and M is 2, the SSB index values ​​associated with each beam in the beam set may be: index 1, index 1, index 2, index 2, ..., index 32, index 32, respectively. Then, the same SSB index value corresponding to the multiple first beams may be one of the following: index 1, index 2, ..., index 32.

[0135] In some embodiments, the SSB may include the first information. In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate each first beam in the plurality of first beams. In some embodiments, the first information associated with different first beams in the plurality of first beams is different.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first information may include a first index value of each of the plurality of first beams in the beam set. In this case, the first index value may be used to identify (or uniquely identify) the first beam in the beam set. In other words, in the beam set, the first index values ​​corresponding to any two beams are different.

[0137] FIG3A is a schematic diagram of a first scenario of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3A , the number of beams in the beam set is N, and the number of the plurality of first beams is M. In some embodiments, the first index values ​​associated with the N beams in the beam set may be: beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam N. In one example, the number of bits p of the first index value satisfies: 2 p =N, where p is a positive integer. In one example, when N is 64 and M is 2, the first index values ​​associated with each beam in the beam set may be: beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam 32. In one example, the number of bits p of the first index value may be 8.

[0138] In some embodiments, the SSB index value and the first index value may be used together to indicate the first beam. In one example, the SSB index value and the first index value may constitute a first indication information pair, that is, in the form of (SSB index value, first index value), to indicate the first beam.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first information may include a second index value of each first beam in the plurality of first beams. In this case, the second index value may be used to uniquely identify the first beam in the plurality of first beams. In other words, the second index values ​​corresponding to any two beams in the plurality of first beams are different.

[0140] FIG3B is a schematic diagram of a second scenario of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3B , the number of beams in the beam set is N, and the number of the plurality of first beams is M. In some embodiments, the second index values ​​associated with the plurality of first beams may be: beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam M. In one example, the number of bits q of the second index value satisfies: 2 q =M, where q is a positive integer. In one example, when M is 2, the second index values ​​associated with each beam in the plurality of first beams may be: beam 1, beam 2. In one example, the number of bits q of the second index value may be 1.

[0141] In some embodiments, the SSB index value and the first index value may be used together to indicate the first beam. In one example, the SSB index value and the first index value may constitute a second indication information pair, i.e., in the form of (SSB index value, second index value), to indicate the first beam.

[0142] In some embodiments, the SSB may include second information. In some embodiments, the second information may be used to indicate the multi-beam capability of network device 102. Multi-beam capability may refer to the number of first beams that network device 102 transmits simultaneously. In some embodiments, the second information may also be referred to as multi-beam capability indication information. In some embodiments, the number indicated by the second information may be equal to the number M of the plurality of first beams.

[0143] In some embodiments, the second information may include one or more bits. In this case, different values ​​of the second information may instruct the network device 102 to send different numbers of first beams at the same time. In one example, the second information may include 1 bit. For example, when the value of the second information is "0", it may instruct the network device 102 to send a single beam, and when the value of the second information is "1", it may instruct the network device 102 to send two first beams in different directions at the same time. In one example, the second information may include 2 bits. For example, when the value of the second information is "00", it may instruct the network device 102 to send a single beam, when the value of the second information is "01", it may instruct the network device 102 to send two first beams in different directions at the same time, when the value of the second information is "10", it may instruct the network device 102 to send four first beams in different directions at the same time, and when the value of the second information is "11", it may instruct the network device 102 to send eight first beams in different directions at the same time.

[0144] In some embodiments, the SSB index value and the RO can be mapped one-to-one or one-to-many. In the case of a one-to-one mapping, one SSB index value can correspond to one RO. In the case of a one-to-many mapping, one SSB index value can correspond to multiple ROs (or a group of ROs).

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information may include multiple synchronization signal sequences corresponding to the multiple first beams. In some embodiments, the multiple first beams may correspond to the multiple synchronization signal sequences in a one-to-one manner.

[0146] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of a third scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3C , the number of beams in the beam set is N, and the number of the multiple first beams is M. In some cases, the synchronization signal sequences used by the multiple first beams may be: sequence 1, sequence 2, ..., sequence M. In one example, when M is 2, the synchronization signal sequences associated with each of the multiple first beams may be: sequence 1, sequence 2, etc.

