Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: receiving an SSB from a network device; determining a first search space on the basis of the SSB, and receiving a first system message on the basis of the first search space, wherein the first system message is used for configuring random access related information; and when a random access request is sent, receiving a second system message, wherein the second system message is used for configuring cell related information, a first coverage range of the first system message is greater than a second coverage range of the second system message, and / or a first antenna gain of the first system message is less than a second antenna gain of the second system message. By means of the method, the first system message received before random access has a large first coverage range, so that more terminal devices in a cell obtain information required for random access. The second system message received after random access has a small second coverage area and / or a large second antenna gain, thereby improving transmission performance and improving initial access performance.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on September 15, 2023, with application number 202311204315.3 and invention name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0004] Non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications refer to communications achieved using non-terrestrial network equipment. NTN systems can include satellite systems, among others. Introducing NTN communications into mobile network communications, such as fifth-generation (5G) communications, can improve user experience. On the one hand, NTN can provide communications services in areas difficult to reach by terrestrial networks, such as oceans, forests, deserts, and remote areas. On the other hand, NTN can enhance the reliability of mobile communications, for example, providing more stable communications services for users in high-speed scenarios such as trains and airplanes.

[0005] Taking satellite systems as an example, unlike ground-based base stations, satellites move faster relative to the ground and their signals travel farther, resulting in greater signal path loss. Therefore, in order for satellites to function as base stations and provide communication services to terminal devices, there are pressing challenges: how to overcome signal path loss and improve coverage between terminal devices and satellite base stations, ensure stable initial access for terminals, and reduce access latency.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving initial access performance.

[0008] In the first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as NTN communication. The execution subject of the method is a terminal device or a module or chip in the terminal device, and the terminal device is used as the execution subject for description. In this method, a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB is received from a network device; a first search space is determined according to the SSB, and a first system message is received according to the first search space; the first system message is used to configure information related to random access; after sending a random access request, a second system message is received from the network device, and the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; wherein the first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0009] Through this method, the first coverage range of the first system message received before the terminal device randomly accesses is larger, allowing more terminal devices in the cell to obtain the information required for random access. The second coverage range of the second system message received after the terminal device randomly accesses is smaller and / or the second antenna gain is larger, thereby improving the transmission performance of the second system message, increasing the success rate of demodulating the second system message, and improving initial access performance.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the second system message includes at least one of the following: physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource configuration information; system information (SI) scheduling information; and cell selection information.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first system message includes at least one of the following: random access channel opportunity RO resource configuration information; second location information of the network device; uplink transmission public configuration; RACH public configuration information; downlink transmission public configuration; SSB related information, and the SSB related information includes one or more of the SSB number, SSB period, and SSB pattern.

[0012] In a possible implementation, before receiving the second system message, the method further includes: sending the first location information of the terminal device to the network device.

[0013] In the above method, the first location information is reported during the process of sending a random access request, so the network side can obtain the first location information in advance, and thereby determine the narrow beam used for communication with the terminal device based on the first location information as early as possible, thereby improving the link budget and information transmission performance, thereby improving the performance of the initial access process.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined according to the first location information.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a random access response from the network device; the coverage range of the random access response is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the random access response is the second antenna gain.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending message 3 to the network device; receiving message 4 from the network device; the coverage range of the message 4 is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the message 4 is the second antenna gain.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, a starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain is preset or predefined.

[0018] In a possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain and the index of the SSB.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, a data transmission bandwidth of the first system message is less than 20 resource blocks.

[0020] In the above method, a smaller bandwidth may be used to transmit the first system message, so that the transmission performance of the first system message can be further improved through power aggregation.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the channel coding rate of the first system message is greater than 0 and less than 0.2344.

[0022] In the above method, the first system message can support low channel coding rate transmission, thereby improving coverage performance.

[0023] In the second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as NTN communication. The execution subject of the method is a network device or a module or chip in the network device, and the network device is used as the execution subject for description here. In the method, a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB is sent; the SSB indicates the first search space of the first system message; the first system message is sent in the first search space; the first system message is used to configure information related to random access; after receiving a random access request from a terminal device, a second system message is sent to the terminal device, and the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; wherein the first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, the second system message includes at least one of the following: physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource configuration information; system information (SI) scheduling information; and cell selection information.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first system message includes at least one of the following: random access channel opportunity RO resource configuration information; second location information of the network device; uplink transmission public configuration; RACH public configuration information; downlink transmission public configuration; SSB related information, and the SSB related information includes one or more of the SSB number, SSB period, and SSB pattern.

[0026] In a possible implementation, before sending the second system message, the method further includes: receiving first location information from the terminal device.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, before sending the second system message, the method further includes: positioning the terminal device according to the random access request to determine first location information of the terminal device.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner, the second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined according to the first location information.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a random access response to the terminal device; the coverage range of the random access response is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the random access response is the second antenna gain.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a message 3 from the terminal device; sending a message 4 to the terminal device; the coverage range of the message 4 is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the message 4 is the second antenna gain.

[0031] In a possible implementation manner, a starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain is preset or predefined.

[0032] In a possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain and the index of the SSB.

[0033] In a possible implementation manner, a data transmission bandwidth of the first system message is less than 20 resource blocks.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner, the channel coding rate of the first system message is greater than 0 and less than 0.2344.

