Communication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, and a storage medium. An access network device configures and / or schedules a plurality of resources of a first signal, such that a terminal can send the first signal at the positions of the plurality of resources within a first time period; and the access network device does not configure and / or does not schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period. Configuration and / or scheduling behaviors of the access network device are specified, such that the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between an initial BWP or an active BWP and a frequency-hopping SRS, thereby reducing the power consumption of a network and the terminal.

Description

Communication method, device and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 31, 2023, with application number 202311439135.3 and invention name “Communication Method, Device and Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] Access network equipment can configure standard terminals to transmit a broadband sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning. The accuracy of the positioning measurement is determined by the SRS bandwidth. The larger the bandwidth, the higher the measurement accuracy, and the more accurate the terminal's position is.

[0004] Compared to standard terminals, a reduced-capability terminal (redcap UE) is a simplified terminal with reduced complexity. Based on the maximum channel bandwidth that a terminal must support, the maximum bandwidth for a single SRS transmission within frequency range 1 (FR1) is 20 MHz. To achieve the same measurement accuracy as a 100 MHz bandwidth SRS, a redcap UE must transmit the SRS multiple times using frequency hopping. This ensures that the frequency hopping transmission of a narrowband SRS is equivalent to, or similar to, the actual transmission of a wideband SRS by the terminal.

[0005] A reduced-capability terminal requires a certain amount of transition time when switching from the bandwidth location corresponding to one hop to the bandwidth location corresponding to another hop in the frequency domain to transmit SRS. The location of the first or last hop is outside the terminal's initial bandwidth part (BWP) or activated BWP, and the transition time for the first or last hop may be longer than that between the two intermediate hops. The initial or activated BWP is used to transmit / receive other channels or signals. When the time interval between each two hops of the frequency-hopping SRS is relatively long, the terminal needs to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS resource location, resulting in higher terminal power consumption.

[0006] In view of this, how to reduce the power consumption of the terminal when sending the frequency hopping SRS is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present application provides a communication method, device, and storage medium to reduce power consumption when a terminal sends a signal.

[0009] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, wherein the method is implemented by an access network device, or a chip or circuit used for the access network device.

[0010] The method includes: the access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal to the terminal, the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; and the access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at the position of the multiple resources within a first time period; wherein the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0011] By adopting this method, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal, so that the terminal can send the first signal at the location of multiple resources within the first time period, and does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send the second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency-hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0012] With reference to the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

[0013] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit used for a terminal.

[0014] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; and the terminal sends the first signal at the multiple resource positions within a first time period; wherein the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0015] By adopting this method, the terminal configures and / or schedules multiple resources of the first signal through the access network device. The terminal can send the first signal at the location of multiple resources within the first time period, and the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send the second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency-hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0016] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signal in the time domain.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a positioning reference signal; and the second signal is a positioning reference signal or an uplink channel.

[0020] With this implementation, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate, or schedule other uplink channels or signals for transmission within the first time period, nor does it expect the first signal to overlap with other uplink channels or signals. Consequently, the access network device can receive an uplink Positioning Reference Signal (SRS) that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect or the second aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal and the second signal are positioning reference signals, and the first signal and the second signal are any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal, or a non-periodic signal.

[0022] With this implementation, when both the first and second signals are periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure more than one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource for transmission within the first time period. That is, the access network device may configure only one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period. Alternatively, the access network device may configure one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period without configuring other periodic frequency-hopping SRS resources 2. Consequently, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS) that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency-hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0023] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are non-periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period. That is, the access network device can only trigger one non-periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device triggers one non-periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period without triggering other non-periodic frequency-hopping SRS resources 2. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency-hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource with overlapping portions.

[0024] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are semi-persistent positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource for transmission within the first time period. That is, the access network device can only activate one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period without activating other semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resources 2. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource with overlapping portions.

[0025] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit for a terminal.

[0026] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; and the terminal only sends the first signal within a first time period.

[0027] By adopting this method, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the terminal behavior when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0028] In combination with the third aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal does not send the second signal within the first time period.

[0029] With this implementation, after receiving the resource configuration and / or scheduling information for the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information for the second signal, the terminal only sends the first signal to the access network device during the first time period and does not send the second signal during the first time period. This ensures that the first signal can be fully transmitted or received across multiple resources.

[0030] In combination with the third aspect, in another possible implementation, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type, and the type of the signal includes any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal, or a non-periodic signal.

[0031] With this implementation, assuming both the first and second signals are periodic, and the access network device configures more than one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource for transmission within the first time period, or more than one periodic frequency-hopping resource overlaps, the terminal only transmits the earliest periodic frequency-hopping SRS transmitted within the first time period and discards other periodic frequency-hopping SRSs with later transmission start times. This ensures that a complete periodic frequency-hopping SRS is transmitted, and eliminates the need to transmit other periodic frequency-hopping SRSs, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0032] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are aperiodic signals, and the access network device triggers more than one aperiodic signal to be sent within the first time period, or more than one aperiodic resource overlaps, the terminal only sends the earliest aperiodic signal sent within the first time period and discards other aperiodic signals with later start times. The network and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the terminal's behavior.