[0147] In some embodiments, a synchronization signal sequence may be associated with a random access preamble set. In one example, any two synchronization signal sequences from the plurality of synchronization signal sequences may be associated with different random access preamble sets, i.e., the plurality of synchronization signal sequences may be associated with different random access preamble sets. In one example, the random access preamble sets associated with the plurality of synchronization signal sequences of the plurality of first beams do not intersect with each other. This means that different random access preamble sets do not have the same random access preamble. In this case, since the plurality of synchronization signal sequences may be associated with different random access preamble sets, the random access preambles associated with any two synchronization signal sequences from the plurality of synchronization signal sequences associated with the plurality of first beams are different.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in the MIB.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first information may be embodied as a synchronization signal sequence rather than being carried in an SSB.

[0150] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried in at least one of a MIB and a SIB.

[0151] In step S220, the terminal 101 sends a first random access preamble.

[0152] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send a first random access preamble to network device 102 .

[0153] In some embodiments, network device 102 may receive a first random access preamble from terminal 101 .

[0154] In some embodiments, the first random access preamble may be determined by the terminal 101 according to the received first beam.

[0155] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send a first random access preamble on a first RO.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first RO may be determined by the terminal 101 according to the received first beam.

[0157] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may determine the first RO and / or the first random access preamble based on at least one of the SSB index value of the first beam, the first information, and the second information.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 can determine the first RO based on the first information. Referring to FIG3A , there is a correspondence between the N beams in the beam set and multiple ROs. In the beam set, beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam N and RO1, RO2, ..., RO N In one example, beam 1 and beam 2 correspond to RO1 and RO2, respectively, beam 3 and beam 4 correspond to RO3 and RO4, respectively, and so on. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the corresponding RO based on the first information according to the corresponding relationship. For example, the terminal 101 can determine the corresponding RO based on the first index value according to the corresponding relationship. In one example, when N is 64 and M is 2, beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam 64 correspond to RO1, RO2, ..., RO 64 For example, the first index value of the first beam received by the terminal 101 may be beam 20, then the terminal 101 may determine RO 20 It is the first RO.

[0159] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may determine the first RO based on the SSB index value, the first information, and the second information. Referring to FIG3B , there may be a correspondence between the N beams in the beam set and multiple ROs. In the beam set, beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam M corresponding to the SSB index value 1 correspond to RO1, RO2, ..., RO, respectively. M , beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam M corresponding to SSB index value 2 correspond to RO M+1 , RO M+2 ,……,RO 2M , and so on. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the corresponding RO based on the SSB index value, the first information, and the second information according to the corresponding relationship. For example, the terminal 101 can determine the corresponding RO based on the SSB index value, the second index value, and the multi-beam capability according to the corresponding relationship. In one example, when N is 64 and M is 2, beam 1 and beam 2 corresponding to the SSB index value 1 correspond to RO1 and RO2, respectively, and beam 1 and beam 2 corresponding to the SSB index value 2 correspond to RO3 and RO4, respectively, and so on. For example, the SSB index value of the first beam received by the terminal 101 may be 3, the second index value may be beam 1, and the multi-beam capability indication information may be 01, then the terminal 101 may determine that RO5 is the first RO.

[0160] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine a first RO and a first random access preamble based on the SSB index value and the first information. As shown in FIG3C , a correspondence may exist between the N beams in a beam set and multiple ROs. In the beam set, sequence 1, sequence 2, ..., sequence M corresponding to SSB index value 1 correspond to RO1, sequence 1, sequence 2, ..., sequence M corresponding to SSB index value 2 correspond to RO2, and so on. In this case, terminal 101 determines the corresponding RO based on the SSB index value according to this correspondence. Furthermore, terminal 101 may determine the corresponding random access preamble based on the synchronization signal sequence of the first beam. Specifically, terminal 101 may select a random access preamble from the corresponding random access preamble set based on the synchronization signal sequence of the first beam. In one example, when N is 64 and M is 2, sequence 1 and sequence 2 corresponding to SSB index value 1 correspond to RO1, sequence 1 and sequence 2 corresponding to SSB index value 2 correspond to RO2, and so on. For example, the SSB index value of the first beam received by the terminal 101 may be 3, and the synchronization signal sequence may be sequence 2. The terminal 101 may determine that RO3 is the first RO, determine that the random access preamble set associated with sequence 2 is the first random access preamble set, and determine that the random access preamble selected from the first random access preamble set is the first random access preamble. It should be noted that FIG3C shows a one-to-one correspondence between SSB index values ​​and ROs. In some cases, the SSB index value and RO may have a one-to-many correspondence.