[0035] In the third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as NTN communication. The execution subject of the method is a terminal device or a module or chip in the terminal device, and the terminal device is used as the execution subject for description. In this method, a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB is received from a network device; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure information related to random access; after sending a random access request, a second system message is received from the network device, and the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; wherein the first coverage range of the SSB is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the SSB is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0036] This method transmits the first system message via SSB, resulting in a larger first coverage range for the first system message, allowing more terminal devices within the cell to obtain the information required for random access. The second coverage range of the second system message received by the terminal device after random access is smaller and / or the second antenna gain is larger, thereby improving the transmission performance of the second system message, increasing the success rate of demodulating the second system message, and improving initial access performance.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applicable to scenarios such as NTN communication. The execution subject of the method is a network device or a module or chip in the network device, and the network device is used as the execution subject for description here. In this method, a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB is sent; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure information related to random access; after receiving a random access request from a terminal device, a second system message is sent to the terminal device, and the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; wherein the first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a communication device capable of implementing any of the methods provided in any of the first to fourth aspects. The communication device can be implemented via hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in executing the corresponding functions of the network device, terminal device, or core network device in the above-described method. The communication device may also include a memory, which may be coupled to the processor and stores program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface circuit for supporting communication between the communication device and a device such as a terminal device.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules for implementing the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples. For details, please refer to the description of the method provided in any one of the first to fourth aspects, which will not be repeated here.

[0042] In the sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to fourth aspects is implemented.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided, which, when read and executed by a computer, implements the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0044] In an eighth aspect, a circuit is provided for executing the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the circuit may include a chip circuit. Optionally, the circuit may also be coupled to a memory.

[0045] In a ninth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor. When the processor executes a computer program or instruction, the processor is configured to implement the method of any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects. Optionally, the chip may further include a memory. The chip may be composed of a single chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0046] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which implements the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to fourth aspects through a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instruction.

[0047] In an eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to receive signals from a communication device other than the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to transmit signals from the processor to a communication device other than the communication device, the processor implementing the functional modules of the method in any possible implementation of any of the first to fourth aspects through logic circuitry or by executing a computer program or instruction. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a memory configured to store the computer program or instruction.

[0048] In a twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for executing the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to fourth aspects above.

[0049] In a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system. The communication system includes: a terminal device for implementing the method in the aforementioned first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect; a network device for implementing the method in the aforementioned second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect;

[0050] Alternatively, the communication system includes: a terminal device for implementing the method in the aforementioned third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect; and a network device for implementing the method in the aforementioned fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an SSB signal coverage pattern provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a coverage area provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG8 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to NTN communication scenarios. NTN communication can include networking using non-terrestrial network devices such as drones, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and satellites to provide data transmission, voice communication, and other services to terminal devices. In addition, the NTN system can also include other non-terrestrial network devices, which are not limited in this application. The NTN system can also support various mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, or other future communication systems, specifically without limitation here.

[0063] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE), fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, such as 5G new radio (NR), or to various future communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) communication systems. The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, vehicle networking, autonomous driving, assisted driving and other fields.

[0064] The methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present application are based on the same or similar technical concepts. Since the principles of solving problems by the methods and devices are similar, the implementation of the devices and methods can refer to each other, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0065] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0066] The definitions of many characteristics listed in this application are only used to explain the functions of the characteristics by way of example. For details, please refer to the prior art.

[0067] In the embodiments shown below, the first, second, third, fourth, and various numbers are only used for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, they are used to distinguish different fields, different information, etc.

[0068] "Pre-definition" can be achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. Here, "storage" can mean storing in one or more memories. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, which is not limited by this application.

[0069] The “protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include a long term evolution (LTE) protocol, a new radio (NR) protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, which are not limited in this application.

[0070] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features around systems including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures. Furthermore, combinations of these aspects may also be used.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary," "for example," "illustratively," and "as another example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0072] "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Where a, b and c can be single or multiple, respectively.

[0073] To facilitate understanding, a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied is first described.

[0074] Exemplarily, FIG1 and FIG2 show communication systems to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied.

[0075] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which an embodiment of the present application can be applied.

[0076] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system may include at least one network device (such as 110a, 110b, and 110c in Figure 1) and may also include at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120g in Figure 1). The terminal device may be mobile or fixed. Each network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminals located within the coverage area. Network devices, network devices and terminal devices, and terminal devices can be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices.

[0077] The embodiments of the present application are applicable to a communication system that integrates a terrestrial communication system and a satellite communication system, which may also be referred to as a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system.

[0078] Among them, the terrestrial communication system can be, for example, an LTE system, a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), a 5G system or an NR system, or a communication system developed next to the 5G system, etc., which is not limited here.

[0079] Compared to traditional communication systems, satellite communication systems offer a wider coverage area and can overcome natural geographical obstacles such as oceans, deserts, and mountains. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication systems, satellite communication systems can effectively supplement them. Satellite communication systems can be categorized into three types based on their orbital altitude: geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and low Earth orbit (LEO). GEO satellite communication systems are also called synchronous orbit satellite systems.

[0080] GEO satellites, also known as geostationary orbit satellites, can reach an altitude of 35,786 kilometers (km). Their main advantages are stationary relative to the Earth and their large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have significant disadvantages, such as their large distance from the Earth, requiring larger antennas, and relatively high transmission latency of around 0.5 seconds, which cannot meet the needs of real-time services. Furthermore, orbital resources are relatively limited, resulting in high launch costs and a lack of coverage in polar regions. MEO satellites, with orbital altitudes between 2,000 and 35,786 km, can achieve global coverage with a relatively small number of satellites. However, their transmission latency is higher than that of LEO satellites, and they are primarily used for positioning and navigation. LEO satellites, with orbital altitudes between 300 and 2,000 km, are lower than MEO and GEO satellites, resulting in lower data transmission latency, less power loss, and relatively lower launch costs. As a result, LEO satellite communication systems have made significant progress in recent years.

[0081] It is generally believed that NTN has different channel characteristics compared to terrestrial communications (e.g., large transmission delay, large Doppler frequency offset, etc.). For example, the round-trip delay of a GEO satellite communication system is 238-270 milliseconds (ms), and the round-trip delay of a LEO satellite communication system is 8ms-20ms.

[0082] Satellite operating modes can be categorized as transparent or regenerative. When operating in transparent mode, a satellite performs relay functions. Gateway stations have base station functions, or some of them, and can be considered base stations. When operating in regenerative mode, a satellite has data processing capabilities and performs base station functions, or some of them, and can be considered base stations.

