Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method. The method comprises: sending a first synchronization signal block (SSB) on a first time-frequency resource, and sending a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource. The first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronization signal burst set (SS burst set), the first time-frequency resource comprises a first time-domain resource, the second time-frequency resource comprises a second time-domain resource, and the first synchronization signal burst set corresponds to a first system frame. The first time-domain resource is located in a first half frame, the second time-domain resource is located in a second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; alternatively, the interval between the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time-domain resource and the second time-domain resource are located in the first system frame.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 20, 2023, with application number 202311762664.7 and application name “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] In the new radio (NR) system, when a terminal accesses a base station, it synchronizes time and frequency with the base station through a synchronization signal / PBCH block (SSB) and simultaneously receives broadcast information. To improve SSB coverage, the base station uses different beams to repeatedly transmit SSBs in different directions. Because the energy in a particular beam direction is more concentrated, the terminal's SSB receive power can be higher, thereby improving SSB coverage. The set of SSBs transmitted in a single beam scan is called a synchronization burst set (SS burst set).

[0004] The maximum number of SSBs in an SS burst set varies for different frequency bands. For bands below 3 gigahertz (GHz), an SS burst set has a maximum of four SSBs, while for bands between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, it has a maximum of eight SSBs. However, at higher frequencies like 6 GHz, there are more broadcast beams for cell coverage, and each broadcast beam sends one SSB for terminal access. The current definition of the number of SSBs in an SS burst set is irrational, so designing the maximum number of SSBs in an SS burst set has become an urgent issue.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method, which increases the number of SSBs in a cell by expanding the number of SSBs included in an SS burst set, and can provide synchronization resources for more broadcast beams.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a network device, or by a chip or circuit, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0008] The communication method includes: sending a first synchronous broadcast information block SSB on a first time-frequency resource; sending a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; wherein the first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronous burst set SS burst set, the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronous burst set corresponds to a first system frame; wherein the first time domain resource is located in a first half frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds (ms), and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, taking the execution subject as a network device as an example, the network device transmits SSBs on the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set. Specifically, the multiple SSBs in the first SS burst set include a first SSB and a second SSB, and the first time domain resource of the first time-frequency resource corresponding to the first SSB and the second time domain resource of the second time-frequency resource corresponding to the second SSB are located in different half-frames of a certain system frame (e.g., the first time domain resource is located in the first half-frame, and the second time domain resource is located in the second half-frame; or, the first time domain resource is located in the second half-frame, and the second time domain resource is located in the first half-frame); in other words, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds (e.g., the system frame is 10 milliseconds). It can be understood that the multiple SSBs in the first SS burst set can be sent in a time-division manner, and are not limited to sending SSBs only in the half-frame of the system frame. This is equivalent to the time-frequency resource position and number of SSBs in the extended SSB burst set being able to provide more SSBs, thereby increasing the number of SSBs in the cell and providing synchronization resources for more broadcast beams.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first time-frequency resources include first frequency domain resources, the second time-frequency resources include second frequency domain resources, and the first frequency domain resources and the second frequency domain resources are the same.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a third SSB on a third time-frequency resource; sending a fourth SSB on a fourth time-frequency resource; wherein the third SSB and the third SSB are located in the first synchronization burst set, the third time-frequency resource includes a third time domain resource, and the fourth time-frequency resource includes a fourth time domain resource; wherein the third time domain resource is located in the first half frame, and the fourth time domain resource is located in the second half frame; or, the interval between the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first time domain resource is a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, and the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol is located in a first time slot; the second time domain resource is a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol, and the second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol is located in a second time slot.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the first SSB and the second SSB can be located on OFDM symbols in different time slots. This technical solution can continue to use the time unit granularity corresponding to the time domain resources of the existing SSB, without redefining the time unit granularity, thus reducing complexity.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, and the second time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, and the number of the first OFDM symbol in the first time slot is the same as the number of the second OFDM symbol in the second time slot, where n is an integer.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH corresponds to a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence, the second PBCH corresponds to a second DMRS sequence, and the first DMRS sequence and the second DMRS sequence are the same.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, the DMRS sequence corresponding to the PBCH of the SSB located on the same time domain resources can be the same, so there is no need to design different DMRS sequences for the PBCH of the SSB on the same time domain resources, reducing the resource overhead required to determine the DMRS sequence.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH includes first indication information, the second PBCH includes second indication information, the first indication information indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information indicates the second SSB.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, SSBs located on the same time domain resources are distinguished by the indication information carried in the PBCH, so that users can identify the SSB based on the indication information carried by the PBCH in the SSB. For example, in the case where 5G users and users in future communication systems share the spectrum, 5G users and users in future communication systems can identify the SSB through the indication information in the PBCH and determine the corresponding deployed SSB. There is no need to deploy SSB signals separately, which reduces the public overhead of the cell and improves the utilization of the spectrum.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information includes a first index, the first index indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information includes a second index, the second index indicates the second SSB.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information is indicated by the first bit in the first PBCH, and the second indication information is indicated by the second bit in the second PBCH, the value of the first bit is the same as the value of the second bit, the first bit includes at least one bit, and the second bit includes at least one bit.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first bit is located in a first field in the first PBCH, the second bit is located in a second field in the second PBCH, the first field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the first PBCH, and the second field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the second PBCH.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, the above-mentioned indication information for distinguishing SSBs located on the same time domain resources can be at least one bit in a certain field in the PBCH, and the certain field in the PBCH includes but is not limited to: a selection field (choice), a space field (spare), or a reserved field (reserved bit) in the PBCH, etc., that is, information indicating the SSB can be carried in different fields in the PBCH, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first synchronization burst set includes 16 SSBs, and the 16 SSBs are numbered from 0 to 15, and the time domain resources of the time-frequency resources corresponding to two SSBs with a number difference of 8 are located in different half frames of the first system frame, or the interval is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the numbering of the starting OFDM symbols of the time domain resources of the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs satisfies the following relationship: {4, 8, 16, 20,}+28*n+140*m, where the values ​​of m and n are 0 or 1; or {2, 8}+14*n+140*m, where n is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and m is =0 or 1.

