Communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

A communication method, apparatus and system, which can be applied to a communication scenario comprising a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). According to the method, a terminal can select to access one of a plurality of RATs by means of one synchronization signal. Compared with the manner that a base station configures a synchronization signal for each RAT, the base station can reduce the overhead of the synchronization signals, and the complexity of detecting the synchronization signals by the terminal is also reduced.

Description

Communication method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 26, 2023, with application number 2023112717688 and invention name “Communication Method, Device and System”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the gradual evolution of communication systems, "low carbon" (e.g., reducing energy consumption) has received increasing attention in communication networks. Even if network devices don't need to transmit data, they still need to send some public information so that terminal devices can discover and access network devices.

[0004] From an energy consumption perspective, the primary technical approach is to reduce unnecessary signal transmission. When network devices don't need to transmit data, they can shut down their transmit antennas, saving energy. However, current communication systems utilize two radio access technologies: Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR). Because network devices configure and transmit common information for each technology separately, this consumes significant energy and hinders energy conservation.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method, device and system, which can reduce the overhead of the communication device and thus reduce the energy consumption of the communication device.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a chip or circuit for the terminal device. For ease of description, the method is described below using the terminal device as an example.

[0008] The method may include: a terminal device receiving a synchronization signal, the synchronization signal being associated with a first radio access technology RAT; the terminal device determining first indication information based on the synchronization signal, the first indication information indicating a second RAT, the first RAT and the second RAT being different; and the terminal device accessing the second RAT based on the first indication information.

[0009] In this method, a single set of synchronization signals can support the synchronization and access needs of terminal devices of multiple RATs. Terminal devices do not need to receive multiple sets of synchronization signals in the time domain, reducing terminal energy consumption. For communications devices transmitting synchronization signals, a single set of synchronization signals can support the synchronization and access of terminal devices of multiple RATs, reducing signaling overhead for the communications device and increasing the chances of shutting down the communications device transmitting the synchronization signal.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0011] In this way, by designing the synchronization signal of LTE or 4G, a set of synchronization signals can support the synchronization requirements and access requirements of terminal devices of multiple RATs.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization signal includes SSB.

[0013] In this way, by designing the synchronization signal of NR or 5G, a set of synchronization signals can support the synchronization and access requirements of terminal devices of multiple RATs.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information further indicates a first RAT.

[0015] In this manner, the first indication information indicates multiple RATs.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information indicates multiple RATs, and the method further includes the terminal device determining to use the second RAT for communication based on the first indication information.

[0017] In this manner, the first indication information indicates multiple RATs for the terminal device to select. For the terminal device, the terminal device can independently determine the RAT used for communication based on its own capabilities or transmission requirements.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization signal is used to determine first indication information, the first indication information indicates a second RAT, and the first RAT and the second RAT are different.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the first RAT is LTE and the second RAT is NR, the first indication information is carried in the MIB and / or SIB of LTE.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the first RAT is NR and the second RAT is the RAT corresponding to 6G, the first indication information is carried in the MIB and / or SIB of NR.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, the synchronization signal includes SSB, the number of cell physical identifiers PCI corresponding to the first RAT is 1008, and the number of PCIs corresponding to the second RAT is greater than 1008.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the terminal device receives a synchronization signal, including: the terminal device receives a synchronization signal in a first cell, and the first cell is associated with a first PCI. The method also includes: the terminal device receives second indication information, the second indication information indicates the value range to which the first PCI belongs, and determines the second PCI of the second cell accessing the second RAT based on the second indication information and the synchronization signal.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, the frequency domain resources included in the first cell are continuous in the frequency domain, and the frequency domain resources included in the second cell are discontinuous in the frequency domain.

[0024] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a chip or circuit used in the network device. For ease of description, the method is described below using the network device as an example.

[0025] The method may include: a network device sending a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is associated with the first RAT. In conjunction with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the synchronization signal is associated with the first RAT, which can be alternatively described as: the synchronization signal is synchronization information of the first RAT.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the synchronization signal indicates first indication information, the first indication information indicates the second RAT, or the synchronization signal indicates scheduling information of first public information, the first public information includes first indication information, the first indication information indicates the second RAT, and the first RAT is different from the second RAT.

[0027] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, a synchronization signal is sent in a first cell of a first RAT, and the first cell is associated with a first PCI. The method also includes: a network device sends a second indication information, the second indication information indicates the value range to which the first PCI belongs, and the first PCI and the second indication information jointly indicate the second PCI of the second cell of the second RAT.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, the synchronization signal includes SSB, the number of cell physical identifiers PCI corresponding to the first RAT is 1008, and the number of PCIs supported by the second RAT is greater than 1008.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, the frequency domain resources included in the first cell are continuous in the frequency domain; the frequency domain resources included in the second cell are discontinuous in the frequency domain.

[0030] It should be understood that the second aspect is a method on the network device side corresponding to the first aspect, and the relevant explanations, supplements and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first aspect are also applicable to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0031] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a chip or circuit for a terminal device. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a terminal device.

[0032] The method may include: a terminal device acquiring first public information, where the first public information includes time-frequency resource indication information of a random access channel RACH; the terminal device sending the RACH, and communicating using a first RAT.

[0033] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the terminal device sending the RACH and communicating using the first RAT includes: the terminal device sending the RACH, where the RACH is associated with the first RAT; or the terminal device sending the RACH and third indication information, where the third indication information indicates the first RAT.

