Signal transmission and reception methods, apparatuses, and systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communications, and disclose signal transmission and reception methods, apparatuses, and systems, which can achieve energy saving on a network side and / or a terminal device side. The method comprises: a network device determines at least one transmission opportunity of a first synchronization signal. The at least one transmission opportunity is periodic, and the at least one transmission opportunity comprises a first transmission opportunity. If it is satisfied that the first transmission opportunity overlaps with a transmission resource of a first signal in the time domain, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal, the network device transmits a second synchronization signal in a first time period. The first time period is located within a cycle to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, and is later than the end moment of the first transmission opportunity.

Description

Signal sending and receiving method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 21, 2023, with application number 202311562399.8 and application name “Signal Transmission and Reception Method, Device and System”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a method, device, and system for sending and receiving signals. Background Art

[0003] In communication systems, in addition to latency, reliability, and feasibility, the energy efficiency of terminal devices is also crucial. In the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, terminal devices can adopt a design in which a separate receiver with low-power monitoring wake-up signal capability wakes up the main receiver upon receiving the wake-up signal to achieve higher energy-saving gains. In this design, the main receiver is in a closed or deep sleep state when not awakened. After being awakened, it can be used for data transmission and reception. A separate receiver with low-power monitoring wake-up signal capability can be called a low power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR). Due to its low power consumption, the LP-WUR can usually be turned on all the time to monitor the wake-up signal. The wake-up signal can also be called a low power wake-up signal (LP-WUS).

[0004] To achieve lower power consumption, terminal devices using the aforementioned LP-WUR design typically employ a simple architecture and are equipped with a low-precision clock. This can cause significant timing offset when the LP-WUR receives the LP-WUS. When the timing offset reaches a certain threshold, the LP-WUR may not receive the LP-WUS. To reduce timing offset, one method is to send a synchronization signal to the LP-WUR to synchronize its time.

[0005] However, the current mechanism for sending synchronization signals for the LP-WUR design still has flaws. For example, one synchronization signaling mechanism involves the network periodically sending one synchronization signal to a terminal device. If the network sends an LP-WUS to the terminal device, it also sends another synchronization signal to the terminal device before sending the LP-WUS. However, this mixed transmission of two synchronization signals can place a significant burden on network resources. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a signal sending and receiving method, apparatus, and system, which can achieve energy saving on the network side and / or terminal device side while ensuring low time deviation.

[0007] The embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] In the first aspect, a signal sending method is provided, which can be executed by a network device or by a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to the network device. The following is an example of a network device executing the method, which includes: the network device determines at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal. Among them, at least one sending opportunity is periodic, and at least one sending opportunity includes a first sending opportunity. The network device determines whether to send a second synchronization signal of a different type from the first synchronization signal according to a rule. The rule includes: if the first sending opportunity and the sending resource of the first signal overlap in the time domain, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal, then the second synchronization signal is sent in the first time period. Among them, the first time period is within the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs, and is later than the end time of the first sending opportunity.

[0009] Based on the signal sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, when the first synchronization signal collides with another signal with a higher priority, and the first sending opportunity is likely to be occupied to send a signal with a higher priority, the network device can send another synchronization signal (i.e., the second synchronization signal) to ensure low time deviation of the terminal device and reduce the retransmission probability of useful signals, such as paging signals. If the first synchronization signal does not collide with another signal, the network device does not have to send the second synchronization signal additionally. With this sending mechanism, the network device can send another synchronization signal only when one synchronization signal cannot be sent, thereby achieving energy saving on the network side while ensuring low time deviation and saving resource overhead on the network side.

[0010] In combination with the above first aspect, in a possible design, the first time period is located within a first duration before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to send a wake-up signal.

[0011] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine where to start detecting the second synchronization signal according to the configured paging opportunity and the first duration, without having to detect all the time, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect above, in a possible design, the method further includes: the network device sends a first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0013] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first duration. You can choose a way to determine the first duration based on actual needs.

[0014] On the second aspect, a signal sending method is provided, which can be executed by a network device or by a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to the network device. The following is an example of a network device executing the method, which includes: the network device determines at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal. Among them, at least one sending opportunity is periodic, and at least one sending opportunity includes a first sending opportunity. The network device determines whether to send a second synchronization signal of a different type from the first synchronization signal according to the rules. The rules include: if the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, then the second synchronization signal is sent in the first time period. Among them, the paging opportunity is used to send a wake-up signal, and the first time period is within the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs, and is later than the end time of the first sending opportunity.

[0015] The interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, which means that the first synchronization signal sent through the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity have a large interval in the time domain. In this case, if the network device sends a wake-up signal at the paging opportunity, since there is a large interval between the first synchronization signal and the wake-up signal in the time domain, the time deviation may be large when the terminal device receives the wake-up signal. For this scenario, based on the signal sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the network device can only send another synchronization signal (i.e., a second synchronization signal) to reduce the time deviation when the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold. If the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, the network device does not need to send the second synchronization signal. This signal sending mechanism can achieve energy saving of network equipment and save network-side resource overhead while ensuring low time deviation.

[0016] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the rules may also include: if the time domain interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity is less than or not greater than the first threshold, the network device determines not to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0017] The interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, which means that the interval between the first synchronization signal sent through the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is not large. In this case, if the network device sends a wake-up signal at the paging opportunity, since the interval between the first synchronization signal and the wake-up signal in the time domain is not large, when the terminal device receives the wake-up signal, the time deviation should be within an acceptable range. For this scenario, the network device can only send the first synchronization signal without having to send another synchronization signal (i.e., the second synchronization signal), thereby achieving energy saving of the network device and saving resource overhead on the network side.

[0018] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the network device sends a second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that there is no second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0019] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine that it is not necessary to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs based on the indication of the second indication information, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0020] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the network device sends the second indication information, including: the network device sends the second indication information in the previous cycle of the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs; or, the network device sends the second indication information in the first sending opportunity.

[0021] This solution provides multiple time periods for sending the second indication information. A time period can be selected to send the second indication information according to actual needs.

[0022] In combination with the above second aspect, in a possible design, the first time period is located within a first duration before the paging occasion.

[0023] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine where to start detecting the second synchronization signal according to the configured paging opportunity and the first duration, without having to detect all the time, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0024] In combination with the above second aspect, in a possible design, the method further includes: the network device sends a third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0025] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first duration. You can choose a way to determine the first duration based on actual needs.

[0026] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the network device sends fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold; or, the first threshold is predefined.

[0027] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first threshold, and you can choose a way to determine the first threshold based on actual needs.

[0028] On the third aspect, a signal receiving method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device or by a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to the terminal device. The following is an example of a terminal device executing the method, which includes: the terminal device determines at least one receiving opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein at least one receiving opportunity is periodic, and at least one receiving opportunity includes a first receiving opportunity. The terminal device determines whether to detect a second synchronization signal of a different type from the first synchronization signal according to a rule. The rule includes: if the first synchronization signal is not detected at the first receiving opportunity, the terminal device detects the second synchronization signal in a second time period, wherein the second time period is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first receiving opportunity.