[0025] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal device, or by a chip or circuit, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0026] The communication method includes: receiving a first synchronous broadcast information block SSB on a first time-frequency resource; receiving a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; wherein the first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronous burst set SS burst set, the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronous burst set corresponds to a first system frame; wherein the first time domain resource is located in a first half frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0027] For example, the description of the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set in the second aspect can refer to the description of the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here. In addition, the description of the relationship between the first time-frequency resource corresponding to the first SSB and the second time-frequency resource corresponding to the second SSB in the second aspect can also refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0028] The technical effects of the method shown in the above second aspect and its possible design can refer to the technical effects in the first aspect and its possible design.

[0029] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is configured to execute the first aspect and any one of its embodiments. Specifically, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program; the processor being configured to retrieve and execute the computer program from the memory, causing the communication device to execute the first aspect and any one of its embodiments.

[0030] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device. When the communication device is a network device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The processing unit may be at least one processor. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0031] In another implementation, the communication device may be a chip, chip system, or circuit in a network device. In this case, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is configured to execute the second aspect and any one of its embodiments. Specifically, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store a computer program; the processor being configured to retrieve and execute the computer program from the memory, causing the network device to execute the second aspect and any one of its embodiments.

[0033] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device. When the communication device is a network device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The processing unit may be at least one processor. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0034] In another implementation, the communication device may be a chip, chip system, or circuit in a terminal device. In this case, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0035] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method of any one of the implementation modes of the first and second aspects is executed.

[0036] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed, causes the method provided in any one of the implementations of the first and second aspects to be executed.

[0037] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions through the communication interface and executes the method provided by any one of the implementation modes of the first and second aspects above.

[0038] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, the memory stores a computer program or instructions, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by any one of the implementation methods of the first and second aspects above.

[0039] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the communication device of the third aspect and the communication device of the fourth aspect.

[0040] In a ninth aspect, a computer program is provided. When the computer program is executed, the method provided in any one of the implementations of the first and second aspects is executed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which the present application is applicable.

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of SSB.

[0043] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the SSB transmission process based on beam scanning.

[0044] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of candidate time domain positions of SSBs in an SS burst set.

[0045] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of resource allocation of an SS burst set provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made.

[0051] First, in this application, "used to indicate" can include being used for direct indication and being used for indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but it does not mean that the indication information must include A.

[0052] The information indicated by the indication information is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated. 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 this application. Among them, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to the protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. Among them, the configuration information can be, but is not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling and physical layer signaling. Among them, MAC layer signaling, for example, includes MAC control element (CE); physical layer signaling, for example, includes downlink control information (DCI).

[0053] Second, "at least one" shown in the present application refers to one or more, and "a plurality of" refers to two or more. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and various digital numbers (for example, "#1", "#2", etc.) are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of each process below does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that solutions other than the embodiments of the present application can be described. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "S510", "S520" are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the order of execution of steps.

[0054] Third, in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0055] Fourth, the term "storage" used in the embodiments of this application may refer to storage in one or more memories. The one or more memories may be provided separately or integrated into an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories may also be provided in part separately and in part integrated into a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The memory may be any type of storage medium, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0056] Fifth, the "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0057] Sixth, in the embodiments of the present application, "under the circumstances", "when", and "if" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be pointed out that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings they intend to express are consistent.

[0058] Seventh, in the embodiments of this application, various terms and English abbreviations, such as radio resource control (RRC), are provided for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms in existing or future protocols that can achieve the same or similar functions.

[0059] Eighth, the term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0060] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in the present application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication system or other communication systems.

[0062] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the communication system to which the present application applies is first described in conjunction with FIG1 , for example. The terminal equipment in the embodiments of the present application may refer to an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a relay station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, user equipment (UE), a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The terminal equipment may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network, a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), or a terminal device in a future Internet of Vehicles, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0063] For example, in the embodiments of the present application, wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear. Such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. In a broad sense, wearable smart devices include full-featured devices that can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones. For example: smart watches or smart glasses. In addition, it can also be a portable device that only focuses on a certain type of application function and needs to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones. Such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0064] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network that interconnects humans and machines, and objects and things. In the embodiments of the present application, IoT technology can achieve massive connections, deep coverage, and terminal power saving through, for example, narrowband (NB) technology.

[0065] In addition, in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also include a sensor, whose main functions include collecting data (part of the terminal device), receiving control information and downlink data from the network device, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to the network device.

[0066] The network device in the embodiment of the present application can be any communication device with wireless transceiver functions for communicating with a terminal device. The device includes but is not limited to: an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a home evolved Node B (HeNB, or home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc., and can also be a 5G system, such as a gNB in ​​an NR system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0067] 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, the radio access network may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. 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. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0068] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device or network device includes a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system layer. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory (also called main memory). The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that implement business processing through processes, for example, operating system, operating system, operating system, Operating system or Operating system, etc. The application layer includes applications such as browsers, address books, word processing software, and instant messaging software.

