Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of wireless communications. The method comprises: a terminal device determines the number of transmissions of a first message, the number of transmissions being an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message comprising Msg2 and / or Msg4; the terminal device receives the first message from the network device on the basis of the number of transmissions of the first message. The method can enhance the downlink coverage of the first message.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 25, 2023, with application number 202311811898.6 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] Satellite communications are non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Compared to terrestrial communications, satellite communications offer wider coverage. In satellite communications scenarios, the round-trip latency between terminal devices and network equipment is significant, necessitating enhanced downlink coverage to improve reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for enhancing downlink channel transmission coverage.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a communication device. The communication device can be a network device (e.g., an access network device) or a module (e.g., a circuit, a chip, a chip system, or a processor) in the network device. It can also be a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. The method includes: determining the number of times a first message is sent, where the number of times is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; and receiving the first message from the network device based on the number of times the first message is sent.

[0007] In the above implementation, since the first message can be sent multiple times, the downlink channel transmission coverage corresponding to the first message can be enhanced.

[0008] A possible implementation manner further includes: reporting a first terminal capability to the network device or requesting to send the first message multiple times, where the first terminal capability is an ability to receive the first message sent multiple times.

[0009] In one possible implementation, reporting the terminal capability to the network device or requesting to send the first message multiple times includes: sending Msg1 to the network device based on a first physical random access channel (PRACH) resource, where the first PRACH resource belongs to a first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource group corresponds to a first sending mode of the first message, or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first sending mode is multiple sending.

[0010] In the above implementation, Msg1 is sent through the first PRACH resource to report the terminal capability or request to send the first message multiple times, which can save signaling overhead.

[0011] In one possible implementation, it also includes: receiving first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, the first configuration information indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending method of the first message, or indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first indication information, or includes second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; the first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg2; the second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, where the second configuration information indicates the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group include the first PRACH resource.

[0014] In one possible implementation, reporting the first terminal capability to the network device or requesting to send the first message multiple times includes: sending Msg3 to the network device, wherein the Msg3 includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request to send Msg4 multiple times.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is located in the message payload of the Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the media access control (MAC) subheader of the Msg3.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is carried in the R field of the MAC subheader, or the logical channel identifier field, or the extended logical channel identifier field.

[0017] In one possible implementation, reporting the first terminal capability to the network device or requesting to send the first message multiple times includes: if the receiving performance parameters of the terminal device are lower than the set requirements, reporting the first terminal capability to the network device or requesting to send the first message multiple times.

[0018] In the above implementation method, the terminal device reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times only when it determines that the receiving performance parameters are lower than the set requirements, so as to trigger the network side to send the first message multiple times, thereby reducing network resource overhead.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the receiving performance parameters include one or more of the following: the communication elevation angle or the value range of the communication elevation angle, the receiving gain or the receiving gain level, the receiving signal strength or the receiving signal strength level; the receiving performance parameters of the terminal device are lower than the set requirements, including one or more of the following: the communication elevation angle of the terminal device is less than or equal to the communication elevation angle threshold; or, the receiving gain of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain threshold, or the receiving gain level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain level threshold; or, the receiving signal strength of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving signal strength threshold, or the receiving signal strength level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving signal strength level threshold.

[0020] A possible implementation method further includes: sending a receiving performance parameter of the terminal device to the network device; the number of times the first message is sent corresponds to the receiving performance parameter of the terminal device.

[0021] In one possible implementation, determining the number of times the first message is sent includes: receiving a second message from the network device, the second message indicating the number of times the first message is sent; and determining the number of times the first message is sent based on the second message.

[0022] In one possible implementation, before receiving the second message from the network device, it also includes: receiving a system message from the network device, the system message indicating M times the first message is sent, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the second message includes scheduling signaling, the scheduling signaling indicates the number of times the first message is sent, and the number of times the first message is sent indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M times of sending.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2, and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, the first scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg2 is sent or the number of times Msg2 and Msg4 are sent, and the second scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0024] In one possible implementation, a set of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field in the first scheduling signaling includes the number of times Msg2 is sent; and / or, a set of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the TDRA field in the second scheduling signaling includes the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the N bits of the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, the N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the first value of the transport block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M sending times of Msg2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the second message is a system message.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the second message is Msg2, and the Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of times Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3 is sent.

[0030] A possible implementation method further includes: receiving third configuration information from the network device, the third configuration information is used to enable demodulation reference signal (DMRS) binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent; or, receiving third configuration information and fourth configuration information from the network device, the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, receiving scheduling signaling from the network device for enabling DMRS binding, the scheduling signaling is also used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent.

[0031] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a communication device. The communication device can be a terminal device or a module in the terminal device (such as a circuit, chip, chip system, or processor), and can also be a logical node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The method includes: determining to send a first message multiple times, the first message including Msg2 and / or Msg4; and sending the first message to the terminal device according to the number of times the first message is sent, where the number of times the first message is sent is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the determination to send the first message multiple times includes: receiving the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request to send the first message multiple times, the first terminal capability being the ability to receive the first message sent multiple times; and determining to send the first message multiple times to the terminal device based on the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request to send the first message multiple times.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the receiving of the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request for multiple transmission of the first message includes: receiving the terminal device sending Msg1 to the network device based on a first PRACH resource, the first PRACH resource belonging to a first PRACH resource group, the first PRACH resource group corresponding to the first transmission mode of the first message, or corresponding to the first terminal capability, and the first transmission mode is multiple transmission.

[0034] In a possible implementation, it also includes: sending first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group, the first configuration information indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending method of the first message, or indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first indication information, or includes second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; the first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg2; the second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending second configuration information of the first PRACH resource group, where the second configuration information indicates the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group include the first PRACH resource.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the receiving of the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request for sending the first message multiple times includes: receiving Msg3 from the terminal device, the Msg3 including third indication information, the third indication information indicating that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request to send Msg4 multiple times.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is located in the message payload of the Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the MAC subheader of the Msg3.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is carried in the R field of the MAC subheader, or the logical channel identifier field, or the extended logical channel identifier field.

[0040] A possible implementation method further includes: receiving reception performance information from the terminal device; and determining the number of times the corresponding first message is sent based on the reception performance information.

[0041] In a possible implementation, a second message is sent, where the second message indicates the number of times the first message is sent.

[0042] In one possible implementation, before sending the second message, it also includes: sending a system message, the system message indicating the M number of times the first message is sent, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the second message includes scheduling signaling, the scheduling signaling indicates the number of times the first message is sent, and the number of times the first message is sent indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M number of times it is sent.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2 and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, the first scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the second scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the N bits of the MCS field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, the N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the first value of the transport block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M sending times of Msg2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the second message is a system message.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the second message is Msg2, and the Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of times Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3 is sent.

[0049] A possible implementation method also includes: sending third configuration information, wherein the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent; or, sending third configuration information and fourth configuration information, wherein the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, sending scheduling signaling for enabling DMRS binding, and the scheduling signaling is also used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent.

[0050] In a third aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a network device and a terminal device. The terminal device can implement any method described in the first aspect, and the network device can implement any method described in the second aspect.

[0051] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for executing the method described in any one of the first aspects. Optionally, the communication device comprises a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit is configured to determine a number of times a first message is sent, where the number of times is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; the processing unit is further configured to receive, via the transceiver unit, a first message from a network device based on the number of times the first message is sent.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to: report a first terminal capability to the network device through the transceiver unit or request to send a first message multiple times, where the first terminal capability is an ability to receive the first message sent multiple times.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: send Msg1 to the network device through the transceiver unit based on the first PRACH resource, the first PRACH resource belongs to a first PRACH resource group, the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of the first message, or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first sending mode is multiple sending.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, the first configuration information indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending method of the first message, or indicating that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first indication information, or includes second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; the first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg2; the second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used to: receive second configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, the second configuration information indicating the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group include the first PRACH resource.