[0161] In step S230 , the network device 102 determines a first beam among a plurality of first beams.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first beam determined by the network device 102 can be considered as the beam where the terminal 101 is located.

[0163] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may determine the first beam based on the first random access preamble.

[0164] In some embodiments, referring to the scenario shown in FIG3A , the network device 102 may determine a first RO based on the first random access preamble; and determine a first beam based on the first RO where the first random access preamble is located according to the correspondence between the first information and the RO.

[0165] In some embodiments, referring to the scenario shown in FIG3B , the network device 102 may determine a first RO according to the first random access preamble; and determine a first beam based on the first RO according to the correspondence between the SSB index value and the first information and the RO.

[0166] In some embodiments, referring to the scenario shown in Figure 3C, the network device 102 can determine the first RO based on the first random access preamble; determine the first beam based on the first RO and the first random access preamble according to the correspondence between the SSB index value and the RO, and the correspondence between the synchronization signal sequence and the random access preamble.

[0167] In some embodiments, steps S210 to S230 in the above method are also applicable to SSB beam scanning for multiple second beams. It is understandable that the network device 102 may send multiple second beams before or after the network device 102 sends multiple first beams. The multiple second beams also belong to the beam set of the network device 102. In some embodiments, the multiple second beams may correspond to the same SSB index value. Because the multiple second beams and the multiple first beams are sent at different times during the SSB beam scanning of the network device 102, the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams. For example, the SSB index value corresponding to the multiple first beams may be index 1, and the SSB index value corresponding to the multiple first beams may be index 2.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first information associated with the multiple second beams may be a second index value. In this case, the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams may have the same index value set as the first index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams. For example, the second index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams may be: Beam 1, Beam 2, ..., Beam M; then the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams may be: Beam 1, Beam 2, ..., Beam M. It can be seen that the index value set in this case is {Beam 1, Beam 2, ..., Beam M}.

[0169] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0170] In some embodiments, terms such as "uplink", "uplink", "physical uplink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "downlink", "downlink", "physical downlink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "side", "sidelink", "side communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", "direct link communication" can be interchangeable with each other.

[0171] In some embodiments, the terms "downlink control information (DCI)", "downlink (DL) assignment", "DL DCI", "uplink (UL) grant", "UL DCI" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0172] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, and terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data" can be used interchangeably.

[0173] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0174] In some embodiments, terms such as "synchronization signal (SS)", "synchronization signal block (SSB)", "reference signal (RS)", "pilot", and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0175] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0176] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)", "cell", "frequency carrier", "carrier frequency" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0177] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform may be used interchangeably.

[0178] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0179] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0180] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "some", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "some A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, some A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0181] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0182] The communication method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S210 to S230. For example, step S210 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, a combination of steps S210 and S220 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and a combination of steps S210, S220, and S230 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0183] In some embodiments, steps S220 and S230 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0184] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 .

[0185] FIG4 is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The method includes steps S410 to S430.

[0186] In step S410 , a plurality of first beams are transmitted.

[0187] The optional implementation of step S410 can refer to the optional implementation of step S210 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0188] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send multiple first beams to the terminal 101 at the same time, but is not limited thereto and may also send multiple first beams to other entities.

[0189] In some embodiments, multiple first beams are used for the terminal 101 to determine a first RO and send a first random access preamble on the first RO.

[0190] In step S420, a first random access preamble is obtained.