[0034] In this method, the terminal device can implicitly indicate the RATs supported by the terminal device or the RAT selected by the terminal device when sending RACH. For example, the relationship between RACH time-frequency resources and RATs is predefined. The network device can implicitly obtain the RAT supported by the terminal device or the RAT selected by the terminal device through RACH.

[0035] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the terminal device sends the RACH and communicates using the first RAT, including: the terminal device sends the RACH and third indication information, the third indication information indicating the first RAT.

[0036] In this manner, the terminal device explicitly indicates the RAT supported by the terminal device or the RAT selected for access via the third indication information. The network device directly obtains the RAT currently supported by the terminal device or the RAT selected for access via the time-frequency resources of the RACH or the third indication information.

[0037] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the terminal device receives second public information, and the first public information and / or the second public information include time-frequency resource indication information of the RACH; the method further includes: the terminal device determines the RACH based on the first public information and / or the second public information.

[0038] Optionally, the first public information includes all time-frequency resource indication information of RACH, or the second public information includes all time-frequency resource indication information of RACH, or the first public information and the second public information respectively include part of the time-frequency resource indication information of RACH.

[0039] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the third indication information is carried in a radio resource control connection request message Msg3.

[0040] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a chip or circuit used in the network device. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a network device.

[0041] The method may include: a network device sending first public information, where the first public information includes time-frequency resource indication information of a RACH; receiving the RACH, where the RACH is associated with a first RAT; or, the network device receiving the RACH and third indication information, where the third indication information indicates the first RAT.

[0042] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, second public information is sent, and the first public information and / or the second public information includes time-frequency resource indication information of the RACH.

[0043] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the third indication information is carried in Msg3.

[0044] It should be understood that the fourth aspect is a method on the network device side corresponding to the third aspect, and the relevant explanations, supplements and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the third aspect are also applicable to the fourth aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0045] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The transceiver module can be used to receive a synchronization signal, which is associated with a first RAT. The processing module is used to determine first indication information based on the synchronization signal, and the first indication information indicates a second RAT; the processing module is used to access the first RAT based on the first indication information.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is used to send a synchronization signal, and the synchronization signal is associated with a first RAT.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is used to receive first public information, where the first public information includes RACH-associated time-frequency resource indication information, and the RACH is associated with a first RAT. The transceiver module is used to send the RACH; or, the transceiver module is used to send the RACH and third indication information, where the third indication information indicates the first RAT.

[0048] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a transceiver module and a processing module, the transceiver module being used to send first public information, the first public information including RACH-associated time-frequency resource indication information, the RACH being associated with a RAT, the transceiver module being used to receive the RACH; alternatively, the transceiver module being used to receive the RACH and third indication information, the third indication information indicating the first RAT.

[0049] It should be understood that the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth aspects are implementation methods on the device side corresponding to the first, second, third and fourth aspects respectively. The relevant explanations, supplements, possible implementation methods and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first, second, third and fourth aspects are also applicable to the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth aspects respectively, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver module in the fifth aspect or the seventh aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing module in the fifth aspect or the seventh aspect.

[0051] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver module in the sixth aspect or the eighth aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing module in the sixth aspect or the eighth aspect.

[0052] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution on a terminal device, the program code including instructions for executing the method of the first aspect or the third aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect or the third aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect or the third aspect.

[0053] In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution by a network device, the program code including instructions for executing the method of the second aspect or the fourth aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect or the fourth aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0054] In the thirteenth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or third aspect, or any possible manner of the first aspect or third aspect, or all possible manners of the first aspect or third aspect.

[0055] In the fourteenth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or fourth aspect, or any possible manner of the second aspect or fourth aspect, or all possible manners of the second aspect or fourth aspect.

[0056] In the fifteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a device having a method for implementing the above-mentioned first aspect or third aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect or third aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect or third aspect, and various possible designed functions, and a device having the second aspect or fourth aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect or fourth aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect or fourth aspect, and various possible designed functions.

[0057] In the sixteenth aspect, a processor is provided for coupling with a memory, for executing the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or third aspect, or any possible manner of the first aspect or third aspect, or all possible manners of the first aspect or third aspect.

[0058] In the seventeenth aspect, a processor is provided for coupling with a memory, for executing the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or fourth aspect, or any possible manner of the second aspect or fourth aspect, or all possible manners of the second aspect or fourth aspect.

[0059] In an eighteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and a memory configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip system implements the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects, and any possible implementation of any one of the aspects. The chip system may be composed of a chip alone, or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0060] In the nineteenth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or third aspect, or any possible manner of the first aspect or third aspect, or all possible implementation manners of the first aspect or third aspect.

[0061] In the twentieth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or fourth aspect, or any possible manner of the second aspect or fourth aspect, or all possible implementation manners of the second aspect or fourth aspect.

[0062] In aspect 21, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one communication device as described in aspect 5 and / or at least one communication device as described in aspect 6, wherein the communication system is used to implement the above-mentioned first aspect or second aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect or second aspect, or all possible implementation methods in the first aspect or second aspect.

[0063] In aspect 22, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one communication device as described in aspect 7 and at least one communication device as described in aspect 8, wherein the communication system is used to implement the above-mentioned third aspect or fourth aspect, or any possible method of the third aspect or fourth aspect, or all possible implementation methods of the third aspect or fourth aspect.

[0064] In the twenty-third aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a network device sends a synchronization signal to a terminal device, the synchronization signal is associated with a first radio access technology RAT, the terminal device receives the synchronization signal, and determines first indication information based on the synchronization signal, the first indication information indicates a second RAT, and the first RAT and the second RAT are different; accessing the second RAT based on the first indication information.