[0070] In addition, various aspects or features of the present application can be implemented as methods, devices, or products using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "product" as used in this application covers computer programs that can be accessed from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes, etc.), optical disks (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). In addition, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable storage medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0071] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application will first be described in detail using the communication system shown in FIG1 as an example. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system 100 may include at least one network device 101 and at least one terminal device 102 to 107. Terminal devices 102 to 107 may be mobile or fixed. Network device 101 and one or more of terminal devices 102 to 107 may communicate via wireless links. Each network device may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area and may communicate with terminal devices within that coverage area.

[0072] Optionally, terminal devices can communicate directly with each other. For example, direct communication between terminal devices can be achieved using device-to-device (D2D) technology. As shown in Figure 1, terminal devices 105 and 106, and terminal devices 105 and 107 can communicate directly using D2D technology. Terminal devices 106 and 107 can communicate with terminal device 105 individually or simultaneously.

[0073] Terminal devices 105 to 107 may also communicate with network device 101. For example, they may communicate directly with network device 101, as shown in the figure, where terminal devices 105 and 106 may communicate directly with network device 101. They may also communicate indirectly with network device 101, as shown in FIG1 , where terminal device 107 communicates with network device 101 via terminal device 105.

[0074] Each communication device can be configured with multiple antennas. For each communication device in communication system 100, the multiple antennas configured may include at least one transmit antenna for sending signals and at least one receive antenna for receiving signals. Therefore, the communication devices in communication system 100 can communicate with each other using multi-antenna technology.

[0075] The interface between the network device and the terminal device can be a Uu interface (or air interface). Of course, in future communications, the names of these interfaces may remain unchanged, or may be replaced by other names, and this application is not limited to this. For example, the communication between the network device and the terminal device follows a certain protocol layer structure. The network layering is to send, forward, package or unpack data of the network nodes (such as network devices and terminal devices), and control the loading or unpacking of information, etc., which are completed by different hardware and software modules respectively. This can make the complex problem of communication and network interconnection simpler.

[0076] It should be understood that Figure 1 is merely a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding, and the communication system 100 may also include other network devices or other terminal devices (not shown in Figure 1). For example, the communication system 100 may also include core network devices. On the one hand, the access network device provides wireless access connections for terminal devices and can send data to or receive data from terminal devices. On the other hand, the access network device also has a connection with the core network device and can forward data received from the terminal device to the core network, or receive data from the core network that needs to be sent to the terminal device.

[0077] For example, the communication system 100 may further include an application function (AF) network element, which is a control plane network function provided by the operator network and is used to provide application layer information; the communication system 100 may further include a session management function (SMF) network element, which is a control plane network function provided by the operator network. In the embodiment of the present application, when the communication system 100 includes the AF network element and the SMF network element, the AF can send service-related information to the network device via the SMF.

[0078] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, some basic concepts involved in the present application are briefly explained.

[0079] 1. Synchronization signal / PBCH block (SSB): When a terminal device in the NR system accesses a base station, it can synchronize time and frequency with the base station through the synchronization signal / PBCH block and obtain broadcast information.

[0080] Specifically, the SSB includes a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The synchronization signal includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). Terminal devices can use the PSS and SSS to synchronize time and frequency with the base station and obtain the physical layer cell identifier (PCI). The PBCH mainly carries broadcast information, including the master information block (MIB) from the upper layer and timing-related information from the physical layer. The SSB can also be used for channel quality measurement, radio resource management (RRM) measurement, and radio link monitor (RLM).

[0081] For example, the physical time-frequency resources included in an SSB are shown in Table 1 below:

[0082] Table 1

[0083] In addition, for ease of understanding, the structure of an SSB is briefly introduced in conjunction with Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, an SSB includes PSS, SSS and PBCH.

[0084] 2. Time domain position of SSB: To improve the coverage performance of SSB, NR introduces a beam sweeping mechanism to transmit SSB. The base station uses different beams to repeatedly transmit SSB in different directions. For a certain beam direction, since the energy is more concentrated, the terminal's SSB receiving power can be higher, thereby improving the coverage performance of SSB. For the above beam-based SSB transmission process, different SSB beams are time-division multiplexed, that is, the base station uses different beams to send SSB at different times. The set of SSBs scanned by a beam is called a synchronization burst set (SS burst set).

[0085] Specifically, the NR protocol specifies that an SS burst set lasts 5 milliseconds, meaning all SSB beams are transmitted within 5 milliseconds, with the 5 milliseconds occurring in the first or last half of a 10-ms system frame. Furthermore, SS burst sets are transmitted periodically in the time domain. The periodic transmission of an SS burst set can also be considered the periodic transmission of each SSB in the SS burst set, so the SS burst set period can also be considered the SSB period. During the initial access phase, the terminal defaults to a 20-ms SS burst set period.

[0086] For ease of understanding, the SSB transmission process based on beam scanning is briefly introduced in conjunction with Figure 3. As can be seen from Figure 3, an SS burst set (such as synchronization burst set #1 as shown in Figure 3) includes L SSBs (such as SSB#1, SSB#2, ..., SSB#L as shown in Figure 3), and the L SSBs are sent within 5 milliseconds, and the SSB period is 20 milliseconds (the time interval between the first SSB#1 and the second SSB#1 as shown in Figure 3 is 20 milliseconds). In addition, it can be seen from Figure 3 that the L SSBs included in the SS burst set are sent on M beams (such as beam #1, beam #2, ..., beam #M as shown in Figure 3), and M and L are positive integers greater than 1.

[0087] 3. Maximum number of SSBs: The maximum number of SSBs in a synchronization burst set varies for different frequency bands. For frequency bands below 3 GHz, an SS burst set has a maximum of 4 SSBs, and SSB beam scanning is performed on a maximum of 4 beams. For frequency bands between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, an SS burst set has a maximum of 8 SSBs, and SSB beam scanning is performed on a maximum of 8 beams. For frequency bands above 6 GHz, i.e., FR2, an SS burst set has a maximum of 64 SSBs, and SSB beam scanning is performed on a maximum of 64 beams.