[0191] The optional implementation of step S420 can refer to the optional implementation of step S220 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may receive a first random access preamble sent by the terminal 101 at the first RO.

[0193] In step S430, a first beam among multiple first beams is determined according to the first random access preamble.

[0194] The optional implementation of step S430 can refer to the optional implementation of step S230 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0195] In some embodiments, the first beam may be determined by the network device 102 according to the first random access preamble.

[0196] The communication method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S410 to S430. For example, step S410 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, a combination of steps S410 and S420 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and a combination of steps S410, S420, and S430 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0197] In some embodiments, steps S420 and S430 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0198] FIG5 is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The method includes steps S510 and S520.

[0199] In step S510, a first beam is acquired.

[0200] The optional implementation of step S510 can refer to the optional implementation of step S210 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0201] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may receive a first beam of a plurality of first beams transmitted by network device 102 .

[0202] In step S520, a first random access preamble is sent.

[0203] The optional implementation of step S520 can refer to the optional implementation of step S220 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0204] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send a first random access preamble to network device 102 .

[0205] In some embodiments, the first random access preamble may be used by the network device 102 to determine the first beam.

[0206] The communication method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of step S510 and step S520. For example, step S510 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and a combination of steps S510 and S520 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0207] In some embodiments, step S520 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0208] Figure 6 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The method includes step S610.

[0209] In step S610 , a first beam is transmitted.

[0210] The optional implementation of step S610 can refer to the optional implementation of step S210 in Figure 2, step S410 in Figure 4, step S510 in Figure 5, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 4, and 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send multiple first beams to the terminal 101 .

[0212] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may receive a first beam, which may be one of a plurality of first beams.

[0213] The following describes the embodiments of the present disclosure using specific examples. In the following examples, the network device may be, for example, a gNB, and the terminal may be a UE.

[0214] In some embodiments, the gNB may simultaneously transmit multiple SSB beams in different directions (i.e., the first beam) at one SSB candidate opportunity. To ensure the correct symbol-level timing relationship, the SSB indexes of all SSB beams in different directions transmitted by the gNB at the same time are the same.

[0215] Scenario 1:

[0216] Beam index information (i.e., the first index value) is added to the SSB. SSB beams in different directions correspond to different beam indexes. The mapping from SSB to RO is no longer based on the SSB index, but on the beam index.

[0217] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary scenario of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7A , the gNB simultaneously transmits two SSB beams in different directions each time, for a total of 64 SSB beams, which need to be transmitted 32 times in a TDM manner. The information on each SSB is: (SSB index #0, beam #0), (SSB index #0, beam #1), (SSB index #1, beam #2), (SSB index #1, beam #3), ..., (SSB index #31, beam #62), (SSB index #31, beam #63).

[0218] In some embodiments, the gNB transmits two SSB beams simultaneously. To ensure timing, the SSB indexes are the same. Beam index information is added to the SSB, and a mapping relationship between RO and beam index is established. The UE determines the RO resource (first RO) used to transmit the preamble based on the beam index of the selected SSB beam (first random access preamble). The gNB can use the RO resource to determine which SSB beam the UE is currently located in.

[0219] In some embodiments, beam index information may be added in the MIB and may include 8 bits to indicate 64 beams (beam sets).

[0220] Scenario 2:

[0221] Add 2 bits of multi-beam capability indication information to the SSB. The gNB uses this multi-beam capability indication information to inform the UE to send several SSB beams in different directions simultaneously each time, and then adds the sub-index (second index value) of each SSB beam.

[0222] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7B, the UE first determines the number of multiple SSB beams transmitted simultaneously by the gNB based on the multi-beam capability indication of the gNB (see Table 1 below), and then determines which RO resource / groups of RO resources a particular SSB beam among the multiple SSB beams currently being transmitted corresponds to based on the SSB index and sub-index. For example, if the gNB transmits two SSB beams each time, the multi-beam capability indication information bit is set to "01", and the sub-index is (SSB index #0, beam #0), (SSB index #0, beam #1), (SSB index #1, beam #0), (SSB index #1, beam #1), ..., (SSB index #31, beam #0), (SSB index #31, beam #1).