[0057] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically used to: send Msg3 to the network device through the transceiver unit, where the Msg3 includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request multiple sending of Msg4.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is located in the message payload of the Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the media access control (MAC) subheader of the Msg3.

[0059] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is carried in the R field of the MAC subheader, or the logical channel identifier field, or the extended logical channel identifier field.

[0060] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is specifically configured to: if a receiving performance parameter of the terminal device is lower than a set requirement, report the first terminal capability to the network device through the transceiver unit or request to send the first message multiple times.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the receiving performance parameters include one or more of the following: the communication elevation angle or the value range of the communication elevation angle, the receiving gain or the receiving gain level, the receiving signal strength or the receiving signal strength level; the receiving performance parameters of the terminal device are lower than the set requirements, including one or more of the following: the communication elevation angle of the terminal device is less than or equal to the communication elevation angle threshold; or, the receiving gain of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain threshold, or the receiving gain level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain level threshold; or, the receiving signal strength of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving signal strength threshold, or the receiving signal strength level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving signal strength level threshold.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further used to: send the receiving performance parameters of the terminal device to the network device through the transceiver unit; the number of times the first message is sent corresponds to the receiving performance parameters of the terminal device.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to: receive a second message from the network device, where the second message indicates the number of times the first message is sent; and determine the number of times the first message is sent based on the second message.

[0064] In one possible implementation, before the transceiver unit receives the second message from the network device, it also receives a system message from the network device, where the system message indicates M times the first message is sent, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the second message includes scheduling signaling, where the scheduling signaling indicates the number of times the first message is sent, and the number of times the first message is sent indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M times of sending.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2 and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, the first scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the second scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0066] In one possible implementation, a set of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the TDRA field in the first scheduling signaling includes the number of times Msg2 is sent; and / or, a set of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the TDRA field in the second scheduling signaling includes the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0067] In one possible implementation, the N bits of the MCS field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, the N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the first value of the transport block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M sending times of Msg2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0069] In a possible implementation, the second message is a system message.

[0070] In a possible implementation, the second message is Msg2, and the Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of times Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3 is sent.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used to receive third configuration information from the network device, the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent; or, receive third configuration information and fourth configuration information from the network device, the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, receive scheduling signaling from the network device for enabling DMRS binding, the scheduling signaling is also used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent.

[0073] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for executing any of the methods described in the second aspect. Optionally, the communication device comprises a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit is configured to determine whether to send a first message multiple times, where the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; the processing unit is further configured to send the first message to a terminal device via the transceiver unit based on the number of times the first message is sent, where the number of times the first message is sent is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request to send the first message multiple times, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive the first message sent multiple times; the processing unit is specifically used to: determine to send the first message multiple times to the terminal device based on the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request to send the first message multiple times.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive Msg1 sent by the terminal device to the network device based on the first PRACH resource, the first PRACH resource belongs to a first PRACH resource group, the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of the first message, or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first sending mode is multiple sending.

[0076] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further used to: send first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group through a transceiver unit, wherein the first configuration information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending method of the first message, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the first configuration information includes first indication information, or includes second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; the first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg2; the second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further used to: send second configuration information of the first PRACH resource group through the transceiver unit, the second configuration information indicates the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group include the first PRACH resource.

[0079] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive Msg3 from the terminal device, the Msg3 includes third indication information, the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request multiple sending of Msg4.

[0080] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is located in the message payload of the Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the MAC subheader of the Msg3.

[0081] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is carried in the R field of the MAC subheader, or the logical channel identifier field, or the extended logical channel identifier field.

[0082] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used to: receive reception performance information from the terminal device; and determine the corresponding number of times the first message is sent based on the reception performance information.

[0083] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to: send a second message through the transceiver unit, where the second message indicates the number of times the first message is sent.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is also used to: before sending the second message through the transceiver unit, send a system message through the transceiver unit, the system message indicating M times the first message is sent, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the second message includes scheduling signaling, the scheduling signaling indicates the number of times the first message is sent, and the number of times the first message is sent indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M times of sending.

[0085] In one possible implementation, the second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2 and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, the first scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the second scheduling signaling indicating the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the N bits of the MCS field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, the N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field.

[0087] In one possible implementation, the first value of the transport block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M sending times of Msg2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0088] In a possible implementation, the second message is a system message.

[0089] In a possible implementation, the second message is Msg2, and the Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0090] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of times Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3 is sent.

[0091] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further used to: send third configuration information through the transceiver unit, the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent; or, send third configuration information and fourth configuration information through the transceiver unit, the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, send scheduling signaling for enabling DMRS binding through the transceiver unit, the scheduling signaling is also used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of times the first message is sent.

[0092] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: one or more processors configured to execute the method as described in any one of the first aspects, or to execute the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0093] In a seventh aspect, a readable storage medium is provided, in which a program is stored. When the program is executed by a communication device, the method as described in any one of the first aspects or the method as described in any one of the second aspects is implemented.

[0094] In an eighth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising: a memory for storing a computer program; a processor; when the processor calls and runs the computer program from the memory, the communication device equipped with the chip system executes the method as described in any one of the first aspects, or executes the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0095] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which, when called by a computer, enables the computer to execute the method as described in any one of the first aspects, or to execute the method as described in any one of the second aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0097] FIG2A , FIG2B , and FIG2C are schematic diagrams of NTN communication system architectures applicable to embodiments of the present application;

[0098] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0099] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the contents included in the MAC subheader of Msg3 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0101] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0102] During the random access process of the traditional fifth-generation (5G) communication system, the following four messages (Msg) are exchanged between the terminal device and the network device:

[0103] Msg1: One or more preamble codes sent by the terminal device based on random access configuration and downlink measurement.

[0104] Msg2: The network device responds to Msg1, providing further information and scheduling for Msg3. Msg2 is also called a random access response (RAR) message. The RAR message includes uplink grant (UL grant, where UL stands for uplink) information.

[0105] Msg3: L2 (layer 2) / L3 (layer 3) message. Msg3 is, for example, a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment request message.

[0106] Msg4: Dispute Resolution. Msg4 is, for example, an RRC connection establishment completion message.

[0107] Before the terminal device sends Msg1, the terminal device obtains downlink synchronization, obtains random access configuration and performs measurement.

[0108] Current communication protocols do not support repetition for Msg2 transmissions, nor do they support repetition for Msg4 transmissions. Not supporting Msg2 repetitions can be understood as not supporting multiple transmissions of Msg2. Similarly, not supporting Msg4 repetitions can be understood as not supporting multiple transmissions of Msg4.

[0109] Enhanced downlink coverage in satellite scenarios will be a potential research topic in Release 19. This includes physical layer channel link-level coverage enhancements and satellite parameter enhancements. For example, given the large number of beams in the satellite coverage area and limited satellite power, consideration should be given to power sharing between onboard beams and beam management techniques such as beam hopping to address synchronization signal scanning and data channel transmission within the satellite coverage area. According to the 3GPP Release 18 satellite parameter assumptions (TR38.821), the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) density of a single satellite beam is high. Considering multi-beam coverage (for example, based on the 3GPP satellite antenna assumption, the main lobe width of a satellite beam is 4.4 degrees. In a LEO600 scenario, at a minimum terminal elevation angle of 30 degrees, a beam of this width requires over 1,300 beams to fully cover the coverage area of ​​a single satellite). Simultaneously emitting multiple beams based on current parameter assumptions would result in excessive satellite power. The subsequent discussion direction of R19 based on satellite parameters is to reduce the lighting ratio of the wave positions in the coverage area (for example, only lighting up 10% of the wave positions in the sub-satellite coverage area at the same time), and combining dynamic inter-beam power sharing strategy and beam hopping mechanism to ensure coverage of all wave positions.