[0065] In the twenty-fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, including: a network device sends first public information to a terminal device, the first public information including time-frequency resource indication information of RACH, the RACH is associated with a first RAT, and the terminal device sends the RACH to the network device; or, the terminal device sends the RACH and third indication information to the network device, the third indication information indicating the first RAT. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG1 shows a system architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0067] FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of an SSB.

[0068] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of a synchronization signal.

[0069] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of time domain resources occupied by synchronization signals under LTE and NR.

[0070] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method proposed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of another communication method proposed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0072] FIG7 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0073] FIG8 shows a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, wherein the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1 , collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1 ).

[0076] Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be connected to each other via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in RAN 100 may be independent and distinct physical devices, or they may be a single physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes. Communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300.

[0077] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or a WiFi system. RAN100 can also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0078] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, facilitates wireless access to a communication system for terminals. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, 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 WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station, or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), a relay node, or a donor node. In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can be used to facilitate wireless access for terminals, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functionality. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, and can also implement the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, and can also implement some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The RU is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: the CU-control plane and the CU-user plane.

[0079] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node may be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the RAN node. For ease of description, the following description takes a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0080] A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), terminal device, mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home appliance, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal. For the convenience of description, the following description takes the terminal as an example.

[0081] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0082] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0083] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0085] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to wireless communications between communication devices. Wireless communications between communication devices may include: wireless communications between network devices and terminals, wireless communications between network devices, and wireless communications between terminal devices. In the embodiments of this application, the term "wireless communications" may also be referred to as "communication," which may also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0086] In order to facilitate understanding of the solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant concepts are explained.

[0087] 1. Radio access technology (RAT)

[0088] RAT is the technology used by the air interface of a wireless communication network, sometimes also referred to as a wireless communication technology or wireless communication standard, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), NR, and 6G.

[0089] In this application, NR is used as an example of a RAT for a 5G mobile communication network, LTE is used as an example of a RAT for a 4G mobile communication network, and 6G is used as the name of a RAT for a 6G mobile communication network. It is understood that the RAT for a 6G mobile communication network may be presented with other names in the future.

[0090] The following is a unified explanation of the differences between LTE, NR and 6G.

[0091] LTE supports one subcarrier spacing. Each cell of LTE and NR consists of continuous frequency resources, while NR supports multiple subcarrier spacings, which means that the NR subcarrier spacing can be flexibly configured. For example, the subcarrier spacing of NR can be 15kHz, 30kHz, or 60kHz. The number of PCIs of LTE is 504, while the number of PCIs of NR is 1008. For 6G, some possible designs are that the number of PCIs of 6G is greater than that of NR, the cells included in 6G may be discontinuous in the frequency domain, or 6G supports non-continuous frequency domain resources (such as non-continuous bandwidth), or 6G supports scheduling data on discrete frequency domain resources, or discrete frequency domain resources can constitute a cell of 6G. That is, the number of PCIs of 6G is greater than 1008, and one or more cells of 6G (such as the second cell) can be composed of multiple frequency domain resources with intervals. NR cells (such as the first cell) are continuous in the frequency domain, or NR supports continuous frequency domain resources (such as continuous bandwidth), or NR supports scheduling data on continuous frequency domain resources, or continuous frequency domain resources can constitute an NR cell. In summary, different RATs may have different subcarrier spacing configurations, PCI numbers, and frequency domain resource continuities.

[0092] It should be understood that LTE, NR, and 6G are used as examples of different RATs in this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The solution of this application can also be applied to other RATs, such as the RAT corresponding to 5.5G.

[0093] 2. Public Information

[0094] Public information, which may also be referred to as public information or non-dedicated information, may be understood as information sent by one communication device to multiple communication devices. Taking the communication system shown in FIG1 as an example, public information may be understood as information sent by a base station to multiple terminals or a terminal group in a cell, or as information sent by a base station to an unspecified terminal or terminal group in a cell, or as information that can be used in common by multiple terminals or a terminal group in a cell. For example, public information may be system information block (SIB), synchronization signal or PBCH block (SSB), etc.

[0095] 3. Common mode

[0096] Signals from different RATs are transmitted through the same hardware, which is called common mode. The scenario where communication is done in common mode is called a common mode scenario.

[0097] For example, one form of common-mode scenario is that the base station (or terminal) supports both LTE and NR, and the base station uses the same RF channel to send NR signals and LTE signals.

[0098] 4.NR synchronization signal

[0099] In the NR system, terminal devices synchronize with the base station via SSB. SSB can be used for terminal access to the cell, such as cell search, beam measurement, beam selection, and beam recovery. In NR, SSB includes synchronization signals and broadcast signals. Specifically, synchronization signals include the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS); broadcast signals include PBCH.

[0100] Specifically, Figure 2 shows an example of the time-frequency domain structure of SSB in NR. SSB occupies 4 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain and 20 resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain, that is, 240 subcarriers (SCs).

[0101] The NR SSB has two main functions: 1) for cell synchronization and acquisition of master information block (MIB), where MIB can be carried by PBCH; 2) for beam training.

[0102] 1) Cell synchronization: The PSS and SSS carry the cell physical identifier (PCI). The terminal obtains the PCI by detecting the PSS and SSS. In NR, the PBCH of the SSB carries an SSB index. Each SSB index corresponds to the transmission location of an SSB. The terminal can complete downlink timing synchronization by detecting the SSB index and the detection time.