[0083] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an NTN in regeneration mode. As shown in Figure 2, a satellite has some or all of the functions of a base station and can be called a satellite base station. A satellite base station can provide wireless access services and schedule wireless resources for terminal devices that access the network through the satellite base station. The satellite base station and terminals can communicate via the user-universal terrestrial radio access network (Uu) interface. Furthermore, the satellite base station and the core network (CN) can communicate via the next generation network (NG) interface. The satellite base station and the core network can exchange core network non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data via the NG interface. The satellite radio interface (SRI) is the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. In Figure 2, the SRI interface can be used as part of the next generation network (NG) interface to enable communication between the satellite base station and the core network.

[0084] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to the present application. As shown in FIG3 , the terminal device communicates with the ground base station via the Uu interface. The satellite can realize transparent payload transmission between the terminal device and the ground base station. The satellite and the NTN gateway can be considered as the remote radio unit (RRU) of the ground base station, realizing transparent signal forwarding. That is, the satellite supports functions such as RF filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, and the signal waveform remains unchanged. The satellite forwarding is transparent to the terminal device. Among them, the ground base station and the CN can communicate via the NG interface, and the NAS signaling of the core network and the service data of the terminal device can be exchanged through the NG interface.

[0085] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a satellite communication scenario. As shown in FIG4 , the network equipment in the satellite communication scenario includes satellites and gateways. Terminal devices include Internet of Things terminals, mobile phone terminals, and high-altitude aircraft, etc. Terminal devices can also be terminal devices of other forms and performances, etc., which are not limited here. The link between the satellite and the terminal device is called a service link, and the link between the satellite and the gateway is called a feeder link. The gateway can also be called a signal gateway. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to the satellite communication scenario obtained by expanding on FIG3 .

[0086] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application is a device that can access a wireless communication network. The terminal and network equipment can communicate using air interface technologies (such as NR or LTE). Terminals can also communicate with each other using air interface technologies (such as NR or LTE). A terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, user, access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. For ease of description, the terminal device is collectively referred to as a terminal device below. The terminal device can be widely used in various scenarios, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), D2D, V2X, MTC, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, or smart city scenarios. The terminal device may be a mobile phone (such as 120a, 120d, or 120f in FIG1 ), a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver functionality (such as computer 120g in FIG1 ), a wearable device, a vehicle (such as 120b in FIG1 ), a drone, a helicopter, an airplane (such as 120c in FIG1 ), a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, or a smart home device (such as printer 120e in FIG1 ). This application does not limit the specific technology or device form used by the terminal device.

[0087] The network device in the embodiment of the present application can be a device for communicating with a terminal device, or it can be a device for connecting a terminal device to a wireless communication network. The network device can be a base station, a node B, an evolved node B (eNodeB or eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation node B (gNB) in a 5G system, an access network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN or open RAN), a next generation base station in a 6G system, and a satellite base station in an NTN (such as the satellite base station in Figure 2), or a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. Alternatively, the network device can be a module or unit that completes part of the functions of a base station, for example, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) module, or a centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) module. The network device may be a macro base station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110c in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, etc. The present application does not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network device.

[0088] In one implementation, the network device includes, but is not limited to, a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point, a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, an access network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN), a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system; or it may be a module or unit that performs part of the functions of a base station, for example, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) module, or a centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) module.

[0089] In some deployments, network equipment may include centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs). RAN equipment, including CU and DU nodes, splits the protocol layers of the gNB in ​​the NR system. Some protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while some or all of the remaining protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. Furthermore, the CU can be divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP). The CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, primarily including radio resource control (RRC) and the control plane's corresponding packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) (i.e., PDCP-C). PDCP-C is primarily responsible for encryption, decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission of control plane data. The CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, primarily including the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and the user plane's corresponding PDCP (i.e., PDCP-U). SDAP is primarily responsible for processing core network data and mapping flows to bearers. The PDCP-U is primarily responsible for data plane encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, and data transmission. The CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via the E1 interface. The CU-CP represents the gNB's connection to the core network via the NG interface and to the DU via the F1 interface control plane (i.e., F1-C). The CU-UP connects to the DU via the F1 interface user plane (i.e., F1-U). Alternatively, the PDCP-C may also reside in the CU-UP.

[0090] It is understandable that in different systems, CU (including CU-CP or CU-UP) or DU may have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, and CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP. For convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP and DU as examples. The network device may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some functions of the gNB, and the DU implements some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services and implementing the functions of the RRC layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer. In some deployments, the CU can be further divided into a Centralized Unit Control Plane (CU-CP) node and a Centralized Unit User Plane (CU-UP) node, where the CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions and the CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions.

[0091] Network devices and / or terminal devices may be fixed or mobile. They may be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the environments or scenarios in which network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0092] It should be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary illustration, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] Considering the advantages of satellites, such as their insusceptibility to natural disasters or external damage, research is underway to use satellites as network equipment (such as base stations) in mobile communication systems to provide communication services in areas such as oceans and forests. Unlike terrestrial network equipment, satellites move at higher speeds relative to the ground and their signals travel greater distances, resulting in greater signal path loss when used as network equipment. Furthermore, due to the high speed of satellites, the coverage and service time of a single satellite and each beam within a single satellite are limited. Therefore, this communication scenario places higher requirements on terminal access latency.