[0110] Another impact of inter-beam power distribution is a reduction in the link budget for each downlink data channel. This is primarily reflected in a reduction in the satellite downlink beam EIRP (compared to the single-beam EIRP parameters defined in TR38.821, such as SET-1 and SET-2). Consequently, multiple downlink data channels discussed in R18, such as the Msg2 physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and Msg4 PDSCH, will experience coverage gaps (i.e., the link budget carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) is less than the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) required for the channel decoding threshold).

[0111] To this end, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method and related devices that can implement the method, so as to enhance downlink channel transmission, reduce the decoding threshold of the link, and improve coverage capability.

[0112] The embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0113] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5G communication systems, NTN communication systems, etc., and can also be applied to communication systems that evolve after 5G. As shown in Figure 1, an architectural schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application is provided. The communication system includes network devices and terminal devices, where the number of network devices is 1 and the number of terminal devices is 2 (terminal device A and terminal device B) as an example. Terminal device A and terminal device B can communicate with the network device separately or simultaneously. It should be noted that the number of terminal devices and network devices in the communication system shown in Figure 1 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0114] The terminal device, which can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal, is a device or equipment with wireless communication capabilities. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as machine type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), vehicle to everything (V2X), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. A terminal device can be a subscriber unit (SUU), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a tablet, a wireless modem, a handheld device, a laptop computer, customer-premises equipment (CPE), a smart point of sale (POS), a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, smart home devices, MTC equipment, a ground station, and the like. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0115] The above-mentioned network equipment, which can also be referred to as access network (AN) equipment or radio access network (RAN) equipment, is a device or equipment that can be deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network equipment can be base stations used for wireless communication, such as artificial earth satellites and high-altitude aircraft, such as medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites in non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO), low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), evolved NodeBs (eNBs), and 5G base stations (gNBs). Optionally, the network devices in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, devices that implement base station functions in communication systems evolved after 5G, transmission points (transmitting and receiving points, TRP), transmission points (transmitting points, TP), mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, etc., and may also include centralized units (CU) and distributed units (DU) in cloud radio access network (C-RAN) systems. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0116] Taking the network device as a satellite as an example, the communication scenarios of the specific application of the embodiment of the present application can be shown in Figures 2A, 2B and 2C.

[0117] In the scenario shown in Figure 2A, a base station is deployed on the ground. The satellite is connected to the ground station via an air interface, and the ground station can be connected to the base station via a wireless or wired link. Terminal devices on the ground access the mobile communication network via an air interface (which can be any type of air interface, such as a 5G air interface). The satellite acts as a transmission node, forwarding information from the terminal devices.

[0118] In the scenario shown in Figure 2B, a base station is deployed on a satellite. The satellite connects to a ground station via an air interface, and the ground station can connect to the core network via wireless or wired links. Terminal devices on the ground communicate with the satellite base station via the air interface, thereby accessing the mobile communication network. The satellite, acting as a base station, connects to the ground station via an NG interface, which in turn connects to the core network via an NG interface. This NG interface can be either wireless or wired.

[0119] Compared with the scenario shown in FIG. 2B , the scenario shown in FIG. 2C adds a communication scenario between satellite base stations. Specifically, the satellite base stations can communicate with each other through an Xn interface.

[0120] In Figures 2A-2C, the terminal devices may include various types of terminal devices supporting the new air interface, such as the various types of terminals listed above. The terminal devices may access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and other services.

[0121] Base stations are mainly used to provide wireless access services, dispatch wireless resources to access terminal devices, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0122] The core network is primarily responsible for providing functions such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The core network consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities.

[0123] The ground station is mainly responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between the satellite and the base station, or between the satellite and the core network.

[0124] Air interface: refers to the wireless link between the terminal device and the base station.

[0125] Xn interface: represents the interface between satellite base stations, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0126] NG interface: refers to the interface between the base station and the core network, or the interface between the ground station and the core network, or the interface between the satellite base station and the ground station (in this case, the interface is a wireless link). It mainly exchanges signaling such as the non-access stratum (NAS) of the core network and user service data.

[0127] Based on the system architecture shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2A, Figure 2B or Figure 2C, Figure 3 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0128] As shown in Figure 3, the process may include the following steps:

[0129] Step 301: The terminal device determines the number of times a first message is sent, where the number of times is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the network device sends a second message to the terminal device, where the second message indicates the number of times Msg2 and / or Msg4 are sent. Accordingly, the terminal device determines the number of times Msg2 and / or Msg4 are sent based on the second message.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the network device may decide to send the first message multiple times when it determines that certain conditions are met, such as when there may be many channels that need to be enhanced, and then indicate the number of times the first message is sent through the second message.

[0132] Optionally, if the network device determines that the current communication scenario is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication scenario, it determines to send the first message multiple times. The network device can determine whether the current communication scenario is an NTN communication scenario based on the communication frequency band. For example, if the current frequency band is n255 or n256, it can be determined that the current communication scenario is an NTN communication scenario.

[0133] Optionally, if the network device configures the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition and the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) threshold for triggering Msg3 repetition in system information, it is determined to send the first message multiple times. Wherein, the system information is, for example, a system information block (SIB).

[0134] Optionally, if the network device configures the number of repetitions of Msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) repetition (repetition) and the RSRP threshold for triggering Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition in the system information, it is determined to send the first message multiple times. Wherein, the system information is, for example, a system information block (SIB).

[0135] Optionally, if the network device determines at least two of the following situations, it can be determined that there may be more channels that need to be enhanced in the current communication scenario, and then decides to send the first message multiple times: 1) The current communication scenario is an NTN communication scenario; 2) The network device configures the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition and the RSRP threshold for triggering Msg3 repetition in the system information; 3) The network device configures the number of repetitions of Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition and the RSRP threshold for triggering Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition in the system information.

[0136] In one possible implementation, the second message is a system message. That is to say, the number of times the first message is sent can be broadcast through a system message, and the number of times the first message is sent is configured at the cell level. For terminal devices with the first terminal capability in the cell, the first message is received according to the same number of times. For terminal devices that do not have the first terminal capability, the terminal device only attempts to decode the first message received for the first time. The first terminal capability is the ability to receive the first message that is sent multiple times. "Multiple transmissions" is relative to "single transmission" or "sending only once", which can be understood as the number of transmissions being greater than or equal to 2, or as repeated transmissions.

[0137] Optionally, the system message may be a SIB, and indication information may be set in the SIB to indicate the number of times Msg2 and / or Msg4 are sent.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the second message is scheduling signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control element (MAC CE). That is, the network device can configure the number of times the first message is sent at the UE level by sending scheduling signaling to the terminal device with the first terminal capability.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the second message is a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2, where the first scheduling signaling is used to indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent or the number of times Msg2 and Msg4 are sent. Exemplarily, the first scheduling signaling is DCI format 1_0 scrambled by a random access-radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI).

[0140] Optionally, a set of resource information corresponding to a row index indicated by a time domain resource assignment (TDRA) field in the first scheduling signaling includes the number of times Msg2 is sent. In an embodiment of the present application, the TDRA field can be redefined so that the row index indicated by the field indicates a table provided in an embodiment of the present application, where each row index in the table corresponds to a set of resource parameters, including the number of times Msg2 is sent.