[0103] 2) Used for beam training: Beam training is also commonly referred to as beam alignment or beam selection. Beam training uses simulated transmit beams and receive beams to detect the channel, and looks for the transmit and receive beam combination with the largest received signal energy, that is, the beam pair that is most suitable for the channel transmission, thereby avoiding direct estimation of the air interface channel. For example, an SSB pattern may contain multiple SSB indices, and different SSB indices may correspond to different base station transmit beams. The UE can detect the SSB and select the best SSB index, such as SSB index 1, to complete wide beam training. At the same time, the UE can also use multiple receive beams to receive an SSB index 1 with different receive beams, and select the best receive beam, such as receive beam 2, to complete the UE-side receive beam training. The functions of this base station wide beam include: 1) The UE improves the coverage of SIB1 / Paging by receiving SIB1 / Paging sent by beam 2 at the position corresponding to SSB index 1; 2) The UE sends the physical random access channel (PRACH) at the position corresponding to SSB index 1, and the base station can use the same wide beam it uses to send SSB index 1 to receive PRACH, thereby increasing the probability of successful PRACH reception; 3) After the UE completes initial access and establishes a radio resource control (RRC) connection, the base station can perform fine beam training based on the wide beam (receive beam 2), that is, only train the fine beams within the range of receive beam 2, thereby reducing the overhead of fine beam training.

[0104] In addition, the terminal needs to blindly detect the position of the SSB. However, since the cell bandwidth in NR is very wide, if the terminal tries to detect the SSB at every frequency point, the terminal access speed will be very slow. Therefore, a synchronization raster is defined in the NR protocol to determine the frequency position of the candidate SSB. In other words, the terminal only needs to try to detect the SSB at the frequency domain position determined by the synchronization raster, thereby improving the speed at which the terminal detects the SSB. The interval between two adjacent frequency domain positions determined by the synchronization raster has different sizes in different frequency bands, namely 1200kHz, 1.44MHz and 17.28MHz. For example, as shown in Table 1: the terminal only needs to detect the SSB at the frequency domain position determined by the synchronization raster. REF It is sufficient to detect SSB at the determined frequency, rather than at all frequencies. REF The calculated result represents the center frequency of SSB. Combined with the fact that SSB contains 4 continuous symbols in the time domain, it occupies 20 RBs in the frequency domain, which is SS REF The calculated position is the location where the resource element (RE) in the 10th RB in the SSB is equal to 0.

[0105] Table 1 GSCN parameters for the global frequency raster

[0106] In Table 1, SS REF Indicates the center frequency of SSB, and GSCN stands for Global Synchronization Channel Number.

[0107] The frequency domain position of the SSB can be determined according to the synchronization grid, and the time domain position of the SSB can be determined according to the SSB pattern. For example, an SSB pattern represents the time domain position of a group of consecutive SSBs in a half-frame.

[0108] 5. LTE synchronization signal

[0109] Similar to the NR system, the LTE PBCH also carries the MIB, but the difference lies in the specific information content of the MIB. The information carried by the LTE PBCH can be used for terminal synchronization.

[0110] The LTE MIB is used by terminals to obtain basic cell configuration information, primarily including downlink system bandwidth, physical HARQ indicator channel (PHICH) configuration, and system frame number (SFN). The PBCH, which carries the MIB, is located in the time domain on the first four OFDM symbols of the second slot of subframe 0 of each system frame. In LTE, a subframe is divided into two slots, meaning each slot is 0.5 ms long.

[0111] Specifically, as shown in (a) of FIG3 , the PBCH may occupy the first four symbols of the second time slot of subframe 0, such as the four symbols indexed as 0, 1, 2, and 3.

[0112] The functions of the PSS and SSS in LTE are similar to those of the PSS and SSS in NR. However, unlike in NR, the PSS and SSS in LTE are not transmitted as a block; instead, they are transmitted separately. Their main functions are: 1) achieving frequency and symbol synchronization with the cell (downlink synchronization); 2) obtaining system frame timing, i.e., the starting position of the downlink frame; and 3) determining the cell's PCI.

[0113] For example, as shown in (b) in Figure 3, for frequency division duplex (FDD), the PSS is sent on the last OFDM symbol of the first slot of subframe 5; the SSS and PSS are sent in the same slot in the same subframe, but the SSS is located on the second-to-last OFDM symbol, one OFDM symbol earlier than the PSS.

[0114] As shown in (c) of FIG3 , for time division duplex (TDD), the PSS is sent on the third OFDM symbol of subframes 1 and 6; and the SSS is sent on the last OFDM symbol of subframes 0 and 5, 3 symbols earlier than the PSS.

[0115] In addition, in LTE, a total of 504 different PCIs are defined, each PCI corresponds to a specific downlink reference signal sequence. All PCIs are divided into 168 groups (corresponding to variables The value range is 0 to 167), each group contains 3 cell IDs (corresponding to variables The value range is 0 to 2). The PCI can be determined by referring to the following relationship:

[0116] in, The cell identifier PCI.

[0117] The synchronization signal is introduced above. The following is an example introduction of two types of public information.

[0118] 6.SIB1

[0119] SIB1 is carried on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). The time-frequency position and transmission parameters of the PDSCH carrying SIB1 are indicated by downlink control information (DCI). The DCI corresponding to SIB1 is jointly determined by CORESET and common search space 0 (CSS0, also known as searchSpaceZero). In addition, the beam used by the base station to send SIB1 is the same as the beam of the SSB at the time-frequency position of the DCI indicating the scheduling of SIB1. Correspondingly, the beam used by the terminal to receive SIB1 is the same as the beam of the SSB at the time-frequency position of the DCI indicating the scheduling of SIB1.