[0088] Furthermore, the time-domain positions of multiple SSBs within an SS burst set within 5 milliseconds are predefined by the protocol and are related to the subcarrier spacing (SCS). For ease of understanding, Figure 4 briefly illustrates the candidate time-domain positions of SSBs within an SS burst set. As shown in Figure 4, for the frequency band between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, when the SCS is 15 kHz, the positions of the eight SSBs (the index of the starting symbol, i.e., the first symbol) are: {2, 8} + 14·n, where n = 0, 1.

[0089] It should be noted that the number of SSBs mentioned above is only the maximum number in an SS burst set. In fact, the base station can send all or part of the SSBs as needed, and the sent SSBs do not have to be at continuous SSB candidate positions. For example, for the 8 SSB candidate positions in Figure 4, the base station can select any several of the candidate positions to send SSBs.

[0090] 4. Frequency Domain Position of SSB: NR defines that all SSBs are located on the synchronization raster, which defines the candidate frequency locations of SSBs. During the initial access phase, the terminal device can detect SSBs on the synchronization raster to perform cell search, obtain time and frequency synchronization with the cell, and detect the cell's physical cell identifier (PCI).

[0091] For all frequency bands, NR defines a global synchronization raster. The frequency position of SSB is defined as SS REF And the corresponding sequence number GSCN. Define the SS of all frequency bands REF And GSCN parameters are shown in Table 2 or Table 3 below:

[0092] Table 2: GSCN parameters for the global frequency grid

[0093] Table 3: GSCN parameters for the global frequency grid

[0094] The mapping relationship between the synchronization grid and the corresponding resource units of the SSB is: the RE with an index of 120 of the SSB is located on the synchronization grid.

[0095] It should be noted that the above SSB must be located on the synchronization grid, which is more for the cell-defined SSB (CD-SSB). Corresponding to it is the non-cell-defined SSB (NCD-SSB). CD-SSB is an SSB that can be used for cell search and access. Generally, CD-SSB will be associated with SIB1. After receiving SSB, the terminal can continue to receive the associated SIB1 for cell residency, access, etc. Therefore, CD-SSB must be located on the synchronization grid. NCD-SSB is generally only used for measurement, not for cell search and access, etc., and will not be associated with SIB1. Therefore, NCD-SSB is not required to be located on the synchronization grid. It is generally left to the base station to implement and can be placed on the synchronization grid or not.

[0096] 5. PBCH content: The high-level bits of 5G PBCH are as follows:

[0097] In addition, there are an additional 9 bits in the PBCH payload, including a 1-bit choice bit and 8-bit physical layer bits. For low-frequency systems, the first 4 bits are the last 4 bits of the system frame number, the 5th bit is the half-frame identifier, the 6th bit is the last bit of Kssb, and the 7th and 8th bits are reserved.

[0098] 6. Expanding the number of SSBs: Subsequent communication protocols may use higher frequencies, thus requiring higher coverage performance. For example, 5G systems and future communication systems may be deployed on the same frequency. Future communication systems use more SSBs for coverage, and 5G will also deploy SSB signals. Therefore, two sets of SSB signals may need to be deployed within the same frequency range.

[0099] The above text, in combination with Figure 1, briefly introduces the scenarios in which the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied, as well as the basic concepts that may be involved in the embodiment of the present application. The SSB transmission method is introduced in the basic concepts, and multiple SSB beams in an SS burst set are sent using time division multiplexing.

[0100] The SSB transmission method may have the following problems:

[0101] 1) At sub-6 GHz frequencies, an SSB burst set can contain up to eight SSB bursts. However, at higher frequencies such as 6 GHz, there are more broadcast beams for cell coverage. Each broadcast beam requires an SSB burst for UE access. Therefore, eight SSB bursts are insufficient for medium-frequency cell broadcast coverage.

[0102] 2) The independent deployment of SSB signals in 5G and future communication systems will increase the public overhead of the cell and is not conducive to improving spectrum utilization.

[0103] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem of insufficient number of SSBs, and to share SSB signals between 5G and future communication systems to reduce system overhead and improve spectrum utilization, the present application provides a communication method, which performs frequency division multiplexing between different SSB beams in the same cell, that is, different SSB beams use different frequency resources for transmission, thereby expanding the number of SSBs in an existing SSB burst set.

[0104] It should be understood that the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a system that communicates using a multi-antenna technology, for example, the communication system 100 shown in Figure 1. The communication system may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device.

[0105] It should also be understood that the embodiments shown below do not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be a terminal device, or a functional module in the terminal device that can call and execute the program.

[0106] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0107] S510: The network device and the terminal device determine time-frequency resources corresponding to multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set.

[0108] Before transmitting the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set, the network device and the terminal device can determine the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set, or in other words, the network device and the terminal device can obtain the time-frequency resources to which the multiple SSBs are mapped.

[0109] It should be understood that the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first SS burst set may be predefined by the protocol or configured by the management device. For example, the protocol defines the maximum number of SSBs that can be included in the corresponding SS burst set under different frequency bands, wherein the time domain positions of the multiple SSBs in an SS burst set within the system frame are predefined by the protocol and are related to the SCS.

[0110] Specifically, the first SS burst set may be any SS burst set. The first SS burst set corresponds to (or maps to) the first system frame, and all SSBs included in the first SS burst set are sent on the first system frame.