[0141] Table 1 shows a table provided by the related art, and Table 2 shows a table provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0142] Table 1: Default PDSCH time domain resource allocation for conventional cyclic prefix (CP)

[0143] In an embodiment of the present application, Table 1 is modified, that is, when the above scenarios are met (for example, one or more of the following scenarios: the current communication scenario is an NTN communication scenario, the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition and the RSRP threshold for triggering Msg3 repetition are configured, the number of repetitions of Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition and the RSRP threshold for triggering Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition are configured), a new table is introduced, and the newly introduced table removes the PDSCH mapping Type of Type B and introduces a column of configuration information of the number of transmissions (such as the "Nrep" column in Table 2). The newly introduced table is shown in Table 2.

[0144] Table 2: Default PDSCH time domain resource allocation for conventional cyclic prefix (CP)

[0145] Based on Table 2, after receiving the first scheduling signaling, the terminal device queries Table 2 according to the row index in the TDRA field in the first scheduling signaling to obtain the number of times Msg2 is sent corresponding to the row index.

[0146] Optionally, N bits of the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent, where the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The MCS field is a 5-bit field. Considering that in a scenario where Msg2 needs to be sent multiple times, the communication quality is poor and the network side generally does not schedule a higher MCS level, the upper 2 bits or 1 bit of the MCS field can be reused to indicate the number of times Msg2 is sent.

[0147] For example, 2 bits are used to indicate one of the four transmission times {1, 2, 4, 8}. For example, a 2-bit value of "00" indicates a transmission time of 1, "01" indicates a transmission time of 2, "10" indicates a transmission time of 4, and "11" indicates a transmission time of 8. A single bit is used to indicate one of the two transmission times {2, 4}. The mapping relationship between the 2-bit or 1-bit value and the transmission time can be pre-agreed or configured by the network device, and is not limited by this application.

[0148] For another example, when the number of transmission times of Msg2 configured by the network device through a system message (such as an SIB or a broadcast message) does not exceed 4, the 2 bits of the MCS field can be used to indicate one of the transmission times. For example, when the network device configures 3 transmission times for Msg2 through the SIB, the value of the 2 bits of the MCS font "00" is mapped to the first transmission time configured in the SIB, "01" is mapped to the second transmission time configured in the SIB, "10" is mapped to the third transmission time configured in the SIB, and "11" is not mapped.

[0149] Optionally, a first value of a transport block (TB) scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M transmission times of Msg2, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The TB scaling field is 2 bits, and the four code points of the 2 bits are 00, 01, 10, and 11, respectively, where "11" is reserved, as shown in Table 3.

[0150] Table 3: N for Paging RNTI (P-RNTI), RA-RNTI and MSGE-RNTI info Scaling factor

[0151] In the embodiment of the present application, the codepoint "11" of the TB scaling field can be reused to indicate one of the transmission times {2, 4, 8} of Msg2, and the mapping relationship can be configured by the SIB or pre-agreed.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the second message is second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, and the second scheduling signaling is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent. Exemplarily, the second scheduling signaling is DCI format 1_0 scrambled by a temporary cell (TC) RNTI, which is also called DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by TC-RNTI.

[0153] Optionally, the row index indicated by the TDRA field in the second scheduling signaling corresponds to a set of resource information including the number of times Msg4 is sent. In an embodiment of the present application, the TDRA field can be redefined so that the row index indicated by the field indicates a table provided in an embodiment of the present application, where each row index in the table corresponds to a set of resource parameters, including the number of times Msg4 is sent. An example of the table can be shown in Table 2.

[0154] Optionally, the N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent, where the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The MCS field is a 5-bit field. Considering that in a scenario where Msg4 needs to be sent multiple times, the communication quality is poor and the network side generally does not schedule a higher MCS level, the upper 2 bits or 1 bit of the MCS field can be reused to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent.

[0155] For example, 2 bits are used to indicate one of the four transmission times {1, 2, 4, 8}. For example, a 2-bit value of "00" indicates a transmission time of 1, "01" indicates a transmission time of 2, "10" indicates a transmission time of 4, and "11" indicates a transmission time of 8. A single bit is used to indicate one of the two transmission times {2, 4}. The mapping relationship between the 2-bit or 1-bit value and the transmission time can be pre-agreed or configured by the network device, and is not limited by this application.

[0156] For another example, when the number of transmission times of Msg4 configured by the network device through a system message (such as an SIB or a broadcast message) does not exceed 4, the 2 bits of the MCS field can be used to indicate one of the transmission times. For example, when the network device configures 3 transmission times for Msg4 through the SIB, the value of "00" of the 2 bits of the MCS font is mapped to the first transmission time configured in the SIB, "01" is mapped to the second transmission time configured in the SIB, "10" is mapped to the third transmission time configured in the SIB, and "11" is not mapped.

[0157] In one possible implementation, the second message is Msg2, and the Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times Msg4 is sent. That is, the number of times Msg4 is sent can be indicated in other scheduling signaling other than scheduling Msg4. In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can use the 1 bit reserved in the channel state information (CSI) request field (CSI request field) in the UL grant information in Msg2 to enable multiple transmissions of Msg4 to the terminal device, and the number of "enabled" transmissions can be agreed upon by the protocol or configured by the SIB, such as the number of transmissions of Msg4 Nrep=2. For a terminal device that supports multiple transmissions of Msg4, the terminal device can select the Msg4 reception mode according to the content indicated by the CSI request field; for a terminal device that does not support multiple receptions of Msg4, the terminal device only attempts to decode the first received Msg4.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the network device may configure multiple transmission times of the first message through a system message, and then indicate one of the multiple times to the terminal device through scheduling signaling. Exemplarily, the network device sends a system message, and the system message indicates M transmission times of the first message, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The network device sends a second message to the terminal device, and the second message includes scheduling signaling, and the scheduling signaling indicates the number of transmissions of the first message, and the number of transmissions of the first message indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M transmission times. The scheduling signaling may include a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2, and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4. The specific implementation method of indicating the number of transmissions of the first message through scheduling signaling can refer to the relevant content above.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of repetitions of the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition. Optionally, in one implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is the same as the number of repetitions of the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition. Optionally, in another implementation, there is a correspondence between the number of times the first message is sent and the number of repetitions of the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition, and the correspondence can be pre-agreed or configured by the network device.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is associated with the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition. Alternatively, in one implementation, the number of times the first message is sent is the same as the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition. Alternatively, in another implementation, a correspondence exists between the number of times the first message is sent and the number of repetitions of Msg3 repetition. This correspondence may be pre-agreed or configured by a network device.

[0161] Step 302: The network device sends a first message to the terminal device, and the number of times the first message is sent is greater than or equal to 2. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first message from the network device according to the number of times the first message is sent.

[0162] Optionally, the network device may send Msg2 N1 times in N1 consecutive time slots, wherein Msg2 is sent once in each of the N1 time slots.

[0163] Optionally, the network device may indicate to the terminal device the time-frequency resources used for the first transmission of Msg2, such as the time slot used for the first transmission of Msg2; the terminal device may receive Msg2 in the time slot and N1 consecutive time slots including the time slot based on the time slot used for the first transmission of Msg2 and the number of times Msg2 is sent N1.

[0164] Similarly, the network device may send Msg4 N2 times in N2 consecutive time slots, wherein Msg4 is sent once in each of the N2 time slots. N2 may be equal to N1 or may not be equal to N1, and this application is not limited thereto. The network device may indicate to the terminal device the time-frequency resources used for the first transmission of Msg4, such as the time slot used for the first transmission of Msg4; the terminal device may receive Msg4 in the time slot and in the N2 consecutive time slots including the time slot used for the first transmission of Msg4 and the number of times Msg4 is sent N2.