[0120] SIB1 can also be considered the remaining minimum system information (RMSI). It can also be considered the first system message sent after the MIB. Alternatively, SIB1 can be considered a system message that includes the time-frequency resource indication information of the RACH. Alternatively, it can be considered the information carried in the PDSCH scheduled by the PDCCH determined by CORESET 0 and CSS0. SIB1 contains parameters used to determine whether a cell is suitable for cell selection, as well as time domain scheduling information from other SIBs.

[0121] As can be seen from the above, the synchronization signals of LTE and NR are different. For example, the resource positions occupied by the synchronization signals of the two RATs in the time domain are different. In addition, for a terminal that can only support one RAT, the terminal can only detect the synchronization signal corresponding to the RAT supported by the terminal. For example, a terminal that supports NR receives SSB and obtains public information such as MIB, SIB1, etc. based on the SSB. The terminal then accesses the network based on this public information. A terminal that supports LTE receives PSS / SSS and obtains public information such as MIB, SIB1, etc. based on the PSS / SSS. The terminal then accesses the network based on this public information.

[0122] For terminals that can support multiple RATs, the terminals can identify the synchronization signals of different RATs. Different RATs use different physical layer protocols and signal parameters, so the terminal needs to identify and decode the corresponding synchronization signals, thereby detecting and decoding these synchronization signals according to the corresponding RAT specifications to synchronize with the base station and communicate. During the search process, the terminal scans different frequency bands and attempts to decode the detected synchronization signals to determine the available RAT and access the network through the corresponding RAT. From the above introduction, it can be seen that in order to maintain basic communication functions (such as synchronization, cell discovery, etc.), even if there is no data transmission, the base station still needs to frequently send some public signaling. For example, the base station sends LTE synchronization signals and NR synchronization signals respectively, so that terminals that support NR can access the NR network and terminals that support LTE can access the LTE network. Alternatively, for terminals that support both LTE and NR, the terminal needs to access the NR network based on the NR synchronization signal and access the LTE network based on the LTE synchronization signal.

[0123] However, the time domain resources for different signals are configured independently, and the overlap rate of time-frequency resources is low. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of common information. The horizontal axis represents the time domain, and the vertical axis represents the frequency domain. The first row in the figure shows the distribution of LTE common information in the time domain, and the second row shows the distribution of NR common information in the time domain. The base station needs to send two different sets of common information to indicate different RATs, which results in high overhead. In addition, the base station can only shut down the transmitting antenna when there is no signal transmission from different RATs. This results in fewer opportunities for the base station to shut down and higher power consumption.

[0124] It should be understood that the above examples use NR and LTE as examples of different RATs. This issue may also exist between other RATs, or between new RATs proposed in future technological developments. Specifically, when common information in different RATs, such as synchronization signals, has low overlap in the time domain, there may be a problem of fewer base station shutdown opportunities and higher base station power consumption.

[0125] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method that can increase the base station shutdown opportunities and reduce the base station energy consumption.

[0126] In this embodiment, 6G refers to the RAT of the next generation communication technology based on 5G. The following detailed description uses 6G, LTE, and NR as examples. It should be noted that other different RATs may also be applicable to the solution of this application and should be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0127] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 500 may include the following steps.

[0128] 501. The base station sends a synchronization signal to the terminal, and correspondingly, the terminal receives the synchronization signal.

[0129] The synchronization signal is associated with the first RAT, or in other words, the synchronization signal is a synchronization signal of the first RAT.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the synchronization signal is associated with the first RAT through a format (or structure, standard). For example, if the synchronization signal is a synchronization signal in NR, then the synchronization signal is associated with NR. Alternatively, if the format of the synchronization signal is the same as the format of the synchronization signal in NR, then the synchronization signal is associated with NR. For example, if the time-frequency resources occupied by the synchronization signal are the same as the time-frequency resources occupied by SSB in Figure 2, then the synchronization signal is associated with NR, or it can be said that the synchronization signal is a synchronization signal in NR.

[0131] The following describes how the synchronization signal is associated with the first RAT for several common mode scenarios.

[0132] Case 1: For the scenario of LTE and NR common mode, the synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS. For example, PSS is the PSS in LTE, and SSS is the SSS in LTE, that is, the synchronization signal follows the structure of PSS and SSS in LTE, or in other words, the first RAT associated with the synchronization signal is LTE. In this example, the synchronization signal may also include PBCH in LTE. The structure of PSS, SSS and PBCH in LTE can refer to the relevant description of the synchronization signal in LTE in the previous article. I will not go into details here.

[0133] Case 2: For the NR and 6G common mode scenario, the synchronization signal is SSB. For example, the SSB is the SSB in NR, that is, the first SSB follows the structure of the SSB in NR, and the first RAT associated with the SSB is NR. The structure of the SSB in NR can be referred to in the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0134] Case 3: For the scenario of LTE and 6G common mode, the synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS. For example, PSS is the PSS in LTE, and SSS is the SSS in LTE, that is, the synchronization signal follows the structure of PSS and SSS in LTE, or in other words, the first RAT associated with the synchronization signal is LTE. In this example, the synchronization signal can also include PBCH in LTE. The structure of PSS, SSS and PBCH in LTE can all refer to the relevant description of the synchronization signal in LTE in the previous article. I will not go into details here.