[0029] If the terminal device does not detect the first synchronization signal at the first receiving opportunity, it means that on the network device side, there is a high possibility that other signals have "collided" with the first synchronization signal, resulting in the network device not sending the first synchronization signal. In this case, the network device may send another synchronization signal, the second synchronization signal, within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs in order to ensure low time deviation. For this scenario, based on the signal receiving method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period only if the first synchronization signal is not detected at the first receiving opportunity. If the terminal device detects the first synchronization signal at the first receiving opportunity, it is not necessary to additionally detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period. With this receiving mechanism, the terminal device can detect another synchronization signal only when one synchronization signal is not detected, thereby achieving energy saving on the terminal device side while ensuring low time deviation, and also saving resource overhead.

[0030] In combination with the third aspect above, in a possible design, the rule further includes: if the first synchronization signal is detected at the first receiving opportunity, then the wake-up signal is detected at the paging opportunity, and the paging opportunity is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

[0031] If the terminal device detects the first synchronization signal during the first reception opportunity, it indicates that the first synchronization signal is being transmitted normally on the network device side. In this case, the network device may not transmit the second synchronization signal. In this scenario, the terminal device only needs to detect the wake-up signal during the paging opportunity, eliminating the need to detect the second synchronization signal during the second period of the cycle of the first reception opportunity, which helps save energy for the terminal device.

[0032] In combination with the third aspect above, in a possible design, the second time period is located within a first time period before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to detect a wake-up signal.

[0033] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine where to start detecting the second synchronization signal according to the configured paging opportunity and the first duration, without having to detect all the time, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0034] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the terminal device receives first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate a first duration; or, the first duration is predefined.

[0035] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first duration. You can choose a way to determine the first duration based on actual needs.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a signal receiving method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device or by a module (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to the terminal device. The following is an example of a terminal device executing the method, which includes: the terminal device determines at least one receiving opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein at least one receiving opportunity is periodic, and at least one receiving opportunity includes a first receiving opportunity. The terminal device determines whether to detect a second synchronization signal of a different type from the first synchronization signal according to a rule, and the rule includes: if the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, then the second synchronization signal is detected in the second time period. The paging opportunity is used to detect the wake-up signal, and the second time period is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs, and is later than the end time of the first receiving opportunity.

[0037] The interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold value, which means that if the network device sends the first synchronization signal through the first receiving opportunity, there will be a considerable interval between the first synchronization signal and the paging opportunity in the time domain. In this case, in order to ensure low time deviation of the wake-up signal, the network device may send another synchronization signal (i.e., the second synchronization signal). For this scenario, based on the signal receiving method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period only when the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold value. If the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold value, the terminal device does not need to additionally detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period. This signal receiving mechanism can achieve energy saving of the terminal device while ensuring low time deviation, and also saves resource overhead.

[0038] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in a possible design, the rule also includes: if the time domain interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity is less than or not greater than the first threshold, it is determined not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

[0039] The time interval between the first reception opportunity and the paging opportunity is less than or not greater than the first threshold, which means that if the network device sends the first synchronization signal through the first reception opportunity, the time interval between the first synchronization signal and the paging opportunity is not large. In this case, the time offset should be within an acceptable range, so the network device should not send another synchronization signal - the second synchronization signal. In this scenario, the terminal device does not need to detect the second synchronization signal during the period of the first reception opportunity, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0040] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible design, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs. The terminal device determines, based on the second indication information, not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs.

[0041] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine not to detect the second synchronization signal according to the instruction of the second indication information, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0042] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in a possible design, the second time period is located within a first time period before the paging occasion.

[0043] Based on this solution, the terminal device can determine where to start detecting the second synchronization signal according to the configured paging opportunity and the first duration, without having to detect all the time, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0044] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in one possible design, the method further includes: the terminal device receives third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0045] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first duration. You can choose a way to determine the first duration based on actual needs.

[0046] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in one possible design, the method further includes: the terminal device receives fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold. Alternatively, the first threshold is predefined.

[0047] This solution provides multiple ways to determine the first threshold, and you can choose a way to determine the first threshold based on actual needs.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect, or a device including the network device described above, or a device included in the network device described above, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal device described in the third aspect, or any implementation of the third aspect, or the fourth aspect, or any implementation of the fourth aspect, or a device including the terminal device described above, or a device included in the terminal device described above, such as a chip.

[0049] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned methods. The modules, units, or means may be implemented by hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0050] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module, which may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement the sending and / or receiving functions described in the first, second, third, or fourth aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module may be configured to implement the processing functions described in the first, second, third, or fourth aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0051] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and a receiving module, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in the above-mentioned first aspect, second aspect, third aspect or fourth aspect and any possible implementation methods.

[0052] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device performs the method of any of the above aspects. The communication device can be the network device of the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device can be the terminal device of the third aspect, or any implementation of the third aspect, or the fourth aspect, or any implementation of the fourth aspect, or a device including the terminal device, or a device included in the terminal device, such as a chip.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is configured to communicate with a module outside the communication device; and the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction to cause the communication device to perform the method of any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the network device of the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal device of the third aspect, or any implementation of the third aspect, or the fourth aspect, or any implementation of the fourth aspect, or a device including the terminal device, or a device included in the terminal device, such as a chip.

[0054] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, so that the communication device performs the method of any of the above aspects. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor. The communication device may be the network device of the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect, or any implementation of the second aspect, or a device including the network device, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip. Alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal device of the third aspect, or any implementation of the third aspect, or the fourth aspect, or any implementation of the fourth aspect, or a device including the terminal device, or a device included in the terminal device, such as a chip.

[0055] In the ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0056] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method of any of the above aspects or any of its implementations.

[0057] In the eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects or any of its implementation methods.

[0058] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0059] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0060] It can be understood that when the communication device provided in any one of the fifth to eighth aspects is a chip, the above-mentioned sending action / function can be understood as output, and the above-mentioned receiving action / function can be understood as input.

[0061] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any implementation method in the fifth to eleventh aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the corresponding implementation methods in the first to fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] It should be noted that various possible implementations of any of the above aspects can be combined under the premise that the solutions are not contradictory.

[0063] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a network device executing the method of the first aspect and a terminal device executing the method of the third aspect. Alternatively, the communication system comprises a network device executing the method of the second aspect and a terminal device executing the method of the fourth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a LP-WUS design;

[0065] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing a gradual increase in time offset on the terminal device side;

[0066] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of three transmission mechanisms of synchronization signals;

[0067] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an interaction method for sending and receiving signals provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of determining whether to send a second synchronization signal according to a preset rule according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG7 is an interactive diagram of another signal sending and receiving method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of determining whether to send a second synchronization signal according to another preset rule according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application is first given as follows.

[0075] 1. LP-WUR:

[0076] Terminal devices can adopt LP-WUR design to achieve energy-saving gains. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the LP-WUR workflow. As shown in Figure 1, LP-WUR has low power consumption and can be kept in the on state to monitor the wake-up signal (the wake-up signal designed for LP-WUR can be called LP-WUS). After LP-WUR detects the wake-up signal, it can determine whether the wake-up signal is sent to the terminal device to which LP-WUR belongs. If the wake-up signal is sent to the terminal device, LP-WUR can wake up the main receiver. If the wake-up signal is not sent to the terminal device, LP-WUR may not wake up the main receiver. When the main receiver is not awakened, it can be turned off or set to a deep sleep state. After the main receiver is awakened, it can transmit data or signaling.

[0077] In one possible scenario, the network side may send a wake-up signal to the terminal device when it wants to page the terminal device. In this case, the wake-up signal may have the function of paging the terminal device and may be called a paging signal.