[0033] Assume that both the first signal and the second signal are semi-persistent signals. If the access network device activates more than one semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period, or if more than one semi-persistent signal resource overlaps, the terminal only sends the semi-persistent signal sent earliest within the first time period and discards other semi-persistent signals with later start times. The network and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the terminal's behavior.

[0034] In combination with the third aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0035] With this implementation, if the access network device triggers an aperiodic signal to be sent within a first time period and also configures a periodic signal or activates a semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period, or if the aperiodic resources overlap with the periodic or semi-persistent resources, and the aperiodic signal has a higher priority or urgency than the periodic or semi-persistent signal, the terminal will only send the aperiodic signal within the first time period and discard the periodic or semi-persistent signal. The network and the terminal have a consistent understanding of this terminal's behavior.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, which is implemented by a terminal, or a chip or circuit used for a terminal.

[0037] The method includes: the terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal; and within a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal, and only sends the second signal.

[0038] By adopting this method, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the terminal behavior when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0039] In combination with the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0040] With this implementation, the access network device configures a periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures resources for a non-periodic signal or a semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources for the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal is higher than that of the periodic signal, during the first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal. This ensures the timely transmission of high-priority signals. For example, if the non-periodic signal or the semi-persistent signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, emergency positioning requirements are met.

[0041] In combination with the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

[0042] With this implementation, the access network device configures a semi-persistent signal and also configures resources for a non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period; alternatively, the resources for the semi-persistent signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal. Because the non-periodic signal has a higher priority than the semi-persistent signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. This ensures the timely transmission of the high-priority signal. For example, if the non-periodic signal is an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS), emergency positioning requirements are met.

[0043] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signal in the time domain.

[0044] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0045] In combination with the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period.

[0046] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the communication method in any one of the second, third, and fourth aspects or the second, third, and fourth aspects. The device may be a terminal, a module applied to a terminal (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or a logical node, a logical module, or software that implements all or part of the terminal's functions.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the communication method of the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect. The device may be an access network device, a module (such as a processor, chip, or chip system) applied to an access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects includes a unit for respectively executing the method in any one of the first to fourth aspects or any one of the implementations.

[0049] The communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0050] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect, the processing unit is used to generate resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, and the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; the transceiver unit is used to send the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal; and the transceiver unit is also used to receive the first signal from the terminal at the position of the multiple resources within a first time period; wherein the terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send the second signal within the first time period.

[0051] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to send configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

[0052] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the second aspect or any one of the implementations of the second aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; the processing unit is used to generate the first signal; and the transceiver unit is also used to send the first signal at the multiple resource positions within a first time period; wherein the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

[0053] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0054] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the third aspect or any one of the implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and to receive configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; the processing unit is used to generate the first signal; and the transceiver unit is also used to send only the first signal within a first time period.

[0055] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to not send the second signal within the first time period.

[0056] When the communication device is used to implement the communication method in the fourth aspect or any one of the implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is used to receive resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receive configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than the second signal; the processing unit is used to generate the second signal; and the transceiver unit is also used to, within a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal and only sends the second signal.

[0057] Optionally, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

[0058] In another possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects includes a processor coupled to a memory; the processor is configured to enable the device to perform the corresponding functions in the above-mentioned communication method. The memory is used to couple with the processor and store the necessary programs (instructions) and / or data for the device. Optionally, the communication device may further include a communication interface for enabling communication between the device and other network elements. Optionally, the memory may be located inside or outside the communication device.

[0059] In another possible implementation, the communication device in the fifth to sixth aspects includes a processor and a transceiver, the processor being coupled to the transceiver, and the processor being used to execute a computer program or instruction to control the transceiver to receive and send information; when the processor executes the computer program or instruction, the processor is also used to implement the above method through a logic circuit or execution code instruction. The transceiver may be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface, configured to receive signals from other communication devices other than the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices other than the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit or an input / output interface.

[0060] When the communication device in the fifth and sixth aspects is a chip, the transmitting unit may be an output unit, such as an output circuit or a communication interface; and the receiving unit may be an input unit, such as an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication device is a terminal, the transmitting unit may be a transmitter or a transmitter; and the receiving unit may be a receiver or a receiver.

[0061] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the methods described in the above aspects are implemented.

[0062] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, causes the communication device to execute the methods described in the above aspects.

[0063] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the communication device described in the fifth aspect and the communication device described in the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an SRS frequency hopping pattern;

[0066] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the switching time of frequency hopping SRS transmission;

[0067] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a time division duplex system configured with frequency hopping SRS transmission;

[0068] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the conversion of a resource location for transmitting a frequency-hopping SRS to a resource location for receiving a downlink or transmitting an uplink;

[0069] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of an uplink and downlink communication and positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a first time period of an example embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG9A is a schematic diagram of receiving a MAC CE carried on a PDSCH in a first time period;

[0073] FIG9B is a schematic diagram of receiving DCI carried on a PDCCH in a first time period;

[0074] FIG10A is a schematic diagram of overlapping signal resources according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG10B is a schematic diagram of non-overlapping signal resources according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG11 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG12 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] The solution of this application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Figure 1 shows a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 1, communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0083] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0084] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 1000 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0085] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), 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, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Alternatively, a RAN node can be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an onboard device. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0086] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0087] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0088] A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), 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 may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0089] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device follows a certain protocol layer structure. The protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, or a physical (PHY) layer. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or a physical layer.