[0111] The first SS burst set includes multiple SSBs, each of which corresponds to a time-frequency resource. For example, for a frequency band between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, the first SS burst set includes 16 SSBs (e.g., SSB#0, SSB#2, ..., SSB#14, SSB#15), and the 16 SSBs correspond one-to-one to the 16 time-frequency resources (e.g., SSB#0 corresponds to time-frequency resource#0, SSB#0 corresponds to time-frequency resource#1, ....SSB#14 corresponds to time-frequency resource#14, and SSB#15 corresponds to time-frequency resource#15). For example, for frequency bands below 3 GHz, the first SS burst set includes 8 SSBs (e.g., SSB#0, SSB#2, ...SSB#6, SSB#7), and the 8 SSBs correspond one-to-one to 8 time-frequency resources (e.g., SSB#0 corresponds to time-frequency resource #0, SSB#0 corresponds to time-frequency resource #1, ....SSB#6 corresponds to time-frequency resource #6, and SSB#7 corresponds to time-frequency resource #7).

[0112] In this embodiment, a certain SSB corresponds to a certain time-frequency resource, which can be understood as the SSB being carried on the time-frequency resource, or the SSB being transmitted on the time-frequency resource.

[0113] It should be understood that the time-frequency resources involved in this embodiment include time domain resources and frequency domain resources, wherein the time domain resources can be time slots, symbols, subframes and other time units that can represent time domain resources, and the frequency domain resources can be subcarriers and other frequency domain units that can represent time domain resources.

[0114] In this embodiment, the multiple SSBs included in the above-mentioned first SS burst set include but are not limited to: the first SS burst set includes a first SSB and a second SSB, wherein the first SSB corresponds to the first time-frequency resource (or the first SSB corresponds to the first time-frequency resource, and the first SSB matches the first time-frequency resource (map)), and the second SSB corresponds to the second time-frequency resource (or the second SSB corresponds to the second time-frequency resource, and the second SSB matches the second time-frequency resource).

[0115] The first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, the first time domain resource is located in the first half frame, the second time domain resource is located in the second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds (for example, the first system frame is 10 milliseconds), and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame, that is, the multiple SSBs in the first SS burst set are not limited to sending SSBs in a certain half frame of the system frame (for example, the first half frame or the second half frame), which is equivalent to the time-frequency resource position and number of SSBs in the extended SSB burst set being able to provide more SSBs, thereby increasing the number of SSBs in the cell and providing synchronization resources for more broadcast beams.

[0116] In this embodiment, "half frame" can be understood as half of a system frame, and can also be referred to as "half", "partial frame", etc. For example, if the first system frame is 10 milliseconds, the first half frame of the first system frame refers to the first 5 milliseconds of the 10 milliseconds, and the second half frame of the first system frame refers to the last 5 milliseconds of the 10 milliseconds.

[0117] For example, for a frequency band between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, when SSBs are transmitted in a time division multiplexing manner in the first half of a system frame (e.g., the system frame is 10 milliseconds, in the first 5 milliseconds of the first system frame), an SS burst set includes a maximum of 8 SSBs. If, based on the SSB time-frequency resource allocation method in this embodiment, SSBs can also be transmitted in other time units outside the first half of the system frame (e.g., the second half of the frame), then for a frequency band between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, an SS burst set includes a maximum of 8*n SSBs, where n is an integer greater than 1. For example, for a frequency band between 3 GHz and 6 GHz, the first SS burst set includes 16 SSBs, and the positions (starting symbols, i.e., the index of the first symbol) of the 16 SSBs are: {4, 8, 16, 20,}+28*n+140*m, where m and n are 0 or 1; or {2, 8}+14*n+140*m, where n is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and m is 0 or 1.

[0118] Optionally, the first time domain resource in the first time-frequency resource corresponding to the above-mentioned first SSB may be: the first OFDM symbol in the first time slot, and the second time domain resource in the second time-frequency resource corresponding to the second SSB may be: the second OFDM symbol in the second time slot. The first OFDM symbol includes one or more OFDM symbols, which can be understood as the first time domain resource occupying one or more OFDM symbols, and the one or more OFDM symbols are collectively referred to as the first OFDM symbol; similarly, the second OFDM symbol includes one or more OFDM symbols, which can be understood as the second time domain resource occupying one or more OFDM symbols, and the one or more OFDM symbols are collectively referred to as the second OFDM symbol.

[0119] Optionally, the first time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, and the second time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13. The number of the first OFDM symbol in the first time slot is the same as the number of the second OFDM symbol in the second time slot, where n is an integer. For example, the first OFDM symbol is the symbols numbered 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the first time slot, and the second OFDM symbol is the symbols numbered 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the second time slot.

[0120] In addition, the first time-frequency resources include first frequency domain resources, the second time-frequency resources include second frequency domain resources, and the first frequency domain resources and the second frequency domain resources are the same or different.

[0121] It should be noted that the above-mentioned first SSB and second SSB are only examples and do not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application, that is, the first SS burst set also includes SSB. For example, the first SS burst set also includes a third SSB and a fourth SSB, the third SSB corresponds to a third time-frequency resource, the fourth SSB corresponds to a fourth time-frequency resource, the third time-frequency resource includes a third time domain resource, and the fourth time-frequency resource includes a fourth time domain resource, wherein the third time domain resource is located in the first half frame and the fourth time domain resource is located in the second half frame; or, the interval between the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0122] Optionally, the time domain interval in the first SS burst set is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds and the two corresponding DMRS sequences are the same. For example, the first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH corresponds to a first demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence, the second PBCH corresponds to a second DMRS sequence, and the first DMRS sequence and the second DMRS sequence are the same.

[0123] Exemplarily, the first PBCH includes first indication information, the second PBCH includes second indication information, the first indication information indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information indicates the second SSB. For example, the first indication information includes a first index, the first index indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information includes a second index, and the second index indicates the second SSB.