[0094] During the initial access phase, as a network device, the satellite needs to sequentially transmit multiple beams to configure random access resources for the terminal device. The random access process generally refers to the process from when the terminal device sends a random access preamble (preamble) to attempt to access the network device, to when a basic signaling connection is established between the terminal device and the network device. Currently, network devices can broadcast different synchronization signals / physical broadcast channel blocks (SS / PBCH blocks or SSBs) for different communication areas, distinguishing them by SSB index. Generally, different SSB indices indicate that downlink synchronization signals from different beam directions cover and serve different areas. After receiving the SSB, the terminal device completes timing synchronization and determines the time-frequency position of SIB1 based on the information in the SSB. It then parses SIB1 to obtain the system information of the cell carried in SIB1. The terminal device detects SIB19 based on the SIB19 search space configured in SIB1, parses the SIB19 data, and obtains the satellite ephemeris information carried in SIB19. After obtaining the cell's system information and ephemeris information, the terminal device sends a random access preamble on the corresponding uplink resource based on the configuration information and SSB index. For the network device, it can determine the area where the terminal device is located based on the received random access preamble and the corresponding uplink resource and establish a connection with the terminal device.

[0095] However, due to the large coverage area of ​​the satellite beam and the long transmission distance of the signal, the path loss of the signal is large. The information received by the terminal device during the initial access process, such as the information in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) (for example, including SIB1, random access response and message 4) and the information in the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) (for example, including scheduling information of scheduling SIB1, random access response and message 4), has a relatively high demodulation threshold, resulting in the terminal device being unable to accurately demodulate information such as SIB1, random access response and message 4, resulting in a relatively large delay in the initial access process, thereby reducing communication efficiency.

[0096] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0097] When the method provided in the present application is applied to the system in Figures 1 to 4, the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the terminal device in Figures 1 to 4 or the module in the terminal device, the method executed by the network device in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the network device in Figures 1 to 4 or the module in the network device, or the method executed by the network device in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by the satellite in Figures 1 to 4 or the module in the satellite.

[0098] It can be understood that the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The method executed by the terminal device can be applied to the terminal device or a module or chip in the terminal device, and the method executed by the network device can be applied to the network device or a module or chip in the network device. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the interaction between the terminal device and the network device is used as an example for explanation below.

[0099] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the method includes:

[0100] Step 501: The network device sends SSB.

[0101] Accordingly, the terminal device receives SSB.

[0102] In the present application, the network device may use a wide beam to send SSB, the coverage range of the SSB may be a first coverage range, and the antenna gain of the SSB may be a first antenna gain.

[0103] When the network device is a satellite or an extremely wide-coverage ground base station, the signal coverage range of the network device is relatively large, potentially reaching tens of kilometers. Given a given link budget and system resources, the network device can use multiple beams to transmit SSB multiple times, ensuring that all terminal devices within the network device's signal coverage area can receive the SSB.

[0104] The network device can send Q SSBs in each SSB period according to the SSB signal coverage pattern (also called the SSB coverage pattern or the SSB scanning pattern), where Q is an integer greater than 1. The Q SSBs can be distinguished by the SSB index. The network device can broadcast SSBs with different indexes in different areas. It can be understood that SSBs with different indexes represent downlink synchronization signals in different beam directions covering and serving different areas. Each SSB can indicate a first system information, and the first system information indicated by SSBs with different indexes includes the same content. The value of Q is not limited. For example, the value of Q can be a power of 2, for example, Q is one of the following: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, etc. The value of Q can be agreed or predefined, and the network device can indicate the value of Q to the terminal device.

[0105] The SSB signal coverage pattern includes coverage of Q SSBs. The SSB signal coverage pattern can be defined in various shapes, such as rectangular, square, etc. When the SSB signal coverage pattern is square, each row of the SSB signal coverage pattern includes coverage of G SSBs, and each column includes coverage of G SSBs. When the SSB signal coverage pattern is rectangular, each row of the SSB signal coverage pattern includes coverage of H SSBs, and each column includes coverage of J SSBs.

[0106] For example, taking Q=256 as an example, as shown in Figure 6, the network device uses 256 beams to send 256 SSBs, and the coverage range corresponding to each beam is a small grid in the figure. In the SSB signal coverage pattern shown in the figure, each row includes the coverage range of G=16 beams, and each column includes the coverage range of G=16 beams. The number in each grid represents the index of the SSB sent using the beam. The index of the SSB starts from 0, and the largest index is 255; starting from the first column on the left, the indexes of the 16 SSBs from bottom to top in the first column are 0 to 15 respectively; the indexes of the 16 SSBs from bottom to top in the second column are 16 to 31 respectively, and the situation in other columns is similar. Please refer to the figure for details.

[0107] A beam is the main lobe of a signal's directional array pattern, while a beam's coverage range can refer to the projection of the beam onto the Earth's surface. Network devices can adjust antenna weights to point the beam in different directions, resulting in different coverage and antenna gain.

[0108] A terminal device may receive multiple SSBs, and the terminal device may use the SSB with the best signal quality among the multiple SSBs received as the SSB for determining the first system information. The signal quality may be reference signal received quality (RSRQ), reference signal received power (RSRP), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), etc.

[0109] The SSB includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the physical broadcast channel block (PBCH). The PSS and SSS are used for time and frequency synchronization between terminal devices and the cell, while the PBCH is used to carry information such as the master information block (MIB) and PBCH additional payload.

[0110] In the present application, SSB may also indicate the first search space of the first system message, for example, there is a corresponding relationship between the starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain and the index of the SSB.

[0111] For example, the starting time slot n0 of the first search space in the time domain and the index i of the SSB satisfy the following form:

[0112] Where i is the index of the SSB, μ is used to determine the subcarrier spacing; O represents the offset of the control resource set (CORESET) #0 corresponding to the SSB with index 0 relative to the starting position of the system frame where SSB #0 (i.e., the SSB with index 0) is located, in milliseconds (ms). Since 1ms contains 2 u time slots, O*2 u Indicates the number of time slots contained in O ms.

[0113] M is the interval between the search spaces of CORESET#0 corresponding to the two SSBs sent one after another, in slots. Indicates the number of time slots in a system frame. Indicates rounding down, and mod is the remainder operator.