[0078] Currently, LP-WUR can detect wake-up signals through periodic paging occasions. LP-WUR can start detecting wake-up signals at the start time domain position of the paging occasion. If a wake-up signal is detected within the paging occasion, detection ends. If no wake-up signal is detected within the paging occasion, detection ends at the end time domain position of the paging occasion. In other words, the terminal device can determine where to start detecting wake-up signals in the time domain based on the paging occasion.

[0079] In this article, opportunity refers to one or a continuous time domain resource, which will be explained here uniformly and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0080] It is understandable that, on the network side, the paging occasion is used to send a wake-up signal, and on the terminal device side, the paging occasion is used to detect the wake-up signal.

[0081] The paging occasion can be at the terminal device level, in which case a single terminal device has its own dedicated paging occasion, or at the terminal device group level, in which case all terminal devices in a terminal device group have the same paging occasion within a cycle.

[0082] The paging opportunity may be configured by the network side, or may be predefined, or may be determined by the terminal device itself, or may be determined by a combination of any of the above methods. For example, the network side may configure the duration of a single paging opportunity and the duration of the period to which the paging opportunity belongs. If the paging opportunity is at the terminal device level, the terminal device may determine the time domain position of the first paging opportunity based on its own identification code (ID). If the paging opportunity is at the terminal device level, the terminal device may determine the time domain position of the first paging opportunity based on the identification code (group ID) of the terminal device group to which it belongs. Thus, the time domain position of the periodic paging opportunity may be determined in combination with the configuration of the network device.

[0083] Terminal devices designed with LP-WUR typically use a simple architecture and are equipped with a low-precision clock in pursuit of lower power consumption. This may cause the LP-WUR to have a certain time offset when receiving the wake-up signal. As shown in Figure 2, the network side sends the wake-up signal during the paging period, and the LP-WUR detects the wake-up signal during the paging period. The time offset of the LP-WUR compared to the network side gradually increases over time. When the time offset is within a certain range, the LP-WUR can still detect the wake-up signal during the paging period. However, when the time offset accumulates to a certain threshold, the paging period on the network side and the paging period on the LP-WUR side may be completely staggered, resulting in the LP-WUR being unable to detect the LP-WUS, which in turn affects the normal operation of the terminal device.

[0084] In order to reduce the time deviation, one way is to send a synchronization signal to the LP-WUR so that the LP-WUR is synchronized in time. The synchronization signal sent to the LP-WUS can be an existing synchronization signal, for example, it can be a synchronization signal block (synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block, SSB) existing in the new radio (NR) system. Or, it can be a redesigned synchronization signal. The redesigned synchronization signal can be modulated based on different modulation methods, for example, it can be a synchronization signal based on on-off keying (OOK), or a synchronization signal based on frequency shift keying (FSK), or a synchronization signal based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), or a synchronization signal based on the fusion of the above different modulation methods.

[0085] Currently, there are several mechanisms for sending synchronization signals for LP-WUR designs:

[0086] Mechanism 1: Periodically send a synchronization signal. For example, as shown in (1) in Figure 3, synchronization signal 1 is sent periodically. Generally speaking, the periodically sent synchronization signal is at the cell level, that is, the network side sends the synchronization signal to all terminal devices using the LP-WUR design in a cell according to the same sending period. In this case, all terminal devices using the LP-WUR design in a cell can detect the synchronization signal at the same time according to the period.

[0087] Mechanism 2: The synchronization signal is sent together with the wake-up signal. In mechanism 2, the network side sends the synchronization signal before sending the wake-up signal only when it needs to send the wake-up signal. For example, as shown in (2) in Figure 3, the synchronization signal 2 is sent before the wake-up signal.

[0088] Mechanism 3: The periodically sent synchronization signal coexists with the synchronization signal sent along with the wake-up signal. As shown in (3) in Figure 3, while the periodically sent synchronization signal 1, the synchronization signal 2 is sent along with the wake-up signal.

[0089] However, the above-mentioned transmission mechanisms still have defects. If mechanism 1 is used, the configuration of the synchronization signal is likely to be at the cell level. However, different terminal devices using the LP-WUR design in the same cell may have different requirements for the transmission period of the synchronization signal. The transmission period of the synchronization signal configured on the network side may not meet the needs of different terminal devices. For example, assuming that in the same cell, the accuracy of the clock equipped with terminal device 1 is lower than the accuracy of the clock equipped with terminal device 2, in order to reduce the time deviation, the duration of the synchronization signal transmission period expected by terminal device 1 will be less than the duration of the synchronization signal transmission period expected by terminal device 2.

[0090] If the second mechanism is used, since the terminal device cannot determine whether the wake-up signal is sent or not, it cannot determine whether the synchronization signal is sent or not. Therefore, the terminal device needs to continuously detect the synchronization signal, which is not conducive to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0091] If mechanism three is used, the network side needs to send two synchronization signals in combination. Compared with mechanism one or two which only need to send one synchronization signal, the resource overhead is greatly increased, which may bring a greater burden to the resources on the network side.

[0092] Based on the defects of the current synchronization signal sending mechanism, the embodiment of the present application provides a signal sending and receiving method and proposes a new synchronization signal sending mechanism, which can reduce the resource overhead on the network side while achieving energy saving of terminal equipment.

[0093] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Among them, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and (or) c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the first indication information below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein the other information and the information to be indicated have an association relationship. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, the common parts of each piece of information can also be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by indicating the same information separately.

[0095] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or can be configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present application, "pre-definition", "pre-defined", "pre-configured" or "pre-configured" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. For example, it can be burned into the device when the device leaves the factory. The embodiment of the present application does not limit its specific implementation method. Among them, "saving" can mean saving in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially set separately and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

[0097] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a similar protocol family frame structure, or a related protocol used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0099] The technical solution provided in this application can be used in various communication systems, for example, it can be applied to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication system, such as the fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) system, 5G mobile communication system and its evolution system, vehicle to everything (V2X) system, long term evolution (LTE) and new radio (NR) hybrid networking system, or device to device (D2D) system, machine to machine (M2M) communication system, Internet of Things (IoT), and other next generation communication systems, such as the sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system.

[0100] It should be noted that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0101] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting communication system applicable to embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG4 , the communication system 10 includes a RAN 100, which includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device 120 (such as 120a-120j in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG4 ). The terminal device 120 can be connected to the network device 110 via a wireless connection.

[0102] As shown in Figure 4, the communication system 10 may optionally further include a core network (CN) 200. The RAN node 110 may be connected to the core network 200 via wireless or wired communication. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be separate physical devices, or they may be a single physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0103] As shown in Figure 4, optionally, the communication system 10 may further include the Internet 300. The Internet may be connected to the core network or the RAN.

[0104] The RAN 100 may be a 3GPP-related cellular system, 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 (Wi-Fi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0105] 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 terminal devices. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 4 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal device 120j accessing the RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 4 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0106] In one possible scenario, the RAN node may 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 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an on-board device, etc. For example, the access network device in the V2X technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node.

[0107] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices 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).

[0108] 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.

[0109] The RAN node may also be expressed in different ways, such as a network device. In this application, unless otherwise specified, the network device is used to express the node.

[0110] A terminal device may be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, and may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal device, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), IOT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. Terminal devices may be mobile phones, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal device.

[0111] The following uses the interaction between a network device and any terminal device as an example to expand the signal sending and receiving method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The processing performed by a single execution subject in the embodiment of the present application can also be divided into multiple execution subjects, and these execution subjects can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into at least one of the CU, DU and RU.