[0124] By way of example and not limitation, the first indication information is indicated by the first bit in the first PBCH, and the second indication information is indicated by the second bit in the second PBCH. The value of the first bit and the value of the second bit are the same, the first bit includes at least one bit, and the second bit includes at least one bit. For example, the first bit includes X bits, and the second bit includes X bits. For another example, the first bit is 1 bit, and the second bit is 1 bit. The value of the first bit is 0, and the value of the second bit is 0, or the value of the first bit is 1, and the value of the second bit is 1, or the value of the first bit is A, and the value of the second bit is A.

[0125] Optionally, the first bit is located in a first field in the first PBCH, and the second bit is located in a second field in the second PBCH, the first field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the first PBCH, and the second field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the second PBCH. The reserved field includes spare or reserved.

[0126] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the first SS burst set may also include SSBs other than the above-mentioned first SSB, second SSB, third SSB or fourth SSB. For example, the first SSB burst set includes 16 SSBs, and the 16 SSBs are numbered from 0 to 15, and the time domain resources of the time-frequency resources corresponding to two SSBs with a number difference of 8 are located in different half frames of the first system frame, or the interval is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds.

[0127] For ease of understanding, the following describes, with reference to specific examples, how the SSBs included in the first SS burst set broadcast by the network device are carried on different time-frequency resources.

[0128] As shown in Figure 6, the resource allocation of the SS burst set broadcast by the network device in a TDD cycle is as follows: in the time domain, the 16 SSBs included in the SS burst set are sent in 8 downlink time slots, and there are 2 SSB bursts in each downlink time slot. The 16 SSB bursts are numbered from 0 to 15, and the SSBs numbered 0 and 1 are located in the first downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 2 and 3 are located in the second downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 4 and 5 are located in the third downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 6 and 7 are located in the fourth downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 8 and 9 are located in the fifth downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 10 and 11 are located in the sixth downlink time slot, the SSBs numbered 12 and 13 are located in the seventh downlink time slot, and the SSBs numbered 14 and 15 are located in the eighth downlink time slot.

[0129] Among them, the time domain position difference between the SSB numbered 0 in the first downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 8 in the fifth downlink time slot is 5 milliseconds (or the SSB numbered 0 in the first downlink time slot is located in the first half frame of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 8 in the fifth downlink time slot is located in the second half frame of the system frame), and the time domain position difference between the SSB numbered 1 in the first downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 9 in the fifth downlink time slot is 5ms (or the SSB numbered 1 in the first downlink time slot is located in the first half frame of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 9 in the fifth downlink time slot is located in the second half frame of the system frame); The time domain positions of the SSB numbered 2 in the second downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 10 in the sixth downlink time slot differ by 5 ms (or the SSB numbered 2 in the second downlink time slot is located in the first half of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 10 in the sixth downlink time slot is located in the second half of the system frame). The time domain positions of the SSB numbered 3 in the second downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 11 in the sixth downlink time slot differ by 5 ms (or the SSB numbered 3 in the second downlink time slot is located in the first half of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 11 in the sixth downlink time slot is located in the second half of the system frame). The time domain positions of the SSB numbered 4 in the third downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 12 in the seventh downlink time slot differ by 5 ms (or the SSB numbered 4 in the third downlink time slot is located in the first half of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 12 in the seventh downlink time slot is located in the second half of the system frame); the time domain positions of the SSB numbered 5 in the third downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 13 in the seventh downlink time slot differ by 5 ms (or the SSB numbered 5 in the third downlink time slot is located in the first half of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 13 in the seventh downlink time slot is located in the second half of the system frame); The time domain position difference between the SSB numbered 6 in the fourth downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 14 in the eighth downlink time slot is 5ms (or the SSB numbered 6 in the fourth downlink time slot is located in the first half frame of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 14 in the eighth downlink time slot is located in the second half frame of the system frame); the time domain position difference between the SSB numbered 7 in the fourth downlink time slot and the SSB numbered 15 in the eighth downlink time slot is 5ms (or the SSB numbered 7 in the fourth downlink time slot is located in the first half frame of the system frame, and the SSB numbered 15 in the eighth downlink time slot is located in the second half frame of the system frame).

[0130] Optionally, the number of the OFDM symbol occupied by the SSB numbered 0 in the first downlink time slot is the same as the number of the OFDM symbol occupied by the SSB numbered 8 in the fifth downlink time slot; similarly, the number of the OFDM symbol occupied by the SSB numbered 1 in the first downlink time slot is the same as the number of the OFDM symbol occupied by the SSB numbered 9 in the fifth downlink time slot, and so on. For other SSBs with a time domain interval difference of 5ms, the OFDM symbols they are located in different time slots have the same number, which will not be repeated here.

[0131] It should be understood that the resource configuration shown in Figure 6 is only an example and does not constitute any limitation to the scope of protection of this application. For example, the time domain positions of two SSBs with a number difference of 8 or 16 differ by 5ms; for example, the time slot in which the SSB is located can be a time slot other than the downlink time slot shown in Figure 6 (such as a flexible time slot, an uplink time slot, etc.).

[0132] S520, the network device sends multiple SSBs to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives multiple SSBs from the network device.

[0133] Specifically, the network device can send multiple SSBs to the terminal device on the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs, and the corresponding terminal device can receive multiple SSBs from the network device on the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs. That is, after determining the time-frequency resources corresponding to the multiple SSBs in the first SS burst set according to the method shown in the above step S510, the network device and the terminal device can perform SSB transmission on the determined time-frequency resources.