[0223] Table 1

[0224] In some embodiments, the gNB transmits two SSB beams simultaneously. For timing purposes, the SSB indexes are the same. The UE determines from the multi-beam capability indication (second information) that the gNB is transmitting two SSB beams simultaneously at a time. The UE then determines from sub-index 1 and SSB index 1 that this is the fourth beam and thus determines the RO resource to use for transmitting the preamble.

[0225] In some embodiments, for the case of 64 beams and 2 beams transmitted each time, 2 bits of multi-beam capability indication information and 1 bit of sub-index may be added, for a total of 3 bits.

[0226] Scenario 3:

[0227] Multiple SSB beams transmitted simultaneously use different synchronization signal sequences, and each synchronization signal sequence is associated with a different set of preamble sequences:

[0228] In some embodiments, multiple simultaneously transmitted SSB beams have the same SSB index and are mapped to the same RO / group. However, each of the multiple simultaneously transmitted SSB beams is associated with a different preamble. The gNB uses the different preambles to identify which beam the UE is associated with with the same SSB index.

[0229] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary scenario of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7C, in some embodiments, the gNB transmits two SSB beams simultaneously, with the same SSB index for timing purposes. The two simultaneously transmitted SSB beams use different synchronization signal (SS) sequences and are associated with different preamble sets. The UE determines the preamble to use based on the different SS sequences. As shown in the figure, SSB index #0 of the two simultaneously transmitted SSB beams is mapped to the same RO, namely RO#0. However, the two beams are associated with different preambles. The gNB uses the different preambles to distinguish which beam the UE is associated with with the same SSB index.

[0230] In some embodiments, in this scenario, there is a one-to-one mapping or a one-to-many mapping between the SSB index and the RO.

[0231] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0232] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a communication device for implementing any of the above methods. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication device. The communication device includes units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. In this case, the communication device can be provided in the terminal. For another example, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide another communication device, including units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device in any of the above methods. In this case, the communication device can be provided in the network device.

[0233] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above devices is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above devices, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0234] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by a dedicated integrated circuit or a programmable logic device, such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0235] FIG8 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 800 may include a transceiver module 801 and a processing module 802 .

[0236] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 801 can be used to execute at least one of the sending and receiving related steps (for example, step S210, step S220, step S410, step S420, step S610, but not limited to these) performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods.

[0237] In some embodiments, the processing module 802 may be configured to execute at least one of the determination-related steps (eg, step S230 , step S430 , but not limited thereto) executed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods.

[0238] FIG9 is an exemplary structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 900 may include a transceiver module 901 .

[0239] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 901 can be used to execute at least one of the sending and receiving related steps (for example, step S210, step S220, step S510, step S520, step S610, but not limited to these) performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods.

[0240] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0241] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 may further include a processing module. The processing module may be a single module or may include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules each execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module and the processor may be interchangeable.

[0242] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 1000 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device or a core network device), or a terminal (e.g., a user device), or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above communication methods. Communication device 1000 can be used to implement the communication method described in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment.

[0243] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes one or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as network equipment, baseband chips, terminal equipment, terminal equipment chips, DU or CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 1001 is used to call instructions to enable the communication device 1000 to execute any of the above communication methods.

[0244] In some embodiments, the communication device 1000 further includes one or more memories 1002 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memory 1002 may be located outside the communication device 1000.

[0245] In some embodiments, the communication device 1000 further includes one or more transceivers 1003. When the communication device 1000 includes one or more transceivers 1003, the communication steps such as sending and receiving (e.g., step S210 and step S220) in the above method are performed by the transceiver 1003, and the other steps (e.g., step S230) are performed by the processor 1001.

[0246] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0247] Optionally, the communication device 1000 further includes one or more interface circuits 1004, which are connected to the memory 1002. The interface circuits 1004 may be configured to receive signals from the memory 1002 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to the memory 1002 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 1004 may read instructions stored in the memory 1002 and send the instructions to the processor 1001.