[0112] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may adopt the LP-WUR design described above. Alternatively, the terminal device may not adopt the LP-WUR design.

[0113] It should be noted that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0114] It should be noted that the time period (eg, the first time period, the second time period) in the following embodiments of the present application may be a certain moment, or may be one or a section of continuous time domain resources.

[0115] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the units of time domain resources. For example, the units may be absolute time units such as microseconds, milliseconds, or seconds. Alternatively, the units may be communication time units such as system frames (SFs), system subframes (minor frames), slots, symbols, or mini-slots.

[0116] As shown in Figure 5, a signal sending and receiving method is provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 takes the network device and the terminal device as the execution subjects of the interaction diagram as an example to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the network device in Figure 5 can also be a module such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the network device, or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the network device node. For another example, the terminal device in Figure 5 can also be a module such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the terminal device, or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device node. The signal sending and receiving method includes the following steps:

[0117] S501: A network device determines at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one sending opportunity is periodic and includes a first sending opportunity.

[0118] In S501, the timing for sending the first synchronization signal refers to a timing at which the first synchronization signal can be sent, and does not necessarily mean that the network device must send the first synchronization signal at that timing. Before any timing for sending the first synchronization signal, the network device may determine whether to send the first synchronization signal at that timing based on actual needs.

[0119] It is understandable that the timing of sending the first synchronization signal is periodic, which is equivalent to the first synchronization signal being a signal sent periodically. In the embodiment of the present application, the period to which the timing of sending the first synchronization signal belongs can also be referred to as the sending period of the first synchronization signal.

[0120] For determining at least one sending opportunity of the first synchronization signal, the network device can determine the duration of a single sending opportunity of the first synchronization signal, the duration of the cycle to which the sending opportunity of the first synchronization signal belongs, and the time domain position of the first sending opportunity of the first synchronization signal, thereby determining at least one sending opportunity of the first synchronization signal.

[0121] Optionally, the duration of a single transmission opportunity of the first synchronization signal and / or the duration of a cycle to which the transmission opportunity of the first synchronization signal belongs may be preset in the network device, or may be generated by the network device itself.

[0122] In the embodiment of the present application, preset can also be understood as predefined, preconfigured, pre-set, protocol-defined or pre-agreed (for example, pre-agreed between a terminal device and a network device). This is a unified explanation, and similar expressions can be understood in the following text.

[0123] Optionally, the network device and the terminal device may align the transmission timing of the first synchronization signal. For example, the network device may configure the duration of a single transmission timing of the first synchronization signal, the duration of a cycle to which the transmission timing of the first synchronization signal belongs, and the time domain position of the first transmission timing of the first synchronization signal to the terminal device through configuration information.

[0124] When the network device and the terminal device align the sending timing of the first synchronization signal, on the terminal device side, the sending timing of the first synchronization signal can also be called the receiving timing of the first synchronization signal, which can be used by the terminal device to receive the first synchronization signal.

[0125] S502. The terminal device determines at least one receiving opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one receiving opportunity is periodic and includes a first receiving opportunity.

[0126] In S502, the reception opportunity of the first synchronization signal refers to a time that can be used to receive the first synchronization signal, and does not mean that the terminal device can necessarily receive the first synchronization signal through the reception opportunity of the first synchronization signal.

[0127] Optionally, the reception timing of the first synchronization signal can be configured by the network device to the terminal device. For example, the network device can configure the duration of a single reception timing of the first synchronization signal, the duration of the cycle to which the reception timing of the first synchronization signal belongs, and the time domain position of the first reception timing of the first synchronization signal to the terminal device through configuration information. For another example, the duration of a single reception timing of the first synchronization signal, or the duration of the cycle to which the reception timing of the first synchronization signal belongs, can also be preset in the terminal device.

[0128] Alternatively, the timing for receiving the first synchronization signal may be determined based on a paging opportunity. In this case, there is a certain time interval between the timing for receiving the first synchronization signal and the paging opportunity of the terminal device. The terminal device may determine the timing for receiving the first synchronization signal based on the paging opportunity and the duration of the interval. For example, the duration of the interval may be preset or configured by the network device.

[0129] The paging occasion may be configured by the network device. For details, please refer to the above introduction to the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application, which will not be elaborated here.

[0130] In an embodiment of the present application, if two different time domain resources have a gap in the time domain (for example, the gap in the time domain between the reception timing of the first synchronization signal and the paging timing mentioned above, and for another example, the gap in the time domain between the first sending timing and the paging timing mentioned below), the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific gap between the two moments. Taking the first sending timing and the paging timing as an example, it can be the gap in the time domain between the end moment of the first sending timing and the start moment of the paging timing. For another example, it can be the gap in the time domain between the start moment of the first sending timing and the start moment of the paging timing. For another example, it can be the gap in the time domain between the end moment of the first sending timing and the end moment of the paging timing. Among them, the gap in the time domain between two different time domain resources, specifically the gap between the two moments, can be predefined.

[0131] In one possible scenario, on the network device side, the timing of receiving the first synchronization signal can be used by the network device to send the first synchronization signal. In this case, on the network device side, the timing of receiving the first synchronization signal can also be referred to as the timing of sending the first synchronization signal. For details, please refer to the above description of S501. It can be understood that in this case, the first synchronization signal is equivalent to being a periodically transmitted signal.

[0132] The present embodiment does not limit the timing between S501 and S502. FIG5 is merely an illustrative diagram for facilitating understanding of the present embodiment and does not represent the actual timing. For example, S501 may occur before or after S502, or S501 and S502 may occur simultaneously.

[0133] The above describes how a network device determines the timing for sending a first synchronization signal, and how a terminal device determines the timing for receiving the first synchronization signal. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine, based on a preset rule, whether to send a second synchronization signal within the period to which the first synchronization signal is sent. The terminal device can also determine, based on a preset rule, whether to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first synchronization signal is received.

[0134] The second synchronization signal is a synchronization signal of a different type from the first synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal may be a low power synchronous signal (LP-SS). The second synchronization signal may be a preamble.

[0135] Hereinafter, any transmission opportunity of the first synchronization signal is referred to as a first transmission opportunity, and any reception opportunity of the first synchronization signal is referred to as a first reception opportunity. In S503 and S504 below, taking the first transmission opportunity and the first reception opportunity as examples, respectively, a network device determining, according to a preset rule, whether to transmit the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, and a terminal device determining, according to a preset rule, whether to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs, are described in detail.

[0136] S503. A possible preset rule (hereinafter referred to as preset rule 1 for ease of description) is that if the following two conditions are met: the first transmission resource overlaps with the transmission resource of the first signal, and the priority of the first signal (or the transmission priority of the first signal) is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal (or the transmission priority of the first synchronization signal), then the network device transmits the second synchronization signal during a first time period. The first time period is within the cycle to which the first transmission opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first transmission opportunity.

[0137] The time domain resource of the first transmission resource is the first transmission opportunity. In other words, the first transmission resource is a resource used to transmit the first synchronization signal within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs.

[0138] The first signal may be any signal different from the first synchronization signal among the signals to be transmitted within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, for example, a signal for transmitting service data, an SSB, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a positioning-related signal, a wake-up signal, and the like. The first signal may be an NR signal, an LTE signal, or a signal of another communication system.