[0135] It should be understood that the terminal receiving the synchronization signal in this step can also be understood as the terminal detecting the synchronization signal. Where it is mentioned below that the terminal receives the synchronization signal, it can be replaced by the terminal detecting the synchronization signal.

[0136] In the above-mentioned possible situations, in the common mode scenario, the base station sends a synchronization signal of a lower version of RAT to the terminal. The terminal can use a higher RAT to communicate based on the synchronization signal of the lower version of RAT. This method has good backward compatibility. For example, assuming that in the LTE and 6G common mode scenario, if the base station sends a 6G synchronization signal, the terminal that only supports the LTE synchronization signal cannot obtain public information through the synchronization signal sent by the base station. Through the method of the above-mentioned situation 3, by designing that the terminal that supports 6G can access the network through the LTE synchronization signal, the terminal that only supports LTE can be enabled to detect and parse the synchronization signal, avoiding communication abnormalities.

[0137] 502. The terminal determines first indication information based on the synchronization signal.

[0138] The first indication information indicates a second RAT, and the second RAT is different from the first RAT.

[0139] In a possible implementation, the terminal detects a synchronization signal and obtains first indication information, where the first indication information indicates the second RAT.

[0140] For example, the terminal needs to detect a synchronization signal to obtain public information, and the first indication information is carried in the public information.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the terminal detects a synchronization signal, such as an SSB, and obtains CORESET0 and CSS0 based on the MIB in the SSB to determine the frequency and time domain locations where the DCI for scheduling SIB1 is received. The DCI indicates the time-frequency location and transmission parameters of the PDSCH carrying SIB1. The terminal receives the PDSCH based on the DCI to obtain SIB1.

[0142] In other words, the base station indicates multiple RATs supported by the current network through the synchronization signal and the public information indicated by the synchronization signal. For example, the base station implicitly indicates one RAT in step 501 and explicitly indicates another RAT through the public information in step 502.

[0143] The following describes in detail the SIB as an example of public information. The terminal obtains the SIB according to the synchronization signal. The first indication information is carried in SIB1. For example, the first indication information is a field in the SIB. A state value of the field indicates the first RAT.

[0144] In one possible manner, the first indication information may further indicate the first RAT. That is, the first indication information may indicate multiple RATs. For example, the first indication information is a field in the SIB, and different status values ​​of the field indicate different RATs. For example, the first indication information occupies 2 bits, and a status value of 00 for the 2 bits indicates LTE, a status value of 01 for the 2 bits indicates NR, and a status value of 10 for the 2 bits indicates 6G. For example, the first indication information is 1 bit, and a status value of 0 for the 1 bit indicates LTE, and a status value of 1 for the 1 bit indicates NR. For example, the first indication information is 1 bit, and a status value of 0 for the 1 bit indicates NR, and a status value of 1 for the 1 bit indicates 6G.

[0145] The method for the terminal to detect the synchronization signal and obtain SIB1 can be referred to the above introduction.

[0146] It should be understood that the above description uses the example of the synchronization signal and common information indicating different RATs. However, the synchronization signal and common signal may also indicate the same RAT. For example, the synchronization signal is a synchronization signal of a first RAT, and the first indication information indicates the first RAT. In other words, the second RAT is the same as the first RAT. In this manner, the base station indicates to the terminal that the current network only supports the first RAT.

[0147] The following describes the common information in several common mode situations.

[0148] Case A: In the LTE and NR co-mode scenario, the terminal detects the LTE synchronization signal to determine the common information. The first indication information carried in this common information indicates NR. In other words, in this scenario, the common information follows the design in LTE and is one or more items in the LTE MIB, SIB1, or SIBx. SIBx represents one or more system messages other than SIB1.

[0149] Case B: For the NR and 6G co-mode scenario, the terminal detects the NR synchronization signal to determine the public information. The first indication information carried in the public information indicates 6G. In other words, the public information follows the design in NR and is one or more items of MIB, SIB1, or SIBx in NR. Among them, SIBx represents a system message other than SIB1.

[0150] Case C: In the LTE and 6G co-mode scenario, the terminal detects the LTE synchronization signal to determine the common information. The first indication information carried in the common information indicates 6G. In other words, in this scenario, the common information follows the design in LTE and is one or more items of MIB, SIB1, or SIBx in LTE. Among them, SIBx represents one or more system messages other than SIB1.

[0151] It should be noted that the common information in Case A, Case B, and Case C may be different. For example, in Case A, the first indication information is carried in the first MIB, in Case B, the first indication information is carried in the second MIB, and in Case C, the first indication information is carried in the third MIB. The first MIB, the second MIB, and the third MIB occupy different time domain resources.

[0152] In actual communication, the terminal needs to access the network through a certain cell, that is, the terminal needs to obtain the PCI of the cell during the process of accessing the network. In NR, the sequence of SSB is associated with PCI, and the terminal can determine the PCI corresponding to the SSB sequence from 1008 PCIs based on the SSB sequence. However, for 6G, the number of PCIs may be greater, that is, when the number of PCIs is greater than 1008, therefore, for the scenario where the first RAT is NR and the second RAT is 6G, this application provides a method for determining PCI. The following is a detailed description.