[0090] For the network elements in the ORAN system and the corresponding protocol layer functions that can be implemented, please refer to the following Table 1:

[0091] Table 1

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, a base station is also referred to as an access network device. The device used to implement the functions of the access network device can be the access network device; it can also be a device that can support the access network device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit and a software module. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device. In the embodiments of the present application, only the device used to implement the functions of the access network device is used as an example, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0095] It can be understood that the present application can be applied between access network equipment and terminals.

[0096] It should be understood that the number and type of each device in the communication system shown in Figure 1 are for illustration only, and the present application is not limited to this. In actual applications, the communication system may also include more terminals, more access network devices, and other network elements, such as core network devices, and / or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions.

[0097] It is understandable that all or part of the functions implemented by one or more of the terminals, access network devices, core network devices, or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be virtualized, that is, implemented by one or more of the proprietary processors or general-purpose processors and the corresponding software modules. Among them, since the terminal and the access network device involve an interface for air interface transmission, the transceiver function of the interface can be implemented by hardware. Core network equipment, such as operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network elements, can be virtualized. Optionally, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal, access network device, core network device, or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be implemented by cloud devices, such as cloud devices in an over the top (OTT) system.

[0098] The following explains several terms involved in the embodiments of this application:

[0099] (1) Reduced capability terminals:

[0100] Compared to ordinary terminals, a reduced-capability terminal is a simplified terminal with reduced complexity. Based on the specified maximum channel bandwidth capabilities that must be supported by the terminal, within the FR1 frequency range (410MHz-7125MHz), the mandatory capability of a reduced-capability terminal is to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 20MHz, while ordinary terminals must support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 100MHz. In the FR2 frequency range (24250MHz-52600MHz), the mandatory capability of a reduced-capability terminal is to support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 100MHz, while ordinary terminals must support a maximum terminal channel bandwidth of 400MHz.

[0101] (2) Frequency hopping transmission for positioning

[0102] For a 100MHz bandwidth carrier within the FR1 range, the access network equipment can configure ordinary terminals to send a broadband SRS (for example, 100MHz) for positioning. The access network equipment directly receives and measures the 100MHz bandwidth SRS signal through several transmission reception points (TRPs) deployed at different geographical locations. It obtains the time of arrival (ToA) from the terminal sending the SRS to the TRP receiving the SRS, and reports the ToA measurement value to the location management function (LMF), which ultimately calculates the terminal's position. This process is a method of uplink positioning based on the cellular network. The ToA measurement accuracy is determined by the SRS bandwidth. The larger the bandwidth, the higher the measurement accuracy, and the more accurate the terminal's position is ultimately determined.

[0103] For a reduced-capability terminal, the maximum bandwidth for a single SRS transmission is 20 MHz. To obtain measurement results with the same or similar accuracy as a 100 MHz bandwidth SRS, the reduced-capability terminal needs to transmit the SRS multiple times in a continuous frequency hopping manner, so that frequency hopping to transmit a narrowband SRS is equivalent to or similar to the terminal actually transmitting a wideband SRS, as shown in the SRS frequency hopping pattern in Figure 2. The receiving end receives and processes the frequency-hopped SRS and obtains measurement results equivalent to or similar to those of a 100 MHz bandwidth SRS.

[0104] The reduced-capability terminal obtains configuration information sent by the access network device, including the location of the starting physical resource block (PRB) in the frequency domain for the first hop in the time domain, the bandwidth of each hop, the number of resources overlapped in the frequency domain between two consecutive hops (such as the number of overlapping PRBs), the time slot offset and starting symbol of the first hop in the time domain, the time slot offset and starting symbol of each hop after the first hop, the number of consecutive symbols in each hop, and the total number of hops. This configuration information uniquely determines the frequency hopping SRS pattern, as shown in Figure 2. After obtaining this configuration information, the terminal transmits the SRS according to the frequency hopping pattern.

[0105] Figure 3 illustrates the switching time for frequency-hopping SRS transmission. When a reduced-capability terminal transmits SRS according to a frequency-hopping pattern, a switching time is required to switch from one hop's bandwidth location to another hop's bandwidth location in the frequency domain. Specifically, if the first or last hop is outside the terminal's initial or activated BWP, or if the subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, or cyclic prefix (CP) size differs between the first and last hops, the switching time (T0 in the figure) is longer than the switching time between the two intermediate hops. Possible values ​​include {100us, 140us, 200us, 300us, 500us}, applicable to both FR1 and FR2. The longest possible switching time (T1 in the figure) between two consecutive intermediate hops includes {35us, 70us, 125us}. This value depends on the terminal's implemented capabilities.