[0165] The process shown in FIG. 3 can realize multiple transmissions of Msg2 and / or Msg4, and can enhance the downlink coverage of the downlink data channel in the NTN scenario.

[0166] In one possible implementation, if the third message is transmitted repeatedly (i.e., the third message is transmitted multiple times), the first message is also transmitted repeatedly (i.e., the first message is transmitted multiple times). In other words, the request for repeated transmission of the third message can be associated with the request for multiple transmissions of the first message, or the request for repeated transmission of the third message can be associated with the multiple transmissions of the first message. The third message can be Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3.

[0167] Exemplarily, the multiple transmission request of Msg4 is associated with the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repeat request, wherein the signaling of the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repeat request is carried by Msg3 high-layer signaling.

[0168] As another example, the multiple transmission requests of Msg4 are associated with the repeat request of Msg3. The signaling of the repeat request of Msg3 is carried in a specific PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources in the group carry the terminal device's repeat request for Msg3.

[0169] In a possible implementation, the process shown in FIG3 further includes the following steps:

[0170] Step 300: The terminal device reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times.

[0171] A possible implementation of step 300 is: the terminal device sends Msg1 to the network device based on the first PRACH resource. The first PRACH resource belongs to a first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2 and / or Msg4, or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first sending mode is multiple sending. That is, if the terminal device uses a specific PRACH resource (such as the above-mentioned first PRACH resource) to send Msg1, it means that the terminal device has the first terminal capability, or it means that the terminal device requests the network device to send Msg2 and / or Msg4 multiple times.

[0172] Optionally, the network device may configure a PRACH resource grouping, such as configuring a first PRACH resource grouping and a second PRACH resource grouping, or a greater number of PRACH resource groups, which is not limited in this application. The first PRACH resource grouping corresponds to (or is associated with) the first transmission mode of Msg2 and / or Msg4, or corresponds to (or is associated with) the first terminal capability; the second PRACH resource grouping corresponds to the second transmission mode of Msg2 and / or Msg4, or corresponds to the second terminal capability, wherein the second transmission mode indicates that it is only transmitted once, and the second terminal capability indicates that it does not have the ability to receive Msg2 and / or Msg4 that are transmitted multiple times. If the terminal device has the first terminal capability, Msg1 can be sent based on the PRACH resources in the first PRACH resource grouping; or if the terminal device has the first terminal capability and the current reception performance or channel quality is poor, Msg1 can be sent based on the PRACH resources in the first PRACH resource grouping. If the terminal device does not have the first terminal capability, Msg1 is sent based on the PRACH resources in the second PRACH resource group; or if the terminal device has the first terminal capability and the current reception performance or channel quality is good, Msg1 is sent based on the PRACH resources in the second PRACH resource group.

[0173] PRACH resources may include one or more of the following types of resources: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, code domain resources (such as preamble sequences), etc. In an embodiment of the present application, one or more types of resources may be grouped to form different PRACH resource groups. Exemplarily, the preamble sequence included in the first PRACH resource group is different from the preamble sequence included in the second PRACH resource group. Another exemplary embodiment is that the random access occasion (RO) included in the first PRACH resource group is different from the RO included in the second PRACH resource group. RO indicates the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources for random access.

[0174] In a possible implementation method of configuring a PRACH resource group, a network device sends first configuration information of a first PRACH resource group, wherein the first configuration information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to a first transmission method of Msg2 and / or Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to a first terminal capability.

[0175] Optionally, the first configuration information may be sent via a system message, for example, the SIB sent by the network device includes the first configuration information.

[0176] Optionally, the first configuration information may include first indication information, or second indication information, or the first indication information and the second indication information. The first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource grouping corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg2, or indicates that the first PRACH resource grouping corresponds to a first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg2. The second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource grouping corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource grouping corresponds to a first terminal capability, and the first terminal capability is the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4.

[0177] Exemplarily, an information element such as NR feature or FeatureCombination can be set in the SIB, and the information element is associated with the first PRACH resource group. The information element includes the above-mentioned first indication information and / or second indication information, so that the information element indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first sending mode of Msg2 and / or Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

[0178] The following code exemplarily shows part of the content included in the FeatureCombination information element, which is associated with the first PRACH resource group.

[0179] The FeatureCombination element can include:

[0180] Msg2-Repetitions-r19 is the feature corresponding to Msg2. If this feature is enabled (set to true), Msg2 is sent multiple times. Otherwise, Msg2 is sent only once. Similarly, Msg4-Repetitions-r19 is the feature corresponding to Msg4. If this feature is enabled (set to true), Msg4 is sent multiple times. Otherwise, Msg2 is sent only once.

[0181] Optionally, the FeatureCombination information element may include Msg2-Repetiions-r19 but not Msg4-Repetiions-r19, or include Msg4-Repetiions-r19 but not Msg2-Repetiions-r19, or include both Msg2-Repetiions-r19 and Msg4-Repetiions-r19.

[0182] It can be understood that Msg2-Repetiions-r19 set to "true" corresponds to the above-mentioned first indication information, and Msg4-Repetiions-r19 set to "true" corresponds to the above-mentioned second indication information.

[0183] The network device may further configure the PRACH resources in the first PRACH resource group. Optionally, when the first configuration information indicates that Msg2 and / or Msg4 are sent multiple times, the PRACH resources in the first PRACH resource group may be configured using the second configuration information.

[0184] In a possible implementation of configuring PRACH resources, the network device sends second configuration information of a first PRACH resource group, where the second configuration information indicates PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group include the first PRACH resource.

[0185] Optionally, the second configuration information may be sent via a system message, such as including the second configuration information in an SIB sent by the network device. Exemplarily, the network device may configure the PRACH resources within the first PRACH resource group in a FeatureCombinationPreambles information element, such as indicating an identifier of a preamble sequence included in the first PRACH resource group in the information element, or indicating a random access opportunity (RO) included in the first PRACH resource group.

[0186] A possible implementation of step 300 is: the terminal device sends Msg3 to the network device, wherein the Msg3 includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request multiple sending of Msg4.

[0187] In one possible implementation, the third indication information is located in the message payload of Msg3, for example, it can be carried in the spare bit of the message payload of Msg3. The message payload of Msg3 is sent on the uplink common control channel (CCCH). In one possible implementation, the length of the payload is 48 bits.

[0188] For example, the following code shows the content of the 48-bit payload (CCCH) of Msg3:

[0189] Among them, there is a 1-bit spare bit in the RRCSetupRequest-IEs; the EstablishmentCause field is an 8-bit field, and currently there are 6 reserved codes (spare positions) available in the code formed by this field.

[0190] Exemplarily, an embodiment of the present application may use the EstablishmentCause field in the message payload of Msg3 to carry the third indication information. For example, the reserved coding of EstablishmentCause may be used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4. For example, the most significant bit in the EstablishmentCause field is used for indication. When the value of the most significant bit is equal to 1, it indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4.

[0191] As another example, the RRCSetupRequest-IEs field in the message payload of Msg3 includes one idle bit. In an embodiment of the present application, this bit can be used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4. For example, when the value of this bit is equal to 1, it indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4.

[0192] The above merely lists several examples of using the message payload of Msg3 to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple-sent Msg4, or to request multiple-sent Msg4, and this application does not limit this.

[0193] In a possible implementation, the third indication information is located in a media access control (MAC) subheader of Msg3.

[0194] Figure 4 illustrates the contents of the MAC subheader of Msg3. Figure 4 (a) shows a MAC subheader without the eLCID field, and Figure 4 (b) shows a MAC subheader with the eLCID field. When the number of logical channel identification (LCID) codes is 34, the MAC subheader uses a long format and includes an additional extended LCID (eLCID). This eLCID contains 289 unused reserved codepoints, as shown in Figure 4 (b).