[0153] The terminal receives a synchronization signal in a first cell, and the first cell is associated with a first PCI. The association method between the first cell and the first PCI can refer to the association relationship between the SSB sequence and the PCI in the NR. Furthermore, the terminal receives second indication information in the first cell, and the second indication information indicates a value range to which the first PCI belongs. The terminal determines a second PCI of a second cell of a second RAT based on the second indication information and the synchronization signal.

[0154] For example, the second indication information is a 1-bit field. When the second indication information value is 0, the PCI value range is 0-1007. When the second indication information value is 1, the PCI value range is 1008-2015. The terminal determines the value range of the first PCI based on the second indication information. Specifically, if the second indication information value is 1 and the terminal determines that the first PCI is 5 based on the synchronization signal, then the second PCI is 5+1008.

[0155] In addition, the correspondence between the value of the second indication information and the meaning it represents may be predefined, and may be configured by the base station through signaling.

[0156] 503. The terminal accesses the second RAT based on the first indication information.

[0157] Specifically, the terminal accesses the second RAT, which may be that the terminal sends a RACH of the second RAT, or the terminal receives a paging call of the second RAT.

[0158] In the method shown in Figure 5, a set of synchronization signals allows a terminal to select one of two or more RATs. Compared to independently configuring synchronization signals for each RAT, the base station can reduce signaling overhead and increase the chances of shutting down the transmit antenna, which helps save energy.

[0159] The embodiment of the present application also proposes a communication method, which enables the base station to obtain the RAT supported by the terminal, further improving communication efficiency.

[0160] In this solution, the communication system includes at least two terminals. The following description uses terminal #A and terminal #B as examples. Terminal #A and terminal #B each support different RATs. For example, terminal #A supports LTE and terminal #B supports NR, or terminal #A supports NR and terminal #B supports 6G, or both terminal #A and terminal #B support multiple RATs but can access different RATs. For ease of description, the following embodiments use the example of terminal #A supporting 6G and terminal #B supporting NR.

[0161] Among them, accessing the RAT can be understood as using the RAT for communication. For example, the process of random access of the terminal can be referred to, which is not described here.

[0162] The following takes terminal #A as an example of a terminal device.

[0163] As shown in FIG6 , the method may include the following steps:

[0164] Optionally, 601, the base station sends a synchronization signal to terminal #A, and correspondingly, terminal #A receives the synchronization signal.

[0165] Specifically, this synchronization signal is used for downlink synchronization. The method for receiving the synchronization signal by Terminal #A can be described above and will not be repeated here. Alternatively, Terminal #A can be one of multiple terminals. For example, the base station can send synchronization signals to Terminal #A and Terminal #B, and Terminal #A and Terminal #B receive the same synchronization signal. This means that the base station supports both RATs but only sends one set of synchronization signals. This reduces base station power consumption.

[0166] 602. The base station sends first public information to terminal #A. Correspondingly, terminal #A receives the first public information.

[0167] The first public information includes time-frequency resource indication information of a random access channel (RACH). In other words, the first public information includes time-frequency resource indication information of the RACH.

[0168] In one possible manner, the public information received by terminal #A is the same as the public information received by terminal #B. For example, the first public information is SIB1. The SIB1 can carry the time-frequency resource indication information of RACH. Terminal #A that supports 6G can receive the same SIB1 as terminal #B that supports NR. In a possible implementation, there may be functional information in 6G that NR does not have. Therefore, optionally, terminal #A can also detect other public information, such as the second public information. The second public information carries functional information that NR does not have. For example, the second public information is SIBx.

[0169] Optionally, the time-frequency resource indication information of the RACH can be indicated by the first public information, or by the second public information, or by the combination of the first public information and the second public information. That is, terminal #A can determine the time-frequency resources of the RACH based on the first public information and / or the second public information.

[0170] In another possible approach, the public information received by terminal #A is different from the public information received by terminal #B. That is, terminals supporting different RATs receive different public information. For example, terminal #A receives first public information, and terminal #B receives third public information. The first public information and the third public information differ. This difference may be in the content of the first and third public information, and / or in the time-frequency resources occupied by the first and third public information.

[0171] 603. Terminal #A sends a first RACH to the base station.

[0172] Example 1: Terminal #A sends a first RACH to the base station based on the first public information. The RACH is associated with the first RAT, or in other words, the RACH is the RACH of the first RAT. The first RAT is a RAT supported by Terminal #A, and Terminal #A selects the RAT to access.

[0173] When terminal #A sends a first RACH to the base station, the base station determines the RAT supported by terminal #A based on the first RACH and the association between the first RACH and the RAT. It should be understood that the association between the first RACH and the corresponding first RAT can be preset or configured. Terminal #B can also send a RACH based on the first common information. Alternatively, terminal #B can send a RACH based on the third common information. The RACHs sent by terminal #A and terminal #B can be the same or different.

[0174] In this mode, the RACH is associated with the first RAT, and the terminal implicitly indicates the first RAT through the RACH. For example, the RACH resources are associated with the first RAT. These resources can be at least one of time domain resources, frequency domain resources, or code resources, and the code resources can be sequences. For example, the association between the sequence used by the RACH and the RAT is predefined or configured. The base station learns the first RAT through the RACH sequence.

[0175] In Example 2, terminal #A sends a first RACH and third indication information to the base station. The third indication information indicates the RATs supported by terminal #A, or the third information indicates the RAT selected for access by terminal #A. Terminal #B may also send indication information to the base station, such as fourth indication information, indicating the RATs supported by terminal #B, or indicating the RAT selected for access by terminal #B.