[0134] For example, the network device sends the first SSB on the first time-frequency resource, and the terminal device receives the first SSB on the first time-frequency resource; for another example, the network device sends the second SSB on the second time-frequency resource, and the terminal device receives the third SSB on the second time-frequency resource; for another example, the network device sends the third SSB on the third time-frequency resource, and the terminal device receives the third SSB on the third time-frequency resource; for another example, the network device sends the fourth SSB on the fourth time-frequency resource, and the terminal device receives the fourth SSB on the fourth time-frequency resource.

[0135] For example, the network device may use multiple beams to transmit multiple SSBs in the first SS burst set in different directions. This embodiment does not limit the process and method of the network device actually transmitting the SSB. For reference, the description of the network device transmitting the SSB after determining the time-frequency resources corresponding to the SSB in the current related art may be used, and will not be repeated here.

[0136] In the communication method shown in FIG5 , by defining the time-frequency resource position and number of the SSB in the extended SSB burst set, more SSBs can be provided, thereby increasing the number of SSBs in the cell, providing synchronization resources for more broadcast beams, and thus achieving better cell coverage. In addition, different SSBs in the same SSB burst set are distinguished by the different half-frames or 5-millisecond periods in which they are located, so that users can identify the SSB by the period in which the SSB is located. For example, in the case where 5G users and users in future communication systems share spectrum, 5G users and users in future communication systems can identify the SSB by the period in which the SSB is located and determine the corresponding deployed SSB (e.g., 5G users correspond to the SSB in the first period, and users in future communication systems correspond to the SSB in the second period). There is no need to deploy SSB signals separately, which reduces the public overhead of the cell and improves spectrum utilization.

[0137] It should be noted that the position of the SSB involved in the communication method shown in Figure 5 can be understood as an SSB pattern, that is, the position of the SSB can be illustrated by designing an SSB pattern, and there is no need to define the position of the SSB by indicating the time-frequency resources corresponding to different SSBs as mentioned above. For example, the position of the SSB can be defined (the starting symbol, that is, the index of the first symbol) as: {4,8,16,20,}+28*n+140*m, where m and n are 0 or 1; or, {2,8}+14*n+140*m, where n is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and m is =0 or 1, which directly represents the position of the SSB. It can be understood that the method of defining the SSB pattern can be implemented independently without the limitation of the time-frequency resources corresponding to different SSBs mentioned above.

[0138] The positions of different SSBs in the above-mentioned SSB pattern are merely examples and do not limit the scope of protection of this application. For example, the above-mentioned SSB pattern satisfies the following determination method:

[0139] {i1, i2, i3, …, in} + 14 * N + 140 * M, where i1, i2, i3, …, in represents the position of different SSBs in a time slot. In this application, there is no limitation on the number of SSBs that can be included in a time slot. 14 * N + 140 * M represents the number of time slots and the number of 5 milliseconds included in the SSB period. The above-mentioned SSB pattern may also have other variations, for example, it may be {i1, i2, i3, …, in} + 14 * N + 14 * 10 * M or {i1, i2, i3, …, in} + 14 * (N + 10M), etc. For example, the SSB pattern may be in the form of a table, and the SSB patterns that can represent the time-frequency resource positions of different SSBs that meet the rules in the communication method shown in Figure 5 (for example, the time and position corresponding to two SSBs in a certain SS burst set are greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds) are all within the scope of protection of this application, and will not be illustrated one by one here.

[0140] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the above processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0141] It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0142] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, the devices in the existing network architecture are mainly used as examples for illustrative description (such as network devices, terminal devices, etc.), and it should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the specific form of the devices. For example, devices that can achieve the same functions in the future are applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0143] It is understandable that in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as network devices, terminal devices) can also be implemented by components of the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0144] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with FIG5 . The communication method is primarily described from the perspective of interaction between a terminal device and a network device. It is understood that, in order to implement the above functions, the terminal device and the network device include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions.

[0145] Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is performed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0146] The communication device provided in this application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 7 to 9. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, some contents will not be repeated.

[0147] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the transmitting device or the receiving device can be divided according to the above method example. 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 noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0148] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 10 includes a transceiver module 11 and a processing module 12. The transceiver module 11 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 12 is used to process data. In other words, the transceiver module 11 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, while the processing module 12 is used to perform operations other than receiving and sending. The transceiver module 11 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0149] Optionally, the device 10 may further include a storage module 13, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 12 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device implements the actions of the devices in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0150] In one design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the terminal device.

[0151] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is configured to receive a first synchronized broadcast information block (SSB) on a first time-frequency resource. The transceiver module 11 is configured to receive a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; wherein the first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronization burst set (SS burst set), the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronization burst set corresponds to a first system frame; wherein the first time domain resource is located in a first half-frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half-frame, and the first half-frame and the second half-frame are located in a first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0153] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 5 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S520 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S510 .

[0154] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0155] In another design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the network device.

[0156] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the network device in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0157] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is configured to send a first SSB on a first time-frequency resource. The transceiver module 11 is configured to send a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; wherein the first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronization burst set SS burst set, the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronization burst set corresponds to a first system frame; wherein the first time domain resource is located in a first half-frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half-frame, and the first half-frame and the second half-frame are located in a first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

[0158] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 5 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S520 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S510 .

[0159] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0160] It should also be understood that the device 10 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 10 may be specifically the mobile management network element in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the mobile management network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 10 may be specifically the terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0161] The apparatus 10 of each of the above-described solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the devices (such as terminal devices and network devices) in the above-described methods. This function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the transmitting unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0162] In addition, the transceiver module 11 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module may be a processing circuit.

[0163] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Device 20 includes a processor 21, which is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory 22, or read data / signaling stored in memory 22, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 21.

[0164] Optionally, as shown in FIG8 , the apparatus 20 further includes a memory 22 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 22 may be integrated with the processor 21 or may be separately provided. Optionally, there may be one or more memories 22 .