[0195] Among them, the codepoint of LCID can be shown in Table 4:

[0196] Table 4: LCID values ​​for uplink control channel (SCH)

[0197] The codepoint of a 1-byte eLCID can be shown in Table 5:

[0198] Table 5: 1-byte eLCID values ​​for uplink SCH

[0199] Exemplarily, the third indication information may be carried in the R field of the MAC subheader. The R field in the MAC subheader includes two bits, which are reserved bits. In an embodiment of the present application, one of the bits may be used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4s, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4.

[0200] As another example, the third indication information can be carried in the LCID field in the MAC subheader. This field is used to carry the LCID, which includes 7 reserved codepoints, namely 37 to 42, and 47. In one possible implementation, one of the reserved codes can be used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4, or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4. In another possible implementation, on the basis of using four of the reserved codes to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive multiple transmitted Msg4 or to request multiple transmissions of Msg4, the four reserved codes can be associated with at least two of the four features, such as jointly encoding the third indication information with the four features. The four features are: RedCapUE, non-RedCapUE, the size of the first CCCH payload (i.e., the message payload of Msg3), and the size of the second CCCH payload. That is to say, the four reserved codes can indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times or request to send Msg4 multiple times, and can also indicate the above four features.

[0201] As another example, the third indication information can be carried in the eLCID field. This field is used to carry the eLCID, which includes 289 reserved codepoints. When the MAC subheader of Msg3 adopts the long format (the encoding length of LCID is 34), there are more unused codes (codepoints) in the eLCID field, such as up to 289. In one possible implementation, one of the reserved codes can be used to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or to request that Msg4 be sent multiple times. In another possible implementation, on the basis of using four of the reserved codes to indicate that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times or to request that Msg4 be sent multiple times, the four reserved codes can be associated with at least two of the four features, such as jointly encoding the third indication information with the four features. The four features are: RedCap UE, non-RedCap UE, first CCCH payload size (i.e., Msg3 message payload), and second CCCH payload size. Compared to using the reserved LCID code to associate the third indication information with the above four features, using the reserved eLCID code to associate the third indication information with the above four features can more effectively utilize resources.

[0202] Taking into account the wide satellite coverage area and the large number of covered users, only a part of the terminal devices may have coverage enhancement needs. By reporting the first terminal capability or requesting multiple transmissions of the first message, the terminal device can enable the network device to implement related configurations such as the number of first message transmissions at the UE level, thereby making the related configurations of multiple transmissions of the first message more flexible.

[0203] In some embodiments of the present application, a terminal device with a first terminal capability may report the first terminal capability to the network device or request to send the first message multiple times only when certain conditions are met. For example, when the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor or the channel quality is poor, it may not receive the first message sent by the network device. In this case, the terminal device may report the first terminal capability to the network device or request to send the first message multiple times, so that the network device sends the first message multiple times, thereby enhancing the downlink coverage of the first message. When the receiving performance of the terminal device is good or the channel quality is good, the terminal device may not report the first terminal capability to the network device or request to send the first message multiple times. The network device may send the first message only once, thereby reducing network resource overhead.

[0204] In a possible implementation, if the receiving performance parameter of the terminal device is lower than the set requirement, the first terminal capability is reported to the network device or the first message is requested to be sent multiple times.

[0205] Optionally, the receiving performance parameter includes a communication take-off angle or a value interval in which the communication take-off angle is located. If the communication take-off angle is less than or equal to the communication take-off angle threshold, or the value of the communication take-off angle is in a first value interval, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor. In this case, the terminal device reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times. The specific implementation method can refer to the previous embodiment. Among them, the possible value range of the communication take-off angle can be divided into at least two value intervals in advance, wherein the communication take-off angle value corresponding to the first value interval is smaller. When the value of the communication take-off angle of the terminal device falls into the first value interval, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor.

[0206] Optionally, the communication angle threshold may be preset or configured by the network device. For example, the network device may configure the communication angle threshold to the terminal device via a system message or scheduling signaling (eg, DCI) to improve system flexibility.

[0207] The terminal device can calculate the size of the communication elevation angle based on the ephemeris information of the satellite where the onboard base station is located and the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position. The onboard base station can send the ephemeris information through a system message (e.g., SIB). The embodiment of the present application does not limit the method by which the terminal device calculates the communication elevation angle.

[0208] Optionally, the receiving performance parameter includes a receiving gain or a receiving gain level. If the receiving gain is less than or equal to the receiving gain threshold, or the receiving gain level is less than or equal to the receiving gain level threshold, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor. In this case, the terminal device reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times. The specific implementation method can refer to the previous embodiment. Among them, the possible value range of the receiving gain can be divided into at least two receiving gain levels in advance according to the value from small to large, and the lower the receiving gain level, the lower the corresponding receiving gain. When the receiving gain level corresponding to the receiving gain of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain level threshold, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor.

[0209] Optionally, the receiving gain threshold and the receiving gain level threshold can be pre-set or configured by the network device. For example, the network device can configure the receiving gain threshold and the receiving gain level threshold to the terminal device through system messages or scheduling signaling (such as DCI) to improve system flexibility.

[0210] The receiving gain of a terminal device is related to the receiving antenna gain, noise, temperature, and other factors. The receiving gain can be characterized by the receiving performance index G / T. G / T is an indicator of receiving performance, and the G / T calculation formula can be: G / T = G - 101gTe dB / K. Here, G is the receiving gain of the antenna; Te is the equivalent noise of the receiving system. This formula shows that the larger the G / T value, the better the receiving performance. The embodiments of this application do not limit the calculation method of the receiving gain.

[0211] Optionally, the receiving performance parameter includes received signal strength or received signal strength level. If the terminal device detects a downlink signal, such as a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (Synchronization Signal and PBCH block, SSB), the received signal strength is less than or equal to the received signal strength threshold, or the received signal strength level is less than or equal to the received signal strength level threshold, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor. In this case, the terminal device reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times. The specific implementation method can refer to the previous embodiment. Among them, the possible value range of the received signal strength can be pre-divided into at least two received signal strength levels according to the value from small to large, and the lower the received signal strength level, the lower the corresponding received signal strength. When the received signal strength level corresponding to the received signal strength of the terminal device is less than or equal to the received signal strength level threshold, it indicates that the receiving performance of the terminal device is poor.

[0212] Optionally, the received signal strength may be RSRP.

[0213] Optionally, the RSRP threshold can be indicated by an offset of the Msg3 repetition RSRP threshold, that is, the RSRP threshold for triggering multiple transmissions of Msg4 is obtained based on the Msg3 repetition RSRP threshold and the offset. The Msg3 repetition RSRP threshold is used to trigger multiple transmissions of Msg3, that is, when the terminal device detects that the RSRP is less than or equal to the Msg3 repetition RSRP threshold, Msg3 is sent multiple times.

[0214] Optionally, the RSRP threshold can be indicated by an offset of the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition RSRP threshold, that is, the RSRP threshold for triggering multiple transmissions of Msg4 is obtained based on the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition RSRP threshold and the offset. The Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition RSRP threshold is used to trigger multiple transmissions of Msg4 HARQ-ACK, that is, when the terminal device detects that the RSRP is less than or equal to the Msg4 HARQ-ACK repetition RSRP threshold, the Msg4 HARQ-ACK is sent multiple times.