[0106] Understandably, the configuration of terminals using frequency hopping to transmit SRS by access network equipment may not be limited to terminals with reduced capabilities. For standard terminals, the activated BWP may be configured to be smaller to reduce power consumption, and SRS can only be transmitted within the activated BWP. Therefore, the bandwidth available for SRS transmission is limited by the bandwidth of the activated BWP, making it impossible to achieve high-precision positioning by transmitting wideband SRS.

[0107] When a terminal is configured to transmit a positioning SRS using frequency hopping, the terminal transmits the SRS according to the above-described frequency hopping pattern. Furthermore, as shown in FIG4 , a schematic diagram of frequency hopping SRS transmission in a time-division duplex (TDD) system, the time slots used for downlink transmission and the time slots used for uplink transmission in the TDD system are staggered in the time domain (the figure is described using an uplink (UL): downlink (DL) ratio of 2:8 and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 30 kHz as an example). Given the flexibility of the access network device in configuring the frequency hopping pattern, it is possible that consecutive uplink time slots may not allow the terminal to continuously complete frequency hopping SRS transmission. The last hop must be transmitted within the uplink time slot of the next TDD cycle. Therefore, before completing the last hop, the terminal must receive a downlink channel or signal within the downlink time slot.

[0108] Alternatively, regardless of whether it is a TDD system or a frequency-division duplex (FDD) system, given the flexibility of the access network device in configuring the frequency hopping pattern, between every two hops, the access network device may schedule / configure the terminal to receive a downlink channel or signal, or schedule / configure the terminal to send an uplink channel or signal. Whether receiving a downlink or sending an uplink, the terminal requires time to switch from the resource location where the frequency-hopping SRS is sent to the resource location where the downlink or uplink is received, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B. If the time required to switch from the location where the SRS is sent to the location where the downlink or uplink is received, and then from the location where the downlink or uplink is received to the location where the SRS is sent on the next hop, is less than the time domain interval between the two hops, then the terminal can switch locations to receive a downlink or send an uplink without affecting the transmission of the frequency-hopping SRS.

[0109] When the time interval between two hops of the frequency hopping SRS is relatively long, the terminal needs to switch back and forth between the resource locations of the data activation BWP or the initial BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, resulting in high power consumption of the terminal.

[0110] To address the above problems, the present application provides a communication solution that clarifies the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device so that the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; or the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior to reduce its own power consumption.

[0111] The communication solution of this application can be used in various communication scenarios, such as uplink and downlink communication and uplink positioning. As shown in Figure 6, an uplink and downlink communication and positioning system architecture diagram provided by an embodiment of this application is provided. The terminal can perform uplink and downlink communication with its serving base station, and the terminal can also send uplink positioning reference signals (SRS) to neighboring base stations for uplink positioning.

[0112] As shown in Figure 7, a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0113] S701. An access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal to a terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal.

[0114] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules the terminal to send a first signal on multiple resources. Therefore, the access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal. The resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources for the first signal. The time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. Exemplarily, the first signal can be the SRS transmitted by the above-mentioned frequency hopping. The SRS is used for uplink positioning. Furthermore, the access network device can also configure an SRS pattern. The SRS can be periodic, aperiodic, or semi-continuous.

[0115] Exemplarily, the access network device may send resource configuration information of the first signal to the terminal through radio resource control (RRC) signaling or the like.

[0116] Exemplarily, the access network device may send resource scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal via downlink control information (DCI) or the like, to activate the configured resources of the first signal.

[0117] S702. The terminal sends a first signal to the access network device at multiple resource locations within a first time period. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at multiple resource locations within the first time period.

[0118] After receiving the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal, the terminal, taking into account the need to meet positioning accuracy requirements, sends the first signal to the access network device at multiple resource locations within a first time period. This first time period can also be called a first time window.

[0119] The above-mentioned first time period can be pre-defined by the protocol, or pre-negotiated by the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. In this case, the method can further include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information of the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information of the first time period. The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number (SFN) of the first time period, the starting time slot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period can be periodic. The configured first time period is shown in Figure 8.

[0120] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the time domain.

[0121] Since the above-mentioned first time period and multiple resources of the first signal are configured to the terminal by the access network device, the access network device can configure a suitable first time period and multiple resources of the first signal, so that the terminal sends the first signal on multiple first resources within the first time period according to the configuration.

[0122] In order to avoid the terminal having to switch back and forth between the resource locations of the data activation BWP or the initial BWP and the frequency hopping SRS, resulting in high power consumption of the terminal, in this embodiment, the access network device does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send the second signal within the first time period. That is, within the first time period, if there are multiple resources configured and / or scheduled for the first signal, the terminal only sends the first signal within the first time period and does not send other uplink channels or signals. It can be understood that if there is reception of a downlink channel (a media access control element (MAC CE) carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)) as shown in Figure 9A or reception of a downlink signal (DCI carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) as shown in Figure 9B within the first time period, it will not be affected, that is, the terminal can complete the reception of the downlink channel or signal within the first time period. However, the uplink channel or signal activated by the MAC CE or scheduled by the DCI cannot appear within the first time period. Alternatively, the uplink channel or signal activated by the MAC CE or scheduled by the DCI appears within a first time period, and the terminal does not send the uplink channel or signal within the first time period.