[0248] The communication device 1000 described in the above embodiments may be an access network device, a core network device, an external network device, or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 1000 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 1000 may not be limited by FIG. 10 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) other devices.

[0249] The present disclosure also provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 1000, the communication device 1000 executes any of the above communication methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but may also be a transient storage medium.

[0250] The present disclosure further provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 1000, enables the communication device 1000 to perform any of the above communication methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0251] The present disclosure also provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the above communication methods.

[0252] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow from the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0253] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, performed by a network device, comprising: Multiple first beams are sent, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same synchronization information block SSB index value, the first information associated with different first beams in the multiple first beams is different, and the first information is used to indicate each first beam in the multiple first beams.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information includes a first index value, where the first index value is used to identify each of the first beams in a beam set, wherein the multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The method further comprises: Sending a plurality of second beams, wherein the plurality of second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the plurality of second beams belong to the beam set; Among them, the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information includes a second index value, where the second index value is used to identify each of the first beams in the plurality of first beams.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The method further comprises: Sending a plurality of second beams, wherein the plurality of second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the plurality of second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the plurality of first beams; The second index value associated with the second beam is used to identify the second beam among the multiple second beams, and the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams have the same index value set as the second index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The plurality of first beams are associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the plurality of first beams.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The second information is carried in a master system information block MIB and / or a system information block SIB.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein: The first information is carried in the MIB.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information includes a plurality of synchronization signal sequences corresponding to the plurality of first beams, and the plurality of synchronization signal sequences are associated with different random access preamble sets.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The random access preamble sets associated with the plurality of synchronization signal sequences of the plurality of first beams are disjoint.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving a first random access preamble; A first beam among the multiple first beams is determined according to the first random access preamble, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with a synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

12. A communication method, executed by a terminal, comprising: Receive a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same synchronization information block SSB index value, the first information associated with different first beams in the multiple first beams is different, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The first information includes a first index value, where the first index value is used to identify the first beam in a beam set, wherein the multiple first beams belong to the beam set.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving a second beam, wherein the second beam is one of a plurality of second beams, the plurality of second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the plurality of second beams belong to the beam set; Among them, the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the multiple first beams.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The first information includes a second index value, where the second index value is used to identify the first beam among the multiple first beams.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The method further comprises: receiving a second beam, wherein the first beam is one of a plurality of second beams, the plurality of second beams correspond to the same SSB index value, and the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the plurality of second beams are different from the SSB index values ​​corresponding to the plurality of first beams; The second index value associated with the second beam is used to identify the second beam among the multiple second beams, and the second index values ​​associated with the multiple second beams have the same index value set as the second index values ​​associated with the multiple first beams.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The plurality of first beams are associated with second information, where the second information is used to indicate the number of the plurality of first beams.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The second information is carried in a master system information block MIB and / or a system information block SIB.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The first information is carried in the MIB.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of first beams correspond to a plurality of synchronization signal sequences, the plurality of synchronization signal sequences being associated with different sets of random access preambles; The first information includes a synchronization signal sequence corresponding to the first beam.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The random access preamble sets associated with the plurality of synchronization signal sequences of the plurality of first beams are disjoint.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein: The method further comprises: A first random access preamble is sent, wherein the first random access preamble belongs to a first random access preamble set, and the first preamble set is associated with a synchronization signal sequence of the first beam.

23. A network device comprising: The transceiver module is configured to send multiple first beams, wherein the multiple first beams correspond to the same synchronization information block SSB index value, the first information related to different first beams in the multiple first beams is different, and the first information is used to indicate each first beam in the multiple first beams.

24. A terminal, comprising: A transceiver module is configured to receive a first beam, wherein the first beam is one of multiple first beams, the multiple first beams correspond to the same synchronization information block SSB index value, the first information associated with different first beams in the multiple first beams is different, and the first information is used to indicate the first beam.

25. A network device comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; The memory stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the network device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

26. A terminal, comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; The memory stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the terminal executes the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 22.

27. A communication system, comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein: The network device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and the terminal is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

28. A storage medium, wherein: The storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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