[0176] In this manner, terminal #A explicitly indicates the first RAT through the first indication information. The base station can determine the first RAT through the third indication information.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the third indication information may be a radio resource control connection request message (RRCConnectionRequest), namely Msg3. In other words, terminal #A reports the first RAT supported in Msg3. Alternatively, the third indication information may be sent separately.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the terminal also reports its identifier (e.g., ID) to the base station, allowing the base station to clearly identify the RAT supported or selected by the terminal. For example, terminal #A reports ID #A to the base station and reports that the selected RAT is NR. Terminal #B reports ID #B to the base station and reports that the selected RAT is LTE. The base station determines that the terminal with ID #A uses NR communication and the terminal with ID #B uses LTE communication, and issues configurations based on the corresponding RATs.

[0179] In this method, multiple terminals in a communication network, which may support multiple RATs, report to the base station the RATs they support or choose to access. The base station can then align these with the current communication needs of the terminals. The common information sent by the base station does not need to distinguish between RATs, which helps the base station save energy.

[0180] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0181] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal or base station in the above-mentioned method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be the base station 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal or base station.

[0182] As shown in Figure 7, a communication device 700 includes a processing unit 710 and a transceiver unit 720. The communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of a terminal or a base station in the method embodiment shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6.

[0183] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4: the transceiver unit 720 is used to receive the synchronization signal; the processing unit 710 is used to determine the public information #A based on the synchronization signal; the processing unit 710 is also used to access the second RAT based on the synchronization signal.

[0184] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the base station in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 : the transceiver unit 720 is used to send a synchronization signal.

[0185] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the base station in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6: the transceiver unit 720 is used to send a synchronization signal; the transceiver unit 720 is used to send the first public information; the transceiver unit 720 is used to send the first public information; the transceiver unit 720 is used to receive the third indication information; the transceiver unit 720 can also be used to send Msg3.

[0186] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6: the transceiver unit 720 is used to receive the synchronization signal; the transceiver unit 720 is used to receive the first public information; the transceiver unit 720 is used to receive the first public information; the transceiver unit 720 is used to send the third indication information; the transceiver unit 720 can also be used to receive Msg3.

[0187] A more detailed description of the processing unit 710 and the transceiver unit 720 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0188] As shown in Figure 8, communication device 800 includes a processor 810 and an interface circuit 820. Processor 810 and interface circuit 820 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that interface circuit 820 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 800 may further include a memory 830 for storing instructions executed by processor 810, input data required by processor 810 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 810 executes instructions.

[0189] When the communication device 800 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6 , the processor 810 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 710 , and the interface circuit 820 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 720 .

[0190] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station.

[0191] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The base station module receives information from other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or the base station module sends information to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal. The base station module here can be the baseband chip of the base station, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0192] 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.

[0193] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, 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. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0194] 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. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a base station, a user equipment, 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 medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0195] 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.

[0196] Depending on whether it is used in the specification, it is optional: In this application, "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. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0197] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is associated with a first radio access technology RAT; Determine first indication information according to the synchronization signal, where the first indication information indicates a second RAT, and the second RAT is different from the first RAT; Access the second RAT based on the first indication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronization signal includes a primary synchronization signal PSS and / or a secondary synchronization signal SSS, or the synchronization signal includes a synchronization signal block SSB.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first indication information further indicates the first RAT.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that When the first RAT is NR and the second RAT is 6G, the first indication information is carried in the main system block MIB.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first RAT is the new wireless NR, the second RAT is 6G, the synchronization signal includes SSB, the number of physical cell identifiers PCIs corresponding to the first RAT is 1008, and the number of PCIs corresponding to the second RAT is greater than 1008.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The receiving synchronization signal comprises: receiving a synchronization signal in a first cell of a first RAT, the first cell being associated with a first PCI, The method further comprises: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information indicates a value range to which the first PCI belongs, Determine a second PCI of a second cell accessing the second RAT according to the second indication information and the synchronization signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, The frequency domain resources included in the first cell are continuous in the frequency domain; The frequency domain resources included in the second cell are discontinuous in the frequency domain.

8. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is associated with a first RAT, wherein: The synchronization signal indicates first indication information, and the first indication information indicates a second RAT, or The synchronization signal indicates scheduling information of first public information, the first public information includes first indication information, and the first indication information indicates a second RAT, The first RAT is different from the second RAT.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The synchronization signal includes PSS and / or SSS, or the synchronization signal includes SSB.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, characterized in that When the first RAT is NR and the second RAT is 6G, The synchronization signal indicates first indication information, and the first indication information is carried in the MIB; Alternatively, the synchronization signal indicates scheduling information of first public information, the first public information is SIB, and the first indication information is carried in the SIB.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that The first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, the synchronization signal includes SSB, the number of cell physical identifiers PCI corresponding to the first RAT is 1008, and the number of PCIs supported by the second RAT is greater than 1008.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that The sending of the synchronization signal comprises: sending the synchronization signal in a first cell of a first RAT, wherein the first cell is associated with a first PCI, The method further comprises: Send second indication information, where the second indication information indicates a value range to which the first PCI belongs, and the second indication information and the first PCI jointly indicate a second PCI of a second cell of the second RAT.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first RAT is NR, the second RAT is 6G, The frequency domain resources included in the first cell are continuous in the frequency domain; The frequency domain resources included in the second cell are discontinuous in the frequency domain.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

15. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13.

16. A communication system, characterized in that: Comprising the communication device as claimed in claim 14 and comprising the communication device as claimed in claim 15.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 is implemented.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or performs the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the apparatus performs: the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

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