[0165] Optionally, as shown in Figure 8, the device 20 further includes a transceiver 23, which is used to receive and / or send signals. For example, the processor 21 is used to control the transceiver 23 to receive and / or send signals.

[0166] As a solution, the apparatus 20 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in each of the above method embodiments.

[0167] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0168] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0169] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0170] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0171] 9 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32 .

[0172] The logic circuit 31 may be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of the various embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 32 may be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0173] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the above various method embodiments.

[0174] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0175] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the device in the above-mentioned method embodiments are stored.

[0176] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the methods executed by the terminal device or the network device in each embodiment of the above method.

[0177] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by a terminal device or a network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned terminal device and network device.

[0179] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

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

[0181] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0182] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0183] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0184] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0185] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units 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 present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0186] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a first synchronized broadcast information block SSB on a first time-frequency resource; Sending a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; The first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronization burst set SS burst set, the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronization burst set corresponds to a first system frame; The first time domain resource is located in a first half frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first time-frequency resources include first frequency domain resources, the second time-frequency resources include second frequency domain resources, and the first frequency domain resources and the second frequency domain resources are the same.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Sending a third SSB on a third time-frequency resource; Sending a fourth SSB on a fourth time-frequency resource; wherein the third SSB and the third SSB are located in the first synchronization burst set, the third time-frequency resources include third time domain resources, and the fourth time-frequency resources include fourth time domain resources; The third time domain resource is located in the first half frame, and the fourth time domain resource is located in the second half frame; or, the interval between the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first time domain resource is a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol, which is located in a first time slot; the second time domain resource is a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol, which is located in a second time slot.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, and the second time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, The number of the first OFDM symbol in the first time slot is the same as the number of the second OFDM symbol in the second time slot, where n is an integer.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH corresponds to a first demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence, the second PBCH corresponds to a second DMRS sequence, and the first DMRS sequence and the second DMRS sequence are the same.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH includes first indication information, the second PBCH includes second indication information, the first indication information indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information indicates the second SSB.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first indication information includes a first index, the first index indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information includes a second index, the second index indicates the second SSB.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The first indication information is indicated by a first bit in the first PBCH, and the second indication information is indicated by a second bit in the second PBCH. The value of the first bit is the same as the value of the second bit. The first bit includes at least one bit, and the second bit includes at least one bit.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first bit is located in a first field in the first PBCH, the second bit is located in a second field in the second PBCH, the first field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the first PBCH, and the second field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the second PBCH.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The numbers of the starting OFDM symbols of the time domain resources of the time-frequency resources respectively corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first synchronization burst set satisfy the following relationship: {4,8,16,20,}+28*n+140*m, where m and n are 0 or 1; or {2,8}+14*n+140*m, where n is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and m is = 0 or 1.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a first synchronized broadcast information block SSB on a first time-frequency resource; Receiving a second SSB on a second time-frequency resource; The first SSB and the second SSB are located in a first synchronization burst set SS burst set, the first time-frequency resource includes a first time domain resource, the second time-frequency resource includes a second time domain resource, and the first synchronization burst set corresponds to a first system frame; The first time domain resource is located in a first half frame, the second time domain resource is located in a second half frame, and the first half frame and the second half frame are located in the first system frame; or, the interval between the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the first time domain resource and the second time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first time-frequency resources include first frequency domain resources, the second time-frequency resources include second frequency domain resources, and the first frequency domain resources and the second frequency domain resources are the same.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a third SSB on a third time-frequency resource; Receiving a fourth SSB on a fourth time-frequency resource; wherein the third SSB and the third SSB are located in the first synchronization burst set, the third time-frequency resources include third time domain resources, and the fourth time-frequency resources include fourth time domain resources; The third time domain resource is located in the first half frame, and the fourth time domain resource is located in the second half frame; or, the interval between the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource is greater than or equal to 5 milliseconds, and the third time domain resource and the fourth time domain resource are located in the first system frame.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The first time domain resource is a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol, which is located in a first time slot; the second time domain resource is a second orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol, which is located in a second time slot.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, and the second time slot includes 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols numbered sequentially from n to n+13, The number of the first OFDM symbol in the first time slot is the same as the number of the second OFDM symbol in the second time slot, where n is an integer.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that The first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH corresponds to a first demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence, the second PBCH corresponds to a second DMRS sequence, and the first DMRS sequence and the second DMRS sequence are the same.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that The first SSB includes a first physical broadcast channel PBCH, the second SSB includes a second PBCH, the first PBCH includes first indication information, the second PBCH includes second indication information, the first indication information indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information indicates the second SSB.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The first indication information includes a first index, the first index indicates the first SSB, and the second indication information includes a second index, the second index indicates the second SSB.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first indication information is indicated by a first bit in the first PBCH, and the second indication information is indicated by a second bit in the second PBCH. The value of the first bit is the same as the value of the second bit. The first bit includes at least one bit, and the second bit includes at least one bit.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The first bit is located in a first field in the first PBCH, the second bit is located in a second field in the second PBCH, the first field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the first PBCH, and the second field includes a selection field or a reserved field of the second PBCH.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that The numbers of the starting OFDM symbols of the time domain resources of the time-frequency resources respectively corresponding to the multiple SSBs included in the first synchronization burst set satisfy the following relationship: {4,8,16,20,}+28*n+140*m, where m and n are 0 or 1; or {2,8}+14*n+140*m, where n is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and m is = 0 or 1.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that The communication device includes a network device or a chip.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

26. The communication device according to claim 25, characterized in that The communication device includes a terminal device or a chip.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is performed.

28. A computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is performed.

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