[0123] The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure redundant resources other than the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent within the first time period, that is, the access network device can only configure the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures the multiple resources of the first signal to be sent within the first time period, but does not configure the multiple resources of the second signal to be sent within the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, which can improve positioning accuracy. For example, the access network device does not configure overlapping signal resources as shown in Figure 10A (multiple R1 signals and multiple R2 signals partially overlap in frequency domain position within the first time period), and the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure overlapping signal resources to be sent within the first time period. The access network device can configure non-overlapping signal resources as shown in Figure 10B (multiple R1 signals and multiple R2 signals do not overlap in frequency domain position within the first time period).

[0124] In one example, the first signal is a positioning reference signal, and the second signal is a positioning reference signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal are any of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-persistent signal, or an aperiodic signal.

[0125] For example, when both the first signal and the second signal are periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure more than one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource for transmission within the first time period. That is, the access network device may configure only one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period. Alternatively, the access network device may configure one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission within the first time period, but may not configure other periodic frequency-hopping SRS resources 2 for transmission within the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS) that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency-hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0126] For another example, when the first signal and the second signal are both non-periodic positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period, that is, the access network device can only trigger one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device triggers one non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, but does not trigger other non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resources 2 to be sent within the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to trigger more than one overlapping non-periodic frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period.

[0127] For another example, when both the first signal and the second signal are semi-continuous positioning reference signals, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period, that is, the access network device can only activate one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource 1 to be sent within the first time period, and does not activate other semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resources 2 to be sent within the first time period. Thus, the access network device can receive and obtain an uplink positioning reference signal SRS that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to activate more than one overlapping semi-continuous frequency hopping SRS resource to be sent within the first time period.

[0128] It can be understood that the second signal may be a frequency hopping signal like the first signal, or may not be a frequency hopping signal.

[0129] In another example, the first signal is a positioning reference signal, and the second signal is an uplink channel. The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate or schedule other uplink channels or signals to be sent within the first time period, or does not expect the first signal to overlap with other uplink channels or signals within the first time period. Overlap means that there are other uplink channels or signals within the span of a complete frequency hopping SRS pattern. The second signal can be an uplink positioning reference signal SRS but without frequency hopping, or other SRS other than the uplink positioning reference signal SRS (for example, for beam management, channel measurement based on codebook or non-codebook downlink transmission, or channel measurement for antenna switching, etc.), or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or an uplink physical random access channel (PRACH), or an uplink scheduling request (SR). For example, the access network device only configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device configures one periodic frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, but does not configure, activate, or schedule other uplink channels or signals for transmission in the first time period, or the transmission in the first time period overlaps with other uplink channels or signals. For another example, the access network device may only activate one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, but does not configure, activate, or schedule other uplink channels or signals for transmission in the first time period, or the transmission in the first time period overlaps with other uplink channels or signals. For another example, the access network device may only activate one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, or in other words, the access network device activates one semi-persistent frequency hopping SRS resource 1 for transmission in the first time period, but does not configure, activate, or schedule other uplink channels or signals for transmission in the first time period, or the transmission in the first time period overlaps with other uplink channels or signals. Thus, the access network device can receive an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS) that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy. Alternatively, the terminal does not expect the access network device to configure, activate, or schedule more than one overlapping uplink channel or signal to be transmitted within the first time period.

[0130] According to a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application, an access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources of a first signal, so that a terminal can send a first signal at the location of multiple resources within a first time period, and does not configure and / or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period. By clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between an initial BWP or an activated BWP and a frequency-hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency-hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption; and when the first signal is used for uplink positioning, the access network device can receive a first signal that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to a frequency hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0131] The above embodiments describe that by clarifying the configuration and / or scheduling behavior of the access network device, the terminal does not need to switch back and forth between the initial BWP or activated BWP and the frequency-hopping SRS, or between multiple frequency-hopping SRS resources, thereby saving network and terminal power consumption.

[0132] The following embodiment will describe how the terminal explicitly performs uplink transmission to reduce its own power consumption.

[0133] As shown in Figure 11, it is a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0134] S1101. An access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal and configuration or scheduling information of a second signal to a terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal from the access network device.

[0135] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources for the first signal, and configures and / or schedules resources for the second signal. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information for the first signal, as well as configuration or scheduling information for the second signal, to the terminal. That is, in addition to configuring multiple resources for the first signal, the access network device also configures resources for the second signal; or, the resources for the second signal overlap with at least one of the multiple resources for the first signal. "Configuration" can include sending configuration information via RRC signaling, for example, and "scheduling" can include scheduling via DCI, for example.

[0136] It is understandable that the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal can be located in the same message or in different messages. This embodiment does not limit the order in which the access network device sends the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, nor does it limit the order in which the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal.