[0114] For another example, the interval between the SSB and the first search space can be defined as Y, where Y is an integer greater than 0. Assuming the SSB index is 0 and the starting time slot of the SSB is S0, the starting time slot of the first search space is S0+1*Y. Assuming the SSB index is 1 and the starting time slot of the SSB is S1, the starting time slot of the first search space is S1+1*Y.

[0115] In another implementation, the starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain is preset or predefined. Specifically, the first search space can be defined as a fixed time-frequency position, for example, the first search space is defined as the last A symbols of a time slot. A is preset or predefined, and A is an integer greater than 0 and less than 14.

[0116] In this application, the first system message is used to configure random access-related information. The first system message can be called cell-level system information. Since the first system message carries the random access-related information required for the terminal device to initiate random access, the amount of information carried is reduced and transmission performance can be improved.

[0117] In one implementation, the first system message may include part of the information in SIB1 and part of the information in SIB19. For example, the first system message includes at least one of the following:

[0118] Random access channel occasion (RO) resource configuration information;

[0119] Second location information of the network device, for example, the second location information may be ephemeris information;

[0120] Uplink transmission common configuration, including uplink configuration common SIB (uplinkConfigCommonSIB) or bandwidth part (BWP) uplink common (BWP-UplinkCommon);

[0121] Random access channel (RACH) common configuration information (rach-ConfigCommon);

[0122] Downlink transmission common configuration, including downlink configuration common SIB (DownlinkConfigCommonSIB) or BWP downlink common (BWP-DownlinkCommon);

[0123] The SSB-related information includes at least one of the following information: the number of SSBs, the SSB period, and the SSB pattern. The SSB pattern may also be called an SSB mode or an SSB pattern.

[0124] The specific meaning and function of each of the above information are not limited in this application. For example, reference may be made to the relevant documents of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which will not be repeated here.

[0125] The terminal device may determine the time-frequency resources used to send the random access request according to the RO resource configuration information and the RACH common configuration information; the terminal device may determine the relevant information of the random access preamble according to the RACH common configuration information;

[0126] The terminal device can determine the timing advance (TA) based on the second location information of the network device, so that it can send uplink in advance according to the TA and synchronize with the uplink time on the network side.

[0127] Step 502: The network device sends a first system message in a first search space.

[0128] Correspondingly, the terminal device determines the first search space according to the SSB and receives the first system message according to the first search space.

[0129] In the present application, the network device may use a wide beam to send the first system message. Accordingly, the coverage range of the first system message is the first coverage range, and the antenna gain of the first system message is the first antenna gain.

[0130] In the present application, the network device may use a smaller bandwidth to transmit the first system message. For example, the data transmission bandwidth of the first system message is 20 resource blocks (RBs), 10 RBs, or 5 RBs. The data transmission bandwidth of the first system message may be less than or equal to 20 RBs. This can further improve the transmission performance of the first system message through power aggregation.

[0131] In this application, the first system message can support low channel coding rate transmission to improve coverage performance. For example, the channel coding rate of the first system message is greater than 0 and less than 0.2344. For example, the channel coding rate of the first system message is 0.03, 0.035, 0.04, etc.

[0132] For example, assuming that the maximum number of available RBs is 48 RBs, one RB includes 12 resource elements (REs), the number of time domain symbols is 10 symbols, the number of bits included in the first system message is 200 bits, and the channel coding rate of the first system message is: 200 bits / (48*12*10)=200 / 5760=0.035.

[0133] The terminal device may initiate a random access process according to the first system message. Specifically, step 503 may be executed.

[0134] Step 503: The terminal device sends a random access request to the network device, and the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message.

[0135] In response, the network device receives the random access request.

[0136] The random access request may be a random access preamble, and the random access preamble may also be referred to as a preamble for short.

[0137] Step 504: After receiving the random access request, the network device sends a second system message to the terminal device.

[0138] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second system message from the network device.

[0139] The second system message is used to configure cell-related information, where the cell refers to a cell of a network device. The second system message may also be referred to as regional system information or remaining system information block (SIB-R).

[0140] For example, the second system message includes at least one of the following: physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource configuration information; system information (SI) scheduling information (si-SchedulingInfo); cell selection information (cellSelectionInfo); serving cell config common; cell access related information; connection establishment failure control; international mobile subscriber (IMS) emergency call identity (IMS Emergency Support Flag); emergency call (eCall) support flag over IMS (eCall Over IMS Support Flag); UE-timer and constants; unified access control (UAC) restriction information (UAC-Barring Information); use full resume ID flag.

[0141] The specific meaning and function of each of the above information are not limited in this application. For example, you can refer to the relevant 3GPP documents, which will not be repeated here.

[0142] In one implementation, the second system message includes another part of the information of SIB1. That is, a part of the information of SIB1 is located in the first system message, and the other part of the information of SIB1 is located in the second system message.

[0143] In the present application, the network device may use a narrow beam to send the second system message. Accordingly, the coverage range of the second system message is the second coverage range, and the antenna gain of the second system message is the second antenna gain.

[0144] In one implementation, a first coverage range of the first system message is greater than a second coverage range of the second system message, and / or a first antenna gain of the first system message is less than a second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0145] For example, as shown in FIG7 , a first coverage range corresponding to a wide beam and a second coverage range corresponding to a narrow beam are illustrated respectively, and the first coverage range is larger than the second coverage range.

[0146] Because network devices have an upper limit on their transmit power, the larger the beam coverage, the smaller the antenna gain; conversely, the smaller the beam coverage, the greater the antenna gain. Therefore, although the second coverage of the second system message is smaller than the first coverage, the second antenna gain for the second system message is larger, exceeding the first antenna gain. This increases the probability of the terminal device successfully receiving the second system message, improves the transmission performance of the second system message, and enhances initial access performance.