[0139] The first transmission resource and the transmission resource of the first signal may overlap in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, or code domain. It is understandable that the first transmission resource and the transmission resource of the first signal overlap in the time domain, that is, the first transmission opportunity and the transmission resource of the first signal overlap in the time domain.

[0140] The first sending resource overlaps with the sending resource of the first signal, and the resource overlap may be partial or complete.

[0141] It is understandable that if the transmission resource of the first signal overlaps with the first transmission resource, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal, then the network device will give priority to sending the first signal, and the first transmission opportunity is likely to be occupied to send the first signal. Since the first synchronization signal that could have been sent at the first transmission opportunity is not sent, in order to ensure low time deviation of the terminal device within the cycle to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, the network device can, based on preset rule 1, send the second synchronization signal to the terminal device in the first time period within the cycle to which the first transmission opportunity belongs.

[0142] Among them, the first sending resource is occupied by the first signal with higher priority, resulting in the first synchronization signal that should have been sent through the first sending opportunity not being actually sent. It can also be said that the first signal and the first synchronization signal have "collided".

[0143] Based on the signal sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application, when the periodic first synchronization signal and other signals "collide", the network device can send another synchronization signal - the second synchronization signal to ensure low time deviation. If the periodic first synchronization signal and other signals do not "collide", the network device does not need to send the second synchronization signal additionally. Using this sending mechanism, the network device can send another synchronization signal only when one synchronization signal cannot be sent. While ensuring low time deviation, energy saving is achieved on the network side and the device side. In addition, resource overhead is saved.

[0144] Optionally, a second synchronization signal can be sent along with the wake-up signal. In this alternative, if there are still wake-up signals to be sent within the period of the first transmission opportunity, the network device can send the second synchronization signal before sending the wake-up signal. This means that the first period is before the wake-up signal is sent. This second synchronization signal can reduce the time offset when the terminal device receives the wake-up signal.

[0145] For the case where the second synchronization signal is sent together with the wake-up signal, in one possible implementation, if the terminal device detects the wake-up signal through a configured paging opportunity, in order to enable the terminal device to detect the wake-up signal at the paging opportunity, the first time period may be within the first time length before the paging opportunity (referring to the paging opportunity within the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs).

[0146] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the unit of the first duration. For example, the unit of the first duration can be a communication time unit such as a symbol, a slot, a subframe, or a frame. Alternatively, the unit of the first duration can also be an absolute time unit such as milliseconds or seconds.

[0147] For the case where the first time period is within a first duration before the paging opportunity, the first duration may optionally be indicated by the network device to the terminal device. In this optional solution, the network device may send first indication information to the terminal device, and the terminal device accordingly receives the first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first duration.

[0148] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the message in which the first indication information is carried. For example, if the terminal device is in the radio resource control (RRC) idle state, the first indication information can be carried in the first synchronization signal, system information block (SIB), such as SIB1. If the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, the first indication information can be carried in RRC signaling, downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0149] Alternatively, the first duration may be predefined. In this case, the network device and the terminal device may predefine the same first duration.

[0150] Optionally, if the paging occasion is periodic, the duration of the period to which the paging occasion belongs may be the same as the duration of the period to which the first sending occasion belongs.

[0151] Alternatively, the duration of the cycle to which the paging opportunity belongs may be the same as the total duration of the cycles to which the multiple first transmission opportunities belong. In this case, the first synchronization signal may be repeatedly transmitted multiple times through the multiple first transmission opportunities within the cycle to which the paging opportunity belongs.

[0152] On the other hand, preset rule 1 can also be understood as, if any of the following two conditions is not met: the first sending resource overlaps with the sending resource of the first signal, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal, then the network device determines not to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0153] For example, if the first sending opportunity overlaps with the sending resources of the first signal in the time domain, but the priority of the first signal is lower than the first synchronization signal, the network device can still send the first synchronization signal at the first sending opportunity and not send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0154] The following describes, in conjunction with the exemplary case shown in FIG6 , how the network device determines, according to preset rule 1, whether to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs. Exemplarily, as shown in FIG6 , it is assumed that sending opportunities 1, 2, and 3 are all sending opportunities for the first synchronization signal. Within the period to which sending opportunity 1 belongs, both the first synchronization signal and the wake-up signal are sent. Since there is no first signal to be sent within this period, the second synchronization signal is not sent within this period according to preset rule 1. Within the period to which sending opportunity 2 belongs, the sending resources of the first signal overlap with sending opportunity 2 in the time domain, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal. Therefore, sending opportunity 2 is occupied to send the first signal, and the network device sends the second synchronization signal within the first time period before the paging opportunity within this period according to preset rule 1.

[0155] Optionally, for the scenario using preset rule 1, if it is determined that the first synchronization signal and the signal with higher priority among the first signals are sent through the first sending resource, and there are remaining resources in the first sending resource in addition to the resources required to transmit the signal with higher priority, then the remaining resources can be used to transmit the first synchronization signal and the signal with lower priority among the first signal.

[0156] For example, if the first transmission opportunity overlaps with the transmission resource of the first signal, the first synchronization signal is transmitted first. Assuming that the network device allocates 100 MHz of bandwidth for the first synchronization signal, and the first synchronization signal occupies 5 MHz of frequency domain resources, the first signal can use the remaining 95 MHz to transmit simultaneously with the first synchronization signal.

[0157] If the remaining resources are insufficient to transmit the entire lower-priority signal, in one possible implementation, the network device can perform rate matching while sending the lower-priority signal using the remaining resources to ensure that the lower-priority signal fits within the remaining resources. For example, the network device can perform puncturing on the first signal so that the remaining data can be transmitted using the remaining frequency domain resources.

[0158] If the remaining resources are insufficient to transmit the complete lower priority signal, in another possible implementation, the network device may use the remaining resources to send part of the lower priority signal and schedule additional resources to send the remaining lower priority signal, thereby sending the complete lower priority signal.

[0159] In one possible implementation, for the scenario using preset rule 1, to ensure low time deviation of the terminal device, the priority of the first synchronization signal can be set to the highest. In this case, even if the transmission resources of the first signal overlap with the first transmission resources, the first transmission opportunity can be guaranteed not to be occupied by the first signal and can still be used to send the first synchronization signal.

[0160] S504. A possible preset rule (hereinafter referred to as preset rule 2 for ease of description) is: if the first synchronization signal is not detected at the first reception opportunity, then detect the second synchronization signal at a second time period. The second time period is within the cycle of the first reception opportunity and is later than the end time of the first reception opportunity.

[0161] If the terminal device does not detect the first synchronization signal at the first reception opportunity, it means that on the network device side, there is a high probability that another signal has "collided" with the first synchronization signal, resulting in the network device not sending the first synchronization signal. In this case, the network device may send another synchronization signal, the second synchronization signal, during the period of the first reception opportunity to ensure low time deviation. For this scenario, based on preset rule 2, the terminal device can detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period only if the first synchronization signal is not received at the first reception opportunity. If the terminal device detects the first synchronization signal at the first reception opportunity, it does not need to additionally detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period. Using this reception mechanism, the terminal device can detect one synchronization signal only when another synchronization signal is not detected, while ensuring low time deviation and achieving energy saving on the terminal device side. In addition, it also saves resource overhead.

[0162] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a paging opportunity for detecting a wake-up signal, the second time period may be within a first duration before the paging opportunity (referring to a paging opportunity within a cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs).

[0163] The first duration may be specifically described in the above description of the first duration in S503 and will not be elaborated here.