[0137] The resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources for the first signal. The time domain locations of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain locations of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. The first signal may be a frequency-hopping signal, such as an uplink Positioning Reference Signal (SRS) transmitted using frequency hopping. For the meaning of "overlap," refer to the above description.

[0138] In which, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal. In other words, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is earlier than that of the second signal, or the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is the same as the time domain position of the resources of the second signal.

[0139] In one example, the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type. For example, the first signal is a periodic signal (e.g., an SRS transmitted in a frequency hopping manner), and the second signal is also a periodic signal; the first signal is a semi-persistent signal, and the second signal is also a semi-persistent signal; the first signal is an aperiodic signal, and the second signal is also an aperiodic signal.

[0140] In another example, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0141] S1102: The terminal sends a first signal only to the access network device within a first time period. Correspondingly, the access network device receives the first signal within the first time period.

[0142] After receiving the resource configuration and / or scheduling information for the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information for the second signal, the terminal transmits only the first signal to the access network device during the first time period and does not transmit the second signal during the first time period. This ensures the complete transmission or reception of the first signal across multiple resources. When the first signal is a frequency-hopping SRS, the access network device can receive an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS) that is equivalent to or similar to a broadband signal according to an SRS frequency-hopping pattern, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0143] In the first example above, assuming both the first and second signals are periodic, and the access network device configures more than one periodic frequency-hopping SRS resource for transmission within the first time period, or more than one periodic frequency-hopping resource overlaps within the first time period, the terminal only transmits the periodic frequency-hopping SRS transmitted earliest within the first time period and discards other periodic frequency-hopping SRSs with later transmission start times. This ensures that a complete periodic frequency-hopping SRS is transmitted, and eliminates the need to transmit other periodic frequency-hopping SRSs, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0144] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are aperiodic signals, and the access network device triggers more than one aperiodic signal to be sent within the first time period, or more than one aperiodic resource overlaps within the first time period, the terminal only sends the earliest aperiodic signal sent within the first time period and discards other aperiodic signals with later start times. The network and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the terminal's behavior.

[0145] Assuming that both the first signal and the second signal are semi-persistent signals, and the access network device activates more than one semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period, or more than one semi-persistent resource overlaps within the first time period, the terminal only sends the semi-persistent signal sent earliest within the first time period and discards other semi-persistent signals with later start times. The network and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the terminal's behavior.

[0146] In another example, the first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-persistent signal. In addition to triggering a non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, the access network device also configures a periodic signal or activates a semi-persistent signal to be sent within the first time period, or the non-periodic resources overlap with the periodic or semi-persistent resources within the first time period. Since the priority and urgency of the non-periodic signal are higher than those of the periodic or semi-persistent signal, the terminal only sends the non-periodic signal within the first time period and discards the periodic or semi-persistent signal. The network side and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the behavior of the terminal.

[0147] The first time period may be pre-defined by a protocol, pre-negotiated between the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. Furthermore, the method may include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information for the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information for the first time period. The configuration information for the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting timeslot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period may be periodic. The configured first time period is shown in FIG8 .

[0148] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the second signal in the time domain.

[0149] Exemplarily, when the second signal is an SRS sent by frequency hopping, the second signal is sent at multiple resource locations, then the starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest second signal in the time domain among the second signals, and the end position of the first time period is the end position of the latest second signal in the time domain among the second signals.

[0150] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0151] Another embodiment in which the terminal specifies its own uplink sending behavior to reduce its own power consumption will be described below.

[0152] FIG12 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0153] S1201. An access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal and configuration or scheduling information of a second signal to a terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and configuration or scheduling information of the second signal from the access network device.

[0154] In this embodiment, the access network device configures and / or schedules multiple resources for the first signal, and configures and / or schedules resources for the second signal. The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information for the first signal, as well as configuration or scheduling information for the second signal, to the terminal. That is, in addition to configuring multiple resources for the first signal, the access network device also configures resources for the second signal; or, the resources for the second signal overlap with at least one of the multiple resources for the first signal. "Configuration" can include sending configuration information via RRC signaling, for example, and "scheduling" can include scheduling via DCI, for example.

[0155] It is understandable that the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal can be located in the same message or in different messages. This embodiment does not limit the order in which the access network device sends the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, nor does it limit the order in which the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal.

[0156] The resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources for the first signal. The time domain locations of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain locations of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all. The first signal is a frequency-hopping signal, such as an uplink positioning reference signal (SRS) transmitted using frequency hopping. The second signal can be a frequency-hopping signal or a non-frequency-hopping signal. For the meaning of "overlap," please refer to the above description.

[0157] In which, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal. In other words, the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is earlier than that of the second signal, or the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is the same as the time domain position of the resources of the second signal.

[0158] In one example, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

[0159] In another example, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

[0160] S1202. In the first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal and only sends the second signal.

[0161] After the terminal receives the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal and the configuration or scheduling information of the second signal, the terminal does not send the first signal within a first time period and only sends the second signal.