[0147] In the present application, the specific direction in which the narrow beam is used by the network device can be determined based on the first location information of the terminal device. For example, the network device can use a narrow beam whose coverage includes the first location information of the terminal device as a narrow beam for sending the second system message. For example, if the first location information indicates that the terminal device is located in area 1, the network device can use a narrow beam whose coverage includes area 1 to send the second system message, so that the terminal device can receive the second system message in area 1. Since each narrow beam corresponds to a coverage range and antenna gain, it can be understood that the second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined based on the first location information.

[0148] The first location information of the terminal device may indicate the area where the terminal device is located, or may indicate information such as the latitude and longitude coordinates of the terminal device. The granularity of the location indicated by the first location information is not limited in this application.

[0149] This application does not limit how the network device determines the first location information. For example, in implementation method one, the terminal device carries the first location information in a random access request; or, after sending the random access request, the terminal device sends the first location information to the network device via a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); wherein the terminal device can determine the PUSCH resource through the uplink transmission common configuration in the first system message.

[0150] In this implementation, the terminal device reports the first location information during the process of sending a random access request, so the network side can obtain the first location information in advance, and thereby determine the narrow beam used to communicate with the terminal device as early as possible based on the first location information, thereby improving the link budget and information transmission performance, thereby improving the performance of the initial access process.

[0151] In a second implementation method, the network device locates the terminal device based on the random access request and determines the first location information. For example, the network device uses multiple narrow beams to receive the random access request in parallel. Based on the signal strength corresponding to the random access request received by each narrow beam, the network device determines the coverage area corresponding to the narrow beam with the highest received signal strength as the area where the terminal device is located, i.e., the first location information.

[0152] In this implementation, the network device can autonomously locate the terminal device, thereby obtaining the first location information, and thereby determining the narrow beam used to communicate with the terminal device based on the first location information as early as possible, thereby improving the link budget and information transmission performance, and thus improving the performance of the initial access process.

[0153] Furthermore, during the random access process, the network device may also use the narrow beam corresponding to the second system message to send a random access response (RAR) and message 4 to the terminal device. For example, the following steps may also be included.

[0154] Step 505: The network device sends a random access response to the terminal device.

[0155] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives a random access response.

[0156] The random access response is a message responding to the random access request.

[0157] The network device may send the random access response using the narrow beam used to send the second system message; that is, the coverage range of the random access response is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the random access response is the second antenna gain.

[0158] The execution order of step 505 and step 504 is not limited, and step 505 can also be executed before step 504. This application does not limit this.

[0159] In another implementation, step 505 and step 504 are the same step, that is, the second system message includes a random access response, which can further save signaling procedures and reduce access delay.

[0160] Step 506: The terminal device sends message 3 to the network device.

[0161] Correspondingly, the network device receives message 3.

[0162] Step 507: The network device sends message 4 to the terminal device.

[0163] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives message 4.

[0164] Message 4 may also be referred to as a contention resolution message.

[0165] The network device may send message 4 using a narrow beam for sending the second system message; that is, the coverage range of message 4 is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of message 4 is the second antenna gain.

[0166] In this application, steps 506 and 507 are optional steps. For example, if the terminal device initiates a 2-step random access, then steps 506 and 507 may not be executed. In this case, the terminal device has completed random access in step 505. For another example, if the terminal device initiates a 4-step random access, in this application, the initial access process may not include steps 506 and 507. It can be understood that the initial access process is completed when the terminal device receives the random access response. As for whether steps 506 and 507 are executed, this application does not limit it.

[0167] In one implementation, after the terminal device randomly accesses the network device, the network device can use a narrow beam to send a second system message to send downlink data to the terminal device, that is, the coverage range of the downlink data sent by the network device is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the downlink data sent by the network device is the second antenna gain.

[0168] Through the above method, the first coverage range of the first system message sent by the network device before the terminal device randomly accesses is larger, which can enable more terminal devices to obtain the information required for random access. The second antenna gain of the second system message sent after the terminal device randomly accesses is larger, thereby improving transmission performance and improving the initial access performance of the terminal device.

[0169] In the present application, the first system message may also be located in the SSB, and the first system message and the SSB are sent simultaneously, as described in detail below.

[0170] FIG8 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the method includes:

[0171] Step 801: The network device sends SSB.

[0172] Accordingly, the terminal device receives SSB.

[0173] In the present application, the network device may use a wide beam to send SSB, the coverage range of the SSB may be a first coverage range, and the antenna gain of the SSB may be a first antenna gain.

[0174] The SSB includes the PSS, SSS, and PBCH. The PBCH carries the MIB and the first system message, or the first system message is located outside the PBCH.

[0175] In this implementation, the starting position of the first system message in the time domain corresponds to the index of the SSB.

[0176] For example, the interval between the SSB and the first search space can be defined as Y, where Y is an integer greater than 0. Assuming the SSB index is 0 and the starting time slot of the SSB is S0, the starting time slot of the first search space is S0+1*Y. Assuming the SSB index is 1 and the starting time slot of the SSB is S1, the starting time slot of the first search space is S1+1*Y.

[0177] In another implementation, the starting position of the first system message in the time domain is preset or predefined. Specifically, the first search space can be defined as a fixed time-frequency position. For example, if the synchronization sequence (PSS / SSS) in the SSB occupies the first X symbols of a time slot, then the last (14-X) symbols of the time slot are occupied by the first system message.

[0178] In this application, the first system message is used to configure random access related information. For the specific content of the first system message, please refer to the description in step 501 and will not be repeated here.

[0179] In this application, the network device can use a smaller bandwidth to transmit the first system message. For example, the data transmission bandwidth of the first system message is 20 RB, 10 RB, or 5 RB. The data transmission bandwidth of the first system message can be less than or equal to 20 RB. This can achieve power aggregation and further improve the transmission performance of the first system message.

[0180] In this application, the first system message can support low channel coding rate transmission to improve coverage performance. For example, the channel coding rate of the first system message is greater than 0 and less than 0.2344. For example, the channel coding rate of the first system message is 0.03, 0.035, 0.04, etc.