[0164] Optionally, if the paging occasion is periodic, the duration of the period to which the paging occasion belongs may be the same as the duration of the period to which the first receiving occasion belongs.

[0165] From another perspective, the preset rule 2 can also be understood as, if the first synchronization signal is detected at the first receiving opportunity, then the second synchronization signal is not detected within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

[0166] If the terminal device detects the first synchronization signal during the first reception opportunity, it indicates that the first synchronization signal is being transmitted normally on the network device side. In this case, the network device may not transmit the second synchronization signal. In this scenario, based on preset rule 2, the terminal device does not need to detect the second synchronization signal during the second period of the cycle to which the first reception opportunity belongs, which helps save energy for the terminal device.

[0167] In one possible scenario, if the terminal device detects the first synchronization signal at the first receiving opportunity and the terminal device is configured with a paging opportunity, the terminal device determines not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs, while it can detect the wake-up signal at the paging opportunity (the paging opportunity within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs).

[0168] In another possible scenario, if the terminal device receives part of the first synchronization signal or part of other signals (such as the first signal introduced above) at the first receiving opportunity, the terminal device can delay the original end time of the first receiving opportunity for a certain period of time and continue to receive signals during the delayed period.

[0169] In addition, if the terminal device adopts the LP-WUR design, and the terminal device does not detect the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal within the period of multiple consecutive reception opportunities of the first synchronization signal, then the terminal device is very likely to be out of the coverage range of the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal. In this case, the terminal device can turn on the main receiver.

[0170] In addition, the first time period and the second time period can be considered to be the same time period. For example, the network device sends the second synchronization signal within a certain frame, and the terminal device also detects the second synchronization signal within the frame. In this case, the first time period and the second time period can be considered to be the frame, and the first time period and the second time period can be further considered to be the same. Alternatively, the first time period and the second time period can also be considered to be different time periods. For example, the network device sends the second synchronization signal within a certain symbol, and due to transmission delay, the terminal device detects the second synchronization signal in the next symbol. In this case, the first time period and the second time period can be considered to be different time periods.

[0171] As shown in Figure 7, another signal sending and receiving method is provided for an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 uses a network device and a terminal device as an example of the execution subject of the interaction diagram to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction diagram. For example, the network device in Figure 7 can also be a module such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the network device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the network device node functions. For another example, the terminal device in Figure 7 can also be a module such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor applied to the terminal device, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the terminal device node functions. The signal sending and receiving method includes the following steps:

[0172] S701. A network device determines at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal.

[0173] For details of S701, please refer to the above introduction to S501, which will not be elaborated here.

[0174] S702. The terminal device determines at least one reception opportunity of a first synchronization signal.

[0175] For details of S702, please refer to the above introduction to S502, which will not be elaborated here.

[0176] The present embodiment does not limit the timing between S701 and S702. FIG7 is merely an illustrative example for facilitating understanding of the present embodiment and does not represent the actual timing. For example, S701 may occur before or after S702, or S701 and S702 may occur simultaneously.

[0177] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may determine, based on a preset rule, whether to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first synchronization signal is sent. The terminal device may also determine, based on a preset rule, whether to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first synchronization signal is received.

[0178] Hereinafter, any transmission opportunity of the first synchronization signal is referred to as a first transmission opportunity, and any reception opportunity of the first synchronization signal is referred to as a first reception opportunity. In S703 and S704 below, taking the first transmission opportunity and the first reception opportunity as examples, respectively, a network device determining, according to a preset rule, whether to transmit the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, and a terminal device determining, according to a preset rule, whether to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs, are described in detail.

[0179] S703. A possible preset rule (hereinafter referred to as preset rule 3 for ease of description) is: if the time interval between the first transmission opportunity and the paging opportunity is greater than a first threshold, then the network device transmits the second synchronization signal in the first time period. Alternatively, preset rule 3 may be: if the time interval between the first transmission opportunity and the paging opportunity is not less than the first threshold, then the network device transmits the second synchronization signal in the first time period.

[0180] The paging opportunity is used to send a wake-up signal. The first time period is within the cycle of the first transmission opportunity and is later than the end time of the first transmission opportunity. The second synchronization signal is of a different type than the first synchronization signal. For details about the paging opportunity, the first time period, and the second synchronization signal, please refer to the above description of S501 and S503 and will not be elaborated here.

[0181] The interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, which means that there is a considerable interval between the first synchronization signal sent through the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain. In this case, if the network device sends a wake-up signal at the paging opportunity, since there is a considerable interval between the first synchronization signal and the wake-up signal in the time domain, the time deviation may be large when the terminal device receives the wake-up signal. For this scenario, based on preset rule 3, the network device can only send another synchronization signal, the second synchronization signal, to reduce the time deviation when the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold. If the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, the network device does not need to send the second synchronization signal. This signal sending mechanism can achieve energy saving of network equipment and save network-side resource overhead while ensuring low time deviation.

[0182] Optionally, the first time period may be within a first duration before the paging opportunity. The first duration may be indicated to the terminal device by the network device. In this solution, the network device may send third indication information to the terminal device, and accordingly, the terminal device receives the third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration. Alternatively, the first duration may be predefined. In this case, the network device and the terminal device may predefine the same first duration. For the case where the first time period is within the first duration before the paging opportunity, please refer to the above description of S503 for details, which will not be expanded here.

[0183] On the other hand, the preset rule 3 can also be understood as: if the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, then determining not to send the second synchronization signal in the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0184] The time domain interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity is less than or not greater than the first threshold, which means that the time domain interval between the first synchronization signal sent through the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity is not large. In this case, if the network device sends a wake-up signal at the paging opportunity, since the time domain interval between the first synchronization signal and the wake-up signal is not large, when the terminal device receives the wake-up signal, the time deviation should be within an acceptable range. For this scenario, based on preset rule 3, the network device can only send the first synchronization signal without having to send another synchronization signal - the second synchronization signal, thereby achieving energy saving of the network device and saving resource overhead on the network side.

[0185] In a scenario where the interval between the first transmission opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than a first threshold, and the network device determines not to transmit the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, the network device may optionally transmit second indication information to the terminal device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs. Accordingly, after receiving the second indication information, the terminal device may determine, based on the indication of the second indication information, that it is not necessary to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs, thereby facilitating energy saving of the terminal device.

[0186] It is understandable that, since, based on preset rule 3, if the network device determines to send the second synchronization signal, the network device sends the second synchronization signal during the first time period, the second indication information only needs to be sent before the first time period. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific sending time of the second indication information. For example, the network device may send the second indication information during the previous cycle of the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs. For another example, the network device may send the second indication information during the first sending opportunity.

[0187] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the message in which the second indication information is carried. For example, if the terminal device is in the radio resource control (RRC) idle state, the second indication information may be carried in the first synchronization signal or SIB1. If the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, the second indication information may be carried in RRC signaling, DCI, or MAC CE.

[0188] The first threshold in preset rule 3 can optionally be an indication from the network device to the terminal device. In this alternative, the network device can send fourth indication information to the terminal device, and the terminal device accordingly receives the fourth indication information, which is used to indicate the first threshold. Alternatively, the first threshold can be predefined, in which case the network device and the terminal device can predefine the same first threshold.

[0189] Optionally, the third indication information and the fourth indication information may be carried in the same message, or may be carried in different messages.