[0162] In the first example above, the first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal. That is, the access network device configures the periodic signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures the resources for the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources for the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal within the first time period. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal is higher than that of the periodic signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. This ensures that the high-priority signal is sent in a timely manner. For example, the non-periodic signal or the semi-continuous signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, which can be a frequency-hopping SRS or a non-frequency-hopping SRS, thus meeting the emergency positioning requirements.

[0163] In the second example above, the first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal. That is, the access network device configures the semi-continuous signal to be sent within the first time period, and also configures the resources for the non-periodic signal to be sent within the first time period; or, the resources for the semi-continuous signal overlap with the resources for the periodic signal within the first time period. Since the priority of the non-periodic signal is higher than that of the semi-continuous signal, the terminal does not send the first signal (discards the first signal) and only sends the second signal within the first time period. This ensures that the high-priority signal is sent in a timely manner. For example, the non-periodic signal is an uplink positioning reference signal SRS, which can be a frequency-hopping SRS or a non-frequency-hopping SRS, which meets the emergency positioning requirements.

[0164] The first time period may be pre-defined by a protocol, pre-negotiated between the terminal and the access network device, or configured by the access network device. Furthermore, the method may include the following steps: the access network device sends configuration information for the first time period to the terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the configuration information for the first time period. The configuration information for the first time period includes at least one of the following: the starting system frame number of the first time period, the starting timeslot, the starting symbol, the period of the first time period, and the duration of the first time period. Exemplarily, the configuration of the first time period may be periodic. The configured first time period is shown in FIG8 .

[0165] The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the second time period is the ending position of the latest second signal in the time domain.

[0166] In the above-mentioned embodiments, not configuring, not sending or not scheduling may be applied to overlapping symbols; the first time period may refer to the time period corresponding to the overlapping symbols.

[0167] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal itself clarifies the uplink sending behavior, reduces the constraints on the network side configuration or scheduling, clarifies the behavior of the terminal when certain configurations occur, and enables the network side and the terminal to have a consistent understanding of the terminal behavior.

[0168] It is understandable that this application uses access network devices and terminals as examples of the execution entities of the interaction diagrams, but this application does not limit the execution entities of the interaction diagrams. For example, the access network device in the method provided by this application may also be a chip, chip system, or processor applied to the access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the access network device; the terminal in the method provided by this application may also be a chip, chip system, or processor applied to the terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions.

[0169] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0170] It can be understood that in the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the access network device can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used for the access network device; the methods and / or steps implemented by the terminal can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that can be used for the terminal.

[0171] The above description primarily describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be the access network device described in the method embodiments described above, or a component that can be used in an access network device; alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal described in the method embodiments described above, or a component that can be used in a terminal. It will be understood that, to implement the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0172] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the communication device can be divided according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing unit. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0173] Based on the same concept of the above communication method, the present application also provides the following communication device:

[0174] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a possible communication device. It is understood that the communication device 130 includes necessary means such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to implement the present solution. The communication device 130 can be the RAN node or terminal in Figure 1, or a component (such as a chip) in these devices, used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The communication device 130 includes one or more processors 131 (one processor is shown in the figure). The processor 131 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a RAN node, terminal, or chip), execute software programs, and process software program data.

[0175] Optionally, in one design, the processor 131 may include a program 133 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on the processor 131 to cause the communication device 130 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In another possible design, the communication device 130 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG. 13 ) configured to implement the functions of the access network device or terminal in the above embodiments.

[0176] Optionally, the communication device 130 may include one or more memories 132 (one memory is illustrated in the figure), on which a program 134 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 134 can be run on the processor 131, so that the communication device 130 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0177] Optionally, the processor 131 and / or the memory 132 may include artificial intelligence (AI) modules 137 and 138, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio access network intelligent controller (RAN intelligent controller, RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0178] Optionally, data may be stored in the processor 131 and / or the memory 132. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0179] Optionally, the communication device 130 may further include a transceiver 135 and / or an antenna 136. The processor 131 may also be referred to as a processing unit, and controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 135 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, and is configured to implement the transceiver functions of the communication device via the antenna 136.

[0180] As shown in Figure 14, it is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1400 includes a processor 1401. Optionally, the communication device 1400 may further include an interface circuit 1402 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the processor 1401 and the interface circuit 1402 are coupled to each other. It will be understood that the interface circuit 1402 can be a transceiver or an input and output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1400 may further include a memory 1403 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the memory 1403 is used to store instructions executed by the processor 1401, or to store input data required for the processor 1401 to run the instructions, or to store data generated after the processor 1401 runs the instructions. Among them, the processor 1401 is used to implement the function of the processor 131 in the embodiment shown in Figure 13 above; and the interface circuit 1402 is used to implement the function of the transceiver 135 in the embodiment shown in Figure 13 above.

[0181] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used in an access network device, the chip implements the functions of the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. The chip receives information from other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), where the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device; or the chip sends information to other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), where the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal.

[0182] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the chip implements the terminal functions in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), which is sent by the access network device to the terminal; or the chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), which is sent by the terminal to the access network device.

[0183] As shown in FIG15 , it is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1500 includes a transceiver unit 1501 and a processing unit 1502.