[0181] The terminal device may initiate a random access process according to the first system message. Specifically, step 802 may be executed.

[0182] Step 802: The terminal device sends a random access request to the network device, and the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message in the SSB.

[0183] In response, the network device receives the random access request.

[0184] The random access request may be a random access preamble.

[0185] Step 803: After receiving the random access request, the network device sends a second system message to the terminal device.

[0186] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second system message from the network device.

[0187] The second system message is used to configure cell-related information, where the cell refers to the cell of the network device. For the specific content of the second system message, please refer to the description in step 504 and will not be repeated here.

[0188] In the present application, the network device may use a narrow beam to send the second system message. Accordingly, the coverage range of the second system message is the second coverage range, and the antenna gain of the second system message is the second antenna gain.

[0189] In one implementation, a first coverage range of the first system message is greater than a second coverage range of the second system message, and / or a first antenna gain of the first system message is less than a second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0190] In this application, the specific direction of the narrow beam used by the network device can be determined based on the first location information of the terminal device. For example, the network device can use a narrow beam whose coverage includes the first location information of the terminal device as the narrow beam for sending the second system message. Since each narrow beam corresponds to a coverage range and antenna gain, it can be understood that the second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined based on the first location information.

[0191] The first location information of the terminal device may indicate the area where the terminal device is located, or may indicate information such as the latitude and longitude coordinates of the terminal device. The granularity of the location indicated by the first location information is not limited in this application.

[0192] This application does not limit how the network device determines the first location information. For details, please refer to the description in step 504, which will not be repeated here.

[0193] Furthermore, during the random access process, the network device may also use the narrow beam corresponding to the second system message to send a random access response and message 4 to the terminal device. For details, please refer to the above steps 505 to 507, which will not be repeated here.

[0194] In another implementation, the second system message includes a random access response, which can further save signaling procedures and reduce access delay.

[0195] In another implementation, if the terminal device initiates a 2-step random access, the terminal device no longer sends message 3 and the network device no longer sends message 4. At this time, the random access is completed after the terminal device receives the random access response.

[0196] Through the above method, the network device carries the first system message via SSB before the terminal device performs random access. The first coverage of the first system message is large, which can enable more terminal devices to obtain the information required for random access. The second antenna gain of the second system message sent after the terminal device performs random access is large, thereby improving transmission performance and improving the initial access performance of the terminal device.

[0197] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or network device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0198] The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a terminal device, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal device; or the communication device can be a network device, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the network device.

[0199] As shown in Figure 9, a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a communication unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5 or Figure 8 above.

[0200] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of a terminal device:

[0201] A communication unit, configured to receive a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB from a network device;

[0202] a processing unit, configured to determine a first search space according to the SSB;

[0203] a communication unit, configured to receive a first system message according to the first search space, the first system message being used to configure random access-related information; after sending a random access request, receive a second system message from the network device, the second system message being used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request being determined according to the first system message;

[0204] The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0205] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of a network device:

[0206] a processing unit, configured to send a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) through a communication unit; the SSB indicating a first search space of a first system message; sending the first system message in the first search space; the first system message being used to configure information related to random access;

[0207] The processing unit is configured to send a second system message to the terminal device after receiving a random access request from the terminal device through the communication unit, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message;

[0208] The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0209] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of a terminal device:

[0210] a processing unit, configured to receive a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block (SSB) from a network device through a communication unit; the SSB including a first system message, wherein the first system message is used to configure information related to random access;

[0211] the processing unit being configured to receive, through the communication unit, a second system message from the network device after sending the random access request, the second system message being used to configure cell-related information; and resources corresponding to the random access request being determined according to the first system message;

[0212] The first coverage range of the SSB is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the SSB is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0213] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of a network device:

[0214] a processing unit, configured to send a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB through a communication unit; the SSB including a first system message, the first system message being used to configure information related to random access;

[0215] The processing unit is configured to send a second system message to the terminal device after receiving a random access request from the terminal device through the communication unit, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message;

[0216] The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

[0217] A more detailed description of the processing unit 910 and the communication unit 920 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0218] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Moreover, the units in the device can all be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements; or they can all be implemented in the form of hardware; or some units can be implemented in the form of software calling through processing elements, and some units can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, each unit can be a separately established processing element, or it can be integrated into a certain chip of the device. In addition, it can also be stored in the memory in the form of a program, called by a certain processing element of the device and execute the function of the unit. In addition, all or part of these units can be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. The processing element described here can also be a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each operation of the above method or each unit above can be implemented by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor element or in the form of software calling through the processing element.

[0219] In one example, the unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more digital singnal processors (DSPs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. For another example, when the unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processor that can call a program. For another example, these units can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0220] The above-mentioned receiving unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to receive signals from other chips or devices. The above-mentioned sending unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to send signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the sending unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0221] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device described in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to Figure 10, which is a structural diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1000 includes a processor 1001 and a transceiver 1002. The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1000 can be a network device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 10 only shows the main components of the communication device 1000. In addition to the processor 1001 and the transceiver 1002, the communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1003, and an input and output device (not shown in the figure).

[0222] Optionally, processor 1001 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Memory 1003 is primarily used to store software programs and data. Transceiver 1002 may include a radio frequency circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0223] Optionally, the processor 1001 , the transceiver 1002 , and the memory 1003 may be connected via a communication bus.

[0224] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1001 can read the software program in the memory 1003, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 1001 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0225] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be remotely arranged independent of the communication device.

[0226] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the above-mentioned communication device 900 may take the form of the communication device 1000 shown in FIG. 10 .

[0227] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing unit 910 in FIG9 can be implemented by the processor 1001 in the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1003. The functions / implementation process of the communication unit 920 in FIG9 can be implemented by the transceiver 1002 in the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10.

[0228] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device in the present application may adopt the structure shown in Figure 11, or include the components shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1100 provided in the present application.