[0190] For example, FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a network device determining whether to transmit a second synchronization signal within a period to which a first transmission opportunity belongs, according to preset rule 3. As shown in FIG8 , it is assumed that transmission opportunities 1, 2, and 3 are all transmission opportunities for the first synchronization signal. Within the period to which transmission opportunity 1 belongs, the network device transmits the first synchronization signal within transmission opportunity 1 and transmits a wake-up signal within a paging opportunity. Because the time interval between transmission opportunity 1 and the paging opportunity within this period ( FIG8 takes the time interval between the end time of the transmission opportunity and the start time of the paging opportunity as an example) is greater than threshold y (i.e., the first threshold), the second synchronization signal is transmitted within the first time interval before the paging opportunity within this period, according to preset rule 3. Within the period to which transmission opportunity 2 belongs, the network device transmits the first synchronization signal within transmission opportunity 2 and transmits a wake-up signal within a paging opportunity. Because the time interval between transmission opportunity 2 and the paging opportunity within this period is less than threshold y, the second synchronization signal is not transmitted within this period, according to preset rule 3.

[0191] The above describes a possible preset rule 3. In one possible scenario, preset rule 3 may also be: if the time interval between the first sending opportunity and the sending time of the wake-up signal (the wake-up signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs) is greater than a first threshold, then the network device sends the second synchronization signal in the first time period. Alternatively, preset rule 3 may be: if the time interval between the first sending opportunity and the sending time of the wake-up signal is not less than the first threshold, then the network device sends the second synchronization signal in the first time period.

[0192] The first time period and the second synchronization signal may be specifically described in the above description of S501 and S503 and will not be elaborated here.

[0193] On the other hand, preset rule 3 can also be understood as, if the time domain interval between the first sending opportunity and the sending time of the wake-up signal is less than or not greater than the first threshold, it is determined that the second synchronization signal is not sent within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0194] In this scenario, the network device can determine whether to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs based on the time domain interval between the time of sending the wake-up signal and the first sending opportunity, and the relationship between the time and the first threshold. For specific implementation, please refer to the above introduction to the first possible preset rule 3, which will not be elaborated here.

[0195] S704. A possible preset rule (hereinafter referred to as preset rule 4 for ease of description) is: if the time interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity is greater than a first threshold, then the terminal device detects the second synchronization signal in the second time period. Alternatively, preset rule 4 is: if the time interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity is not less than the first threshold, then the terminal device detects the second synchronization signal in the second time period.

[0196] The paging opportunity is used to detect the wake-up signal. The second time period is within the cycle of the first receiving opportunity and is later than the end time of the first receiving opportunity. The second synchronization signal is of a different type than the first synchronization signal. For details about the paging opportunity, the second time period, and the second synchronization signal, please refer to the above description of S502 and S504 and will not be elaborated here.

[0197] The interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, which means that if the network device sends the first synchronization signal through the first receiving opportunity, there will be a considerable interval between the first synchronization signal and the paging opportunity in the time domain. In this case, in order to ensure low time deviation of the wake-up signal, the network device may send another synchronization signal-the second synchronization signal. For this scenario, based on preset rule 4, the terminal device can detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period only when the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold. If the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, the terminal device does not need to additionally detect the second synchronization signal in the second time period. This receiving mechanism can achieve energy saving on the terminal device side while ensuring low time deviation, and also saves resource overhead.

[0198] The time domain interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity may be specifically described in the above description of the time domain interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in S703, which will not be elaborated here.

[0199] Optionally, the second time period may be within the first time period before the paging occasion. Specific details of this situation can be found in the above description of the first time period being within the first time period before the paging occasion in S703, which will not be elaborated here.

[0200] On the other hand, the preset rule 4 can also be understood as, if the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, then determining not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

[0201] The time domain interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity is less than or not greater than the first threshold, which means that if the network device sends the first synchronization signal through the first receiving opportunity, the time domain interval between the first synchronization signal and the paging opportunity is not large. In this case, the time offset should be within an acceptable range, so the network device should not send another synchronization signal - the second synchronization signal. For this scenario, based on preset rule 4, the terminal device does not need to detect the second synchronization signal within the period of the first receiving opportunity, which is beneficial to energy saving of the terminal device.

[0202] In one possible scenario, the terminal device may also determine, under the instruction of the network device, not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs. In this optional solution, the terminal device may receive second indication information from the network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs. The terminal device may determine, based on the second indication information, not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs. The second indication information may be specifically described in the above description of the second indication information in S703 and will not be expanded here.

[0203] The first threshold in the preset rule 4 may optionally be an instruction given by the network device to the terminal device. Alternatively, the first threshold may be predefined. For details, please refer to the above description of the first threshold in S703, which will not be elaborated here.

[0204] In S703 and S704, the network device determines whether to send the second synchronization signal according to preset rule 3, and the terminal device determines whether to detect the second synchronization signal according to preset rule 4, which can occur one after the other (the network device can determine whether to send the second synchronization signal first, or the terminal device can determine whether to detect the second synchronization signal first), or they can occur simultaneously.

[0205] In addition, the first time period and the second time period can be considered to be the same time period. Alternatively, the first time period and the second time period can also be considered to be different time periods. For details, please refer to the above description and will not be elaborated here.

[0206] The above 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 a network device in the above method embodiments, or a device including the above network device, or a component usable for a network device; alternatively, the communication device may be a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a device including the above terminal device, or a component usable for a terminal device. It is 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.

[0207] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device can be divided into functional modules 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 module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be understood 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.

[0208] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 900. The communication device 900 includes a processing module 901 and a transceiver module 902. Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include a storage module 903. The transceiver module 902, also known as a transceiver unit, is used to implement transceiver functions and may be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0209] Taking the communication device 900 as the network device in the above embodiment as an example, in a possible implementation:

[0210] Processing module 901 is configured to determine at least one transmission opportunity for a first synchronization signal. The at least one transmission opportunity is periodic, and the at least one transmission opportunity includes the first transmission opportunity. Transceiver module 902 is configured to transmit a second synchronization signal during a first time period when the first transmission opportunity overlaps with a transmission resource for the first signal in the time domain and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal. The first time period is within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first transmission opportunity.

[0211] Optionally, the first time period is within a first time duration before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to send a wake-up signal.

[0212] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to send first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0213] In another possible implementation, a processing module 901 is configured to determine at least one transmission opportunity for a first synchronization signal. The at least one transmission opportunity is periodic, and the at least one transmission opportunity includes a first transmission opportunity. A transceiver module 902 is configured to transmit a second synchronization signal during a first time period when a time interval between the first transmission opportunity and a paging opportunity is greater than or not less than a first threshold, wherein the paging opportunity is used to transmit a wake-up signal, and the first time period is within the period to which the first transmission opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first transmission opportunity.

[0214] Optionally, the processing module 901 is further configured to determine not to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs when the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than a first threshold.

[0215] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

[0216] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 sends the second indication information, including: sending the second indication information in a previous cycle of the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs; or sending the second indication information in the first sending opportunity.

[0217] Optionally, the first time period is within a first duration before the paging occasion.

[0218] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to send third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0219] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to send fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold; or, the first threshold is predefined.

[0220] Taking the communication device 900 as the terminal device in the above embodiment as an example, in a possible implementation manner:

[0221] The processing module 901 is configured to determine at least one reception opportunity for a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one reception opportunity is periodic and includes the first reception opportunity. The transceiver module 902 is configured to detect a second synchronization signal in a second time period when the first synchronization signal is not detected at the first reception opportunity, wherein the second time period is within the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first reception opportunity.