[0215] Optionally, the received signal strength threshold and the received signal strength level threshold can be pre-set or configured by the network device. For example, the network device can configure the received signal strength threshold and the received signal strength level threshold to the terminal device through system messages or scheduling signaling (such as DCI) to improve system flexibility.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the receiving performance parameters include at least two of the following three parameters: 1) the communication take-off angle or the value range of the communication take-off angle; 2) the receiving gain or the receiving gain level; 3) the receiving signal strength or the receiving signal strength level. Accordingly, when the terminal device determines that the conditions corresponding to the corresponding parameters are met, it reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times. For example, when the receiving performance parameters include the communication take-off angle and the receiving signal strength, if the terminal device determines that the communication take-off angle is less than or equal to the communication take-off angle threshold, and the receiving signal strength is less than or equal to the receiving signal strength threshold, it reports the first terminal capability to the network device or requests to send the first message multiple times.

[0217] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the receiving performance parameter and the number of times the first message is sent. The terminal device can send the receiving performance parameter to the network device. The network device determines the number of times of sending corresponding to the received receiving performance parameter based on the correspondence and indicates the number of times of sending to the terminal device.

[0218] For example, the terminal device may send the reception performance parameter to the network device via Msg1, and the network device may send the number of transmissions of Msg4 corresponding to the reception performance parameter to the terminal device via Msg2, and send Msg4 to the terminal device based on the number of transmissions. For example, the terminal device may send the value of the communication boost angle, or the index value corresponding to the communication boost angle, or information indicating the value range of the communication boost angle to the network device.

[0219] As another example, the terminal device can send the reception performance parameter to the network device via Msg1. The network device can determine the number of transmissions of Msg2 corresponding to the reception performance parameter based on the reception performance parameter, and send Msg2 to the terminal device based on the number of transmissions. The terminal device can also determine the corresponding number of transmissions based on the reception performance parameter, and receive Msg2 sent by the network device based on the number of transmissions. Similarly, the terminal device can send the reception performance parameter to the network device via Msg1. The network device can determine the number of transmissions of Msg4 corresponding to the reception performance parameter based on the reception performance parameter, and send Msg4 to the terminal device based on the number of transmissions. The terminal device can also determine the corresponding number of transmissions based on the reception performance parameter, and receive Msg4 sent by the network device based on the number of transmissions.

[0220] In one possible implementation, this embodiment may also enable demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling for downlink data channel transmission and indicate the DMRS bundling window length to the terminal device so that the terminal device performs joint channel decoding based on the DMRS bundling window length. In other words, joint channel estimation is performed using DMRSs transmitted in multiple time slots corresponding to the DMRS bundling window length. The DMRS bundling window length may be a plurality of consecutive time slots.

[0221] In one possible implementation, the network device may enable DMRS bundling by configuration signaling. Exemplarily, the network device may send third configuration information, and the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS bundling for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message. Optionally, the third configuration information may be sent via a system message. For example, the network device configures the parameter DMRS_bundling_Msg2PDSCH in the SIB message to indicate to the terminal device that downlink joint channel estimation is enabled for Msg2 (the Msg2 has been enabled to be sent multiple times). For another example, the network device configures the parameter DMRS_bundling_Msg4PDSCH in the SIB message to indicate to the terminal device that downlink joint channel estimation is enabled for Msg4 (the Msg4 has been enabled to be sent multiple times).

[0222] In one possible implementation, the network device may enable DMRS bundling and multiple transmissions of the first message through scheduling signaling for scheduling the first message. For example, the network device may enable multiple transmissions of the first message through the scheduling signaling and may use 1 bit in the scheduling signaling to indicate enabling DMRS bundling.

[0223] In one possible implementation, the window length of the DMRS bundling is associated with the number of times the first message is sent. For example, the number of time slots corresponding to the window length of the DMRS bundling may be the same as the number of times the first message is sent, or the window length of the DMRS bundling is greater than the number of times the first message is sent, or there is a corresponding relationship between the window length of the DMRS bundling and the number of times the first message is sent. Optionally, this corresponding relationship may be pre-agreed or configured by the network device, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0224] In one possible implementation, the terminal device is informed of the window length of the DMRS bundling via configuration signaling. Exemplarily, the network device may send fourth configuration information indicating the window length of the DMRS bundling. Optionally, the fourth configuration information may be sent via a SIB message.

[0225] In a possible implementation, the network device may inform the terminal device of the window length of the DMRS bundling via scheduling signaling. Exemplarily, the network device may indicate the window length of the DMRS bundling to the terminal device via scheduling signaling used to schedule the first message.

[0226] In one possible implementation, for other downlink data channels, such as PDSCH, the network device may set indication information in the SIB, for example, the indication information is DMRS_bundling_PHY_PDSCH_WindowLength, which is used to indicate the window length of the DMRS bundling configured on the network side to the terminal device.

[0227] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the network devices and terminal devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0228] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided by embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a terminal device as shown in Figure 1, Figure 2A, Figure 2B or Figure 2C, or a base station as shown in Figure 1, Figure 2A, Figure 2B or Figure 2C, or a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal or base station.

[0229] As shown in Figure 5 , a communication device 500 includes a processing unit 510 and a transceiver unit 520. The communication device 500 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the method embodiment in Figure 3 above.

[0230] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 510 is used to determine the number of times the first message is sent, the number of times the first message is sent is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; the processing unit 510 is also used to receive the first message from the network device through the transceiver unit 520 according to the number of times the first message is sent.

[0231] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the function of the network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 510 is used to determine whether to send the first message multiple times, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; the processing unit 510 is also used to send the first message to the terminal device through the transceiver unit 520 according to the number of times the first message is sent, and the number of times the first message is sent is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0232] A more detailed description of the processing unit 510 and the transceiver unit 520 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and is not repeated here.

[0233] As shown in Figure 6, communication device 600 includes a processor 610 and an interface circuit 620. Processor 610 and interface circuit 620 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 620 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 600 may also include a memory 630 for storing instructions executed by processor 610, input data required by processor 610 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 610 executes instructions.

[0234] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 3 , the processor 610 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 510 , and the interface circuit 620 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 520 .

[0235] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal device, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal device to the network device.

[0236] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a network device, the network device module implements the functions of the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The network device module receives information from other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the network device; or the network device module sends information to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal. The network device module here can be a baseband chip of the network device, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0237] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0238] This application provides another example of a communication device, which includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being coupled together, the at least one memory being used to store instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the communication device performs the method described in the above embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG6 , a communication device 600 includes a processor 610 and a memory 630. The processor 610 and the memory 630 are coupled together, and the memory 630 stores instructions. When the instructions stored in the memory 630 are executed by the processor 610, the communication device 600 performs the method described in the above embodiments performed by the terminal device or network device.

[0239] It should be understood that the processor 610 and the memory 630 may also be integrated together, such as in one chip.

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

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

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

[0243] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0244] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, It includes: Determine the number of transmissions of the first message, where the number of transmissions is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; Receive the first message from the network device according to the number of transmissions of the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein It further includes: Report the first terminal capability to the network device or request multiple transmissions of the first message, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive the first message transmitted multiple times.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The reporting the terminal capability to the network device or requesting multiple transmissions of the first message includes: Send Msg1 to the network device based on the first Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resource. The first PRACH resource belongs to the first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of the first message or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first transmission mode is multiple transmissions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein It further includes: Receive the first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, where the first configuration information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of the first message or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The first configuration information includes the first indication information, or includes the second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; The first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg2 or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive Msg2 transmitted multiple times; The second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg4 or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive Msg4 transmitted multiple times.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, It further includes: Receive the second configuration information of the first PRACH resource group from the network device, where the second configuration information indicates the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource is included in the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein The reporting the first terminal capability to the network device or requesting multiple transmissions of the first message includes: Send Msg3 to the network device, where Msg3 includes the third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the ability to receive Msg4 transmitted multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request multiple transmissions of Msg4.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The third indication information is located in the message payload of Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the Media Access Control (MAC) sub-header of Msg3.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The third indication information is carried in the R field, or the logical channel identification field, or the extended logical channel identification field of the MAC sub-header.