[0229] As shown in FIG11 , a communication device 1100 includes at least one processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface 1102.

[0230] When the program instructions are executed in the at least one processor 1101, the communication device 1100 can implement the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs therein. Alternatively, the processor 1101 implements the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs therein through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0231] The communication interface 1102 may be used to receive program instructions and transmit them to the processor. Alternatively, the communication interface 1102 may be used for the communication device 1100 to communicate with other communication devices, such as exchanging control signaling and / or service data. Exemplarily, the communication interface 1102 may be used to receive signals from devices other than the communication device 1100 and transmit them to the processor 1101, or to send signals from the processor 1101 to other communication devices other than the communication device 1100.

[0232] Optionally, the communication interface 1102 may be a code and / or data read / write interface circuit, or the communication interface 1102 may be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver, or a pin of a chip.

[0233] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include at least one memory 1103, which may be used to store required program instructions and / or data. It should be noted that the memory 1103 may exist independently of the processor 1101 or may be integrated with the processor 1101. The memory 1103 may be located within the communication device 1100 or outside the communication device 1100, without limitation.

[0234] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a power supply circuit 1104, which may be used to supply power to the processor 1101. The power supply circuit 1104 may be located in the same chip as the processor 1101, or in another chip other than the chip where the processor 1101 is located.

[0235] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a bus, and various parts of the communication device 1100 may be interconnected via the bus.

[0236] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the communication device 900 shown in FIG. 9 may take the form of the communication device 1100 shown in FIG. 11 .

[0237] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing unit 910 in FIG9 can be implemented by the processor 1101 in the communication device 1100 shown in FIG11 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1103. The functions / implementation process of the communication unit 920 in FIG9 can be implemented by the communication interface 1102 in the communication device 1100 shown in FIG11.

[0238] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG11 does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device or network device. For example, in other embodiments of the present application, the terminal device or network device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine or split certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0239] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0240] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0241] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments of the present application are performed. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media, such as floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic tapes; optical media, such as digital video disks; or semiconductor media, such as solid-state drives. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0242] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0243] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0244] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0245] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0246] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receive a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB from a network device; determining a first search space according to the SSB, and receiving a first system message according to the first search space; The first system message is used to configure random access related information; After sending the random access request, receiving a second system message from the network device, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The second system message includes at least one of the following: physical uplink shared channel PUSCH resource configuration information; system information SI scheduling information; cell selection information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first system message includes at least one of the following: Random access channel opportunity RO resource configuration information; Second location information of the network device; Uplink transmission common configuration; RACH common configuration information; Downlink transmission common configuration; SSB related information, wherein the SSB related information includes one or more of SSB quantity, SSB period, and SSB pattern.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Before receiving the second system message, the method further includes: Sending the first location information of the terminal device to the network device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined according to the first location information.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving a random access response from the network device; The coverage range of the random access response is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the random access response is the second antenna gain.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending message 3 to the network device; Receiving a message 4 from the network device; The coverage range of the message 4 is the second coverage range, and / or the antenna gain of the message 4 is the second antenna gain.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain is preset or predefined.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: There is a corresponding relationship between the starting position of the first search space of the first system message in the time domain and the index of the SSB.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The data transmission bandwidth of the first system message is less than 20 resource blocks.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The channel coding rate of the first system message is greater than 0 and less than 0.2344.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB; the SSB indicates a first search space of a first system message; Sending the first system message in the first search space; The first system message is used to configure random access related information; After receiving a random access request from a terminal device, sending a second system message to the terminal device, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The second system message includes at least one of the following: physical uplink shared channel PUSCH resource configuration information; system information SI scheduling information; cell selection information.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The first system message includes at least one of the following: Random access channel opportunity RO resource configuration information; Second location information of the network device; Uplink transmission common configuration; RACH common configuration information; Downlink transmission common configuration; SSB related information, wherein the SSB related information includes one or more of SSB quantity, SSB period, and SSB pattern.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: Before sending the second system message, the method further includes: Receive first location information from the terminal device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: Before sending the second system message, the method further includes: The terminal device is positioned according to the random access request to determine first location information of the terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The second coverage range and / or the second antenna gain are determined according to the first location information.

18. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB from a network device; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure random access related information; After sending the random access request, receiving a second system message from the network device, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the SSB is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the SSB is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

19. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure random access related information; After receiving a random access request from a terminal device, sending a second system message to the terminal device, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A communication unit, configured to receive a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB from a network device; a processing unit, configured to determine a first search space according to the SSB; A communication unit, configured to receive a first system message according to the first search space; The first system message is used to configure random access related information; After sending the random access request, receiving a second system message from the network device, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processing unit, configured to send a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB through a communication unit; the SSB indicating a first search space of a first system message; Sending the first system message in the first search space; The first system message is used to configure random access related information; The processing unit is configured to send a second system message to the terminal device after receiving a random access request from the terminal device through the communication unit, wherein the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; and the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first The first antenna gain of the system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processing unit, configured to receive a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB from a network device through a communication unit; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure random access related information; The processing unit is configured to receive a second system message from the network device after sending the random access request through the communication unit, where the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; and the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the SSB is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the SSB is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processing unit, configured to send a synchronization signal block / synchronization signal broadcast channel block SSB through a communication unit; the SSB includes a first system message, and the first system message is used to configure random access related information; The processing unit is configured to send a second system message to the terminal device after receiving a random access request from the terminal device through the communication unit, wherein the second system message is used to configure cell-related information; and the resources corresponding to the random access request are determined according to the first system message; The first coverage range of the first system message is greater than the second coverage range of the second system message, and / or the first antenna gain of the first system message is less than the second antenna gain of the second system message.

24. A communication device, characterized in that: including a processor and a memory; The processor is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device implements the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A computer program or instruction is stored, and when the computer program or instruction is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

26. A chip, characterized in that: The chip comprises a processor, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory, so that the chip implements the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is executed.

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