[0184] When the communication device is used to implement the functions of the terminal, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the terminal in steps S701 and S702 as shown in Figure 7; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the terminal in steps S1101 and S1102 as shown in Figure 11; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the terminal in steps S1201 and S1202 as shown in Figure 12.

[0185] When the communication device is used to implement the functions of the access network device, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the access network device in steps S701 and S702 as shown in Figure 7; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the access network device in steps S1101 and S1102 as shown in Figure 11; or, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to execute the functions of the access network device in steps S1201 and S1202 as shown in Figure 12.

[0186] For the specific implementation of the transceiver unit 1501 and the processing unit 1502, reference may be made to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0187] In addition, it should be noted that the aforementioned transceiver unit and / or processing unit may be implemented through virtual modules, for example, the processing unit may be implemented through a software function unit or a virtual device, and the transceiver unit may be implemented through a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing unit or transceiver unit may also be implemented through a physical device, for example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operations); the processing unit is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0188] The division of modules in this application is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the examples of this application may be integrated into a single processor, exist physically as separate modules, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in either hardware or software functional modules.

[0189] 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.

[0190] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0191] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the above embodiment.

[0192] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the above-mentioned communication device.

[0193] The present application also provides a circuit, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute the method shown in the above embodiment. The circuit may include a chip circuit.

[0194] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to an access network device, the access network device module implements the functions of the access network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The access network device module receives information from other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the access network device; or, the access network device module sends information to other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the access network device to the terminal. The access network device module here can be a baseband chip of the access network device, or it can be a CU, DU or other module, or it can be a device under the O-RAN architecture, such as an open CU, open DU and other devices.

[0195] It should be noted that the above units or one or more of the units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above units or units is implemented by software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow.

[0196] In this application, a processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application may be directly executed by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0197] When the above units or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device (PLD), a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0198] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the chip system executes the method in any of the above method embodiments. Optionally, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0199] The memory in the present application may also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function for storing program instructions and / or data. A memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory, such as a random-access memory (RAM).

[0200] The at least one (item) involved in this application indicates one (item) or more (items). More than one (item) refers to two (items) or more than two (items). "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In addition, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe each object in this application, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each object from each other.

[0201] The terms "including" and "having" mentioned above and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that, in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any method or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0202] A network element in a communication system can send signals to or receive signals from another network element. The signals may include information, signaling, or data. The network element can also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a terminal, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The present application uses the network element as an example for description. For example, the communication system may include at least one terminal and at least one access network device. The access network device can send downlink signals to the terminal, and / or the terminal can send uplink signals to the access network device. In addition, it is understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminals, the multiple terminals can also send signals to each other, that is, the signal sending network element and the signal receiving network element can both be terminals.

[0203] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means.

[0204] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0205] 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.

[0206] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0207] The components in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided, or deleted according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can combine or combine the different embodiments and features of the different embodiments described in this specification.

[0208] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The access network device sends resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal to the terminal, where the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; The access network device receives the first signal from the terminal at the location of the plurality of resources within a first time period; The terminal is not configured and / or scheduled to send a second signal within the first time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes: sending configuration information of the first time period to the terminal.

3. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, where the resource configuration and / or scheduling information is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all; The terminal sends the first signal at the multiple resource locations within a first time period; The terminal does not expect the access network device to configure or schedule the terminal to send a second signal within the first time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method also includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: a starting system frame number of the first time period, a starting time slot, a starting symbol, a period of the first time period, and a duration of the first time period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the earliest first signal in the first signals in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the latest first signal in the first signals in the time domain.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first signal is a positioning reference signal; The second signal is a positioning reference signal or an uplink channel.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal are positioning reference signals, and the first signal and the second signal are any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-persistent signal or a non-periodic signal.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal; The terminal only sends the first signal in a first time period.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal does not send the second signal in the first time period.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is no later than that of the second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are signals of the same type, and the type of the signal includes any one of the following: a periodic signal, a semi-continuous signal or a non-periodic signal.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first signal is a non-periodic signal, and the second signal is a periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal receives resource configuration and / or scheduling information of a first signal from an access network device, and receives configuration or scheduling information of a second signal, wherein the resource configuration and / or scheduling information of the first signal is used to configure and / or schedule multiple resources of the first signal, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple resources do not overlap, and the frequency domain positions of the multiple resources partially overlap or do not overlap at all, and the time domain position of at least one resource among the multiple resources of the first signal is not later than that of the second signal; In a first time period, the terminal does not send the first signal and only sends the second signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first signal is a periodic signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal or a semi-continuous signal.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first signal is a semi-continuous signal, and the second signal is a non-periodic signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that The starting position of the first time period is the starting position of the second signal in the time domain, and the ending position of the first time period is the ending position of the second signal in the time domain.

17. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, characterized in that The method also includes: the terminal receiving configuration information of the first time period from the access network device.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The configuration information of the first time period includes at least one of the following: a starting system frame number of the first time period, a starting time slot, a starting symbol, a period of the first time period, and a duration of the first time period.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises means for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-18 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 is implemented.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 is implemented.

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