10. The method according to any one of claims 2-9, characterized in that, The reporting the first terminal capability to the network device or requesting multiple transmissions of the first message includes: If the receiving performance parameter of the terminal device is lower than the set requirement, report the first terminal capability to the network device or request to send the first message multiple times.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The receiving performance parameter includes one or more of the following: communication elevation angle or the value range where the communication elevation angle is located, receiving gain or receiving gain level, received signal strength or received signal strength level; The receiving performance parameter of the terminal device being lower than the set requirement includes one or more of the following: The communication elevation angle of the terminal device is less than or equal to the communication elevation angle threshold; or, The receiving gain of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain threshold, or the receiving gain level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the receiving gain level threshold; or, The received signal strength of the terminal device is less than or equal to the received signal strength threshold, or the received signal strength level of the terminal device is less than or equal to the received signal strength level threshold.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that It further includes: Send the receiving performance parameter of the terminal device to the network device; The number of times of sending the first message corresponds to the receiving performance parameter of the terminal device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, Determining the number of times of sending the first message includes: Receive a second message from the network device, where the second message indicates the number of times of sending the first message; Determine the number of times of sending the first message according to the second message.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Before receiving the second message from the network device, it further includes: receiving a system message from the network device, where the system message indicates M times of sending the first message, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The second message includes scheduling signaling, and the scheduling signaling indicates the number of times of sending the first message, and the number of times of sending the first message indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M times of sending.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2 and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4. The first scheduling signaling indicates the number of times of sending Msg2 or indicates the number of times of sending Msg2 and Msg4, and the second scheduling signaling indicates the number of times of sending Msg4.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, Among a group of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the time domain resource allocation TDRA field in the first scheduling signaling, it includes the number of times of sending Msg2; and / or, Among a group of resource information corresponding to the row index indicated by the TDRA field in the second scheduling signaling, it includes the number of times of sending Msg4.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein N bits of the modulation and coding strategy MCS field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of times of sending Msg2, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, N bits of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of times of sending Msg4, and the N bits are N bits starting from the highest bit of the MCS field.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein The first value of the transport block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M times of sending Msg2, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein The second message is a system message.

20. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second message is Msg2, and Msg2 is used to indicate the number of times of sending Msg4.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The transmission times of the first message are associated with the transmission times of Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3.

22. The method according to any one of claims 1-21, characterized in that, It further includes: Receiving third configuration information from the network device, where the third configuration information is used to enable demodulation reference signal DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the transmission times of the first message; Or, Receiving third configuration information and fourth configuration information from the network device, where the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, Receiving scheduling signaling from the network device for enabling DMRS binding, where the scheduling signaling is further used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the transmission times of the first message.

23. A communication method, characterized in that, It includes: Determining to transmit the first message multiple times, where the first message includes Msg2 and / or Msg4; Transmitting the first message to the terminal device according to the transmission times of the first message, where the transmission times are an integer greater than or equal to 2.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The determining to transmit the first message multiple times includes: Receiving a first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or a request to transmit the first message multiple times, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive the first message transmitted multiple times; Determining to transmit the first message to the terminal device multiple times according to the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request to transmit the first message multiple times.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein The receiving a first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or a request to transmit the first message multiple times includes: Receiving Msg1 sent by the terminal device to the network device based on a first physical random access channel PRACH resource, where the first PRACH resource belongs to a first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource group corresponds to a first transmission mode of the first message or corresponds to the first terminal capability, and the first transmission mode is multiple transmissions.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein It further includes: Transmitting first configuration information of the first PRACH resource group, where the first configuration information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of the first message or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein The first configuration information includes first indication information, or includes second indication information, or includes the first indication information and the second indication information; The first indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg2 or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, where the first terminal capability is the ability to receive Msg2 transmitted multiple times; The second indication information indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first transmission mode of Msg4, or indicates that the first PRACH resource group corresponds to the first terminal capability, where the first terminal capability is the capability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times.

28. The method according to any one of claims 26-27, characterized in that, Further included are: The second configuration information for sending the first PRACH resource group, where the second configuration information indicates the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group, and the first PRACH resource is included in the PRACH resources included in the first PRACH resource group.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein The receiving the first terminal capability reported by the terminal device to the network device or the request for sending the first message multiple times includes: Receiving Msg3 from the terminal device, where the Msg3 includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the terminal device has the capability to receive Msg4 sent multiple times, or the third indication information is used to request sending Msg4 multiple times.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that, The third indication information is located in the message payload of the Msg3; or, the third indication information is located in the media access control (MAC) sub-header of the Msg3.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein The third indication information is carried in the R field, or the logical channel identification field, or the extended logical channel identification field of the MAC sub-header.

32. The method according to any one of claims 23-31, characterized in that, Further included are: Receiving the reception performance information from the terminal device; Determining the corresponding number of transmissions of the first message according to the reception performance information.

33. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 32, characterized in that, Further included are: Sending a second message, where the second message indicates the number of transmissions of the first message.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein Before sending the second message, further included is: sending a system message, where the system message indicates M numbers of transmissions of the first message, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The second message includes scheduling signaling, and the scheduling signaling indicates the number of transmissions of the first message, and the number of transmissions of the first message indicated by the scheduling signaling is one of the M numbers of transmissions.

35. The method according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that, The second message includes a first scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg2, and / or a second scheduling signaling for scheduling Msg4, where the first scheduling signaling indicates the number of transmissions of Msg2, and the second scheduling signaling indicates the number of transmissions of Msg4.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein N bit positions of the MCS field in the first scheduling signaling indicate the number of transmissions of Msg2, and the N bits are the N bit positions starting from the highest bit position of the MCS field, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and / or, N bit positions of the MCS field in the second scheduling signaling indicate the number of transmissions of Msg4, and the N bits are the N bit positions starting from the highest bit position of the MCS field.

37. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that, The first value of the transmission block scaling factor in the first scheduling signaling is associated with one of the M numbers of transmissions of Msg2, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

38. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that, The second message is a system message.

39. The method according to claim 33, wherein The second message is Msg2, and Msg2 is used to indicate the number of transmissions of Msg4.

40. The method according to any one of claims 23-32, characterized in that, The number of transmissions of the first message is associated with the number of transmissions of Msg4 HARQ-ACK or Msg3.

41. The method according to any one of claims 23-40, characterized in that, Further included are: Send third configuration information, where the third configuration information is used to enable demodulation reference signal (DMRS) binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of transmissions of the first message; Or, Send third configuration information and fourth configuration information, where the third configuration information is used to enable DMRS binding for the downlink channel corresponding to the first message, and the fourth configuration information indicates the window length of the DMRS binding; or, Send scheduling signaling for enabling DMRS binding, where the scheduling signaling is further used to schedule the first message, and the window length of the DMRS binding is associated with the number of transmissions of the first message.

42. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a network device and a terminal device, where the terminal device is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-22, and the network device is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 23-41.

43. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-22, or includes units or modules for executing the method according to any one of claims 23-41.

44. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes: One or more processors are configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22, or execute the method according to any one of claims 23-41.

45. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, A program is stored in the readable storage medium, and when the program is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1-22 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 23-41 is implemented.

46. A chip system, characterized in that, It includes: A memory for storing a computer program; a processor; After the processor calls and runs the computer program from the memory, the communication device equipped with the chip system is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22, or execute the method according to any one of claims 23-41.

47. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is called by a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22, or execute the method according to any one of claims 23-41.

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