[0222] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to detect a wake-up signal at a paging opportunity when the first synchronization signal is detected at the first receiving opportunity, and the paging opportunity is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

[0223] Optionally, the second time period is within a first time period before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to detect a wake-up signal.

[0224] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to receive first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first duration; or, the first duration is predefined.

[0225] In another possible implementation, a processing module 901 is configured to determine at least one reception opportunity for a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one reception opportunity is periodic and includes a first reception opportunity. A transceiver module 902 is configured to detect a second synchronization signal in a second time period when a time interval between the first reception opportunity and a paging opportunity is greater than or not less than a first threshold, wherein the paging opportunity is used to detect a wake-up signal, and the second time period is within the cycle to which the first reception opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first reception opportunity.

[0226] Optionally, the processing module 901 is further configured to determine not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs when the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than a first threshold.

[0227] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to receive second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist in the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs. The processing module 901 is further configured to determine, based on the second indication information, not to detect the second synchronization signal in the period to which the first reception opportunity belongs.

[0228] Optionally, the second time period is located within a first time period before the paging occasion.

[0229] Optionally, the transceiver module 902 is further configured to receive third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration. Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

[0230] The transceiver module 902 is further configured to receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold. Alternatively, the first threshold is predefined.

[0231] Among them, all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0232] Alternatively, the modules in FIG9 may also be referred to as units. For example, the processing module may be referred to as a processing unit, and the transceiver module may be referred to as a transceiver unit. In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG9 , the names of the units may not be those shown in the figure. For example, the transceiver module may also be referred to as a communication module or a communication unit.

[0233] If the various units in Figure 9 are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor (processor) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The storage medium for storing computer software products includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0234] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 900 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0235] In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art may appreciate that the communication device 900 may take the form of the communication device shown in FIG. 10 .

[0236] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes one or more processors 1001, a communication line 1002, and at least one communication interface (Figure 10 is only an example of including a communication interface 1004 and a processor 1001 for illustration), and may optionally also include a memory 1003.

[0237] The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0238] The communication line 1002 may include a path for connecting different components.

[0239] Communication interface 1004 may be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, terminals, and wireless local area networks (WLANs). For example, the transceiver module may be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. Alternatively, communication interface 1004 may be a transceiver circuit or input / output interface within processor 1001, used to implement signal input and output to the processor.

[0240] The memory 1003 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may be independent and connected to the processor via a communication line 1002. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0241] The memory 1003 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 1001. The processor 1001 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1003, thereby implementing the signal sending and receiving method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0242] Alternatively, optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 1001 may also perform functions related to the processing in the signal sending and receiving method provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 1004 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0243] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0244] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1001 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG10 .

[0245] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1000 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 1001 and the processor 1007 in Figure 10. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. The processor here may include but is not limited to at least one of the following: a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, etc., and each computing device may include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing.

[0246] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1000 may further include an output device 1005 and an input device 1006. The output device 1005 communicates with the processor 1001 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 1005 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 1006 communicates with the processor 1001 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 1006 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0247] The communication device 1000 described above may also sometimes be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 1000 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, an embedded device, or a device having a structure similar to that shown in FIG10 . The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the communication device 1000.

[0248] In addition, the composition structure shown in Figure 10 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. In addition to the components shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0249] Optionally, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 902 and the processing module 901 in FIG9 can be implemented by the processor 1001 in the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1003. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 901 in FIG9 can be implemented by the processor 1001 in the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1003, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 902 in FIG9 can be implemented by the communication interface 1004 in the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10.

[0250] It should be understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented in 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. The processor can be built into an SoC or ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0251] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a DSP chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a 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.

[0252] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the method in any of the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or it may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0253] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementation methods.

[0254] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the network device described in the above method embodiment and the terminal device described in the above method embodiment.

[0255] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented 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, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more media integrated therein. The available media may be magnetic media (eg, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (eg, DVDs), or semiconductor media (eg, solid state drives (SSDs)).

[0256] 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 may understand and implement other variations of 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 may 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.

[0257] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to encompass such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A signal sending method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one sending opportunity is periodic, and the at least one sending opportunity includes a first sending opportunity; If the first sending opportunity overlaps with the sending resources of the first signal in the time domain, and the priority of the first signal is higher than the priority of the first synchronization signal, then a second synchronization signal is sent in a first time period, and the first time period is within the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first sending opportunity, and the second synchronization signal is of a different type from the first synchronization signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first time period is within a first time period before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to send a wake-up signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first duration; Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

4. A signal sending method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine at least one sending opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one sending opportunity is periodic, and the at least one sending opportunity includes a first sending opportunity; If the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, a second synchronization signal is sent in a first time period, the paging opportunity is used to send a wake-up signal, the first time period is within the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs, and is later than the end time of the first sending opportunity, and the second synchronization signal is of a different type from the first synchronization signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the interval between the first sending opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than the first threshold, it is determined not to send the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist in a period to which the first sending opportunity belongs.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The sending of the second indication information includes: sending the second indication information in a previous cycle of the cycle to which the first sending opportunity belongs; or The second indication information is sent within the first sending opportunity.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that: The first time period is located within a first duration before the paging occasion.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration; Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold; Alternatively, the first threshold is predefined.

11. A signal receiving method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine at least one reception opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one reception opportunity is periodic, and the at least one reception opportunity includes a first reception opportunity; If the first synchronization signal is not detected at the first receiving opportunity, a second synchronization signal is detected in a second time period, the second time period is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first receiving opportunity, and the second synchronization signal is of a different type from the first synchronization signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that If the first synchronization signal is detected at the first receiving opportunity, a wake-up signal is detected at a paging opportunity, and the paging opportunity is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The second time period is located within a first time period before a paging occasion, and the paging occasion is used to detect a wake-up signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first duration; Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

15. A signal receiving method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine at least one reception opportunity of a first synchronization signal, wherein the at least one reception opportunity is periodic, and the at least one reception opportunity includes a first reception opportunity; If the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is greater than or not less than the first threshold, a second synchronization signal is detected in a second time period, and the paging opportunity is used to detect a wake-up signal. The second time period is within the cycle to which the first receiving opportunity belongs and is later than the end time of the first receiving opportunity. The second synchronization signal is of a different type from the first synchronization signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the interval between the first receiving opportunity and the paging opportunity in the time domain is less than or not greater than a first threshold, it is determined not to detect the second synchronization signal within the period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second synchronization signal does not exist within a period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs; It is determined not to detect the second synchronization signal within a period to which the first receiving opportunity belongs.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that: The second time period is located within a first time period before the paging occasion.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first duration; Alternatively, the first duration is predefined.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that: The method further comprises: receiving fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate the first threshold; Alternatively, the first threshold is predefined.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises: a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, or a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 4-10, or a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 11-14, or a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 15-20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes: a processor; the processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-3, or is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 4-10, or is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-14, or is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 15-20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the method of any one of claims 1 to 3 to be executed, or causes the method of any one of claims 4 to 10 to be executed, or causes the method of any one of claims 11 to 14 to be executed, or causes the method of any one of claims 15 to 20 to be executed.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 3 to be executed, or the method of any one of claims 4 to 10 to be executed, or the method of any one of claims 11 to 14 to be executed, or the method of any one of claims 15 to 20 to be executed.

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