Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of wireless communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus. In the method, an RAN node can broadcast a PSS, an SSS, an NR PBCH, and a 6G PBCH. An NR terminal can complete downlink synchronization with the RAN node on the basis of the PSS and the SSS, and then demodulate the NR PBCH to achieve wireless access. A 6G terminal can complete downlink synchronization with the RAN node on the basis of the PSS and the SSS, and then demodulate the 6G PBCH to achieve wireless access. In the process, the NR PBCH and the 6G PBCH can share the PSS and the SSS. Therefore, the RAN node does not need to respectively send the PSS and the SSS for the NR PBCH and the 6G PBCH, so that the wireless resource overhead can be reduced.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on December 29, 2023, with application number 202311871597.2 and invention name “Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to communication methods and devices. Background Art

[0003] In a communication system, after a terminal enters the coverage of a radio access network (RAN) node, it must perform initial access. For example, the RAN node can send a synchronization signal block (SSB) to the terminal. Among them, the SSB can include primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The terminal can complete downlink synchronization with the RAN node based on the PSS and SSS, and obtain the broadcast message carried in the PBCH. Subsequently, the terminal can obtain access resources based on the broadcast message and access the RAN through the access resources. However, when the communication system supports multiple radio access technologies, the above-mentioned way of sending SSB by the RAN node will result in a large overhead of wireless resources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce wireless resource overhead.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a RAN node. The RAN node here can refer to the RAN node itself, or a processor, module, logical node, chip, or chip system in the RAN node that implements the method.

[0007] The method includes: sending a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal, a physical broadcast channel of a first radio access technology (hereinafter referred to as the first physical broadcast channel), and a physical broadcast channel of a second radio access technology (hereinafter referred to as the second physical broadcast channel). The primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, and the first physical broadcast channel can be regarded as one synchronization signal block (such as the synchronization signal block of the first radio access technology), the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, and the second physical broadcast channel can be regarded as another synchronization signal block (such as the synchronization signal block of the second radio access technology), and the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology are different.

[0008] Based on the method provided in the first aspect above, a terminal supporting the first radio access technology can perform downlink synchronization based on the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal, and then demodulate the first physical broadcast channel to achieve wireless access. A terminal supporting the second radio access technology can perform downlink synchronization based on the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal, and then demodulate the second physical broadcast channel to achieve wireless access. In other words, the first physical broadcast channel and the second physical broadcast channel can share the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal, so the RAN node does not need to send the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal for the first physical broadcast channel and the second physical broadcast channel respectively. Therefore, the above method can reduce radio resource overhead and thereby improve radio resource utilization.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal each occupy one time unit in the time domain, the first physical broadcast channel occupies two time units in the time domain, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies two time units in the time domain. One time unit is one symbol, or one time unit includes multiple symbols that are consecutive in the time domain.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the two time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the two time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second physical broadcast channel overlap. Through this approach, the RAN node can transmit the first physical broadcast channel and the second physical broadcast channel in a time-division manner. Because the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the second physical broadcast channel overlap, both can overlap with synchronization signals (such as the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal) in the frequency domain to achieve better frequency domain synchronization.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the primary synchronization signal occupies the first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies the second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies the third time unit and the fourth time unit; the second time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 1 time unit; the third time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 3 time units; the fourth time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 4 time units.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the primary synchronization signal occupies the first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies the second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies the third time unit and the fourth time unit; the second time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 1 time unit; the third time unit is located before the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 1 time unit; the fourth time unit is located before the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the two time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the two time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel are the same, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap. Through this approach, the RAN node can transmit the first and second physical broadcast channels using frequency division. The time domain overlap of the first and second physical broadcast channels can reduce the time domain interval between the second physical broadcast channel and the synchronization signal, ensuring better time domain synchronization of the second physical broadcast channel.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the primary synchronization signal occupies the first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies the second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies the third time unit and the fourth time unit; the second time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 1 time unit; the third time unit is located after the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit; the fourth time unit is located after the first time unit and is spaced from the first time unit by 2 time units.

[0015] In a second aspect, a communications device is provided for implementing the aforementioned method. The communications device may be the RAN node described in the first aspect. The communications device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to implementing the aforementioned method. The modules, units, or means may be implemented in hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a processing unit and a transceiver unit. The processing unit may be configured to implement the processing functions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The processing unit may, for example, be a processor. The transceiver unit, also referred to as a transceiver module, may be configured to implement the transmitting and / or receiving functions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The transceiver unit may be comprised of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit includes a sending unit and a receiving unit, which are respectively used to implement the sending and receiving functions in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0018] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor, the processor being coupled to a memory and configured to read instructions from the memory and then execute the method according to the instructions described in the first aspect. The communication device may be the RAN node described in the first aspect.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor; or the memory is independent of the processor.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the processor and / or memory further includes an artificial intelligence (AI) module for implementing AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can implement AI functions through software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) module.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0022] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit is configured to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor, or to transmit signals from the processor to other communication devices; and the processor implements the method described in the first aspect by means of logic circuits or by executing code instructions. The communication device may be the RAN node described in the first aspect.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the processor further includes an AI module for implementing AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can implement AI functions through software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module includes a RIC module.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. Optionally, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a communication device, the method described in the first aspect is implemented.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions, which implement the method described in the first aspect when the computer program or instructions are executed by a communication device.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a RAN node configured to execute the method described in the first aspect. The communication system also includes a terminal supporting a second radio access technology. The terminal can receive a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal, and a first physical broadcast channel, perform downlink synchronization based on the primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal, and demodulate the first physical broadcast channel.

[0028] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any possible implementation method of the second to seventh aspects can be referred to the technical effects brought about by any aspect of the first to second aspects or different possible implementation methods of any aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0029] It is understandable that, provided that the solutions are not contradictory, the solutions in each aspect can be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of resource blocks (RBs) and time slots provided in this application;

[0031] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of time-frequency resources occupied by SSB of different wireless access technologies provided in this application;

[0032] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture provided by this application;

[0033] FIG4 is a flow chart of the communication method provided by this application;

[0034] FIG5 is a schematic diagram 1 of the time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in this application;

[0035] FIG6 is a second schematic diagram of time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in this application;

[0036] FIG7 is a third schematic diagram of time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in this application;

[0037] FIG8 is a fourth schematic diagram of time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in this application;

[0038] FIG9 is a schematic diagram 1 of time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in the present application;

[0039] FIG10 is a second schematic diagram of time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in the present application;

[0040] FIG11 is a third schematic diagram of time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH provided in the present application;

[0041] FIG12 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0042] FIG13 is a second structural diagram of the communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, the relevant technical terms involved in this application are explained. It is understood that these explanations are intended to make this application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0044] 1. Subcarrier

[0045] In wireless resources, the minimum resource granularity in the frequency domain can be 1 subcarrier. This application does not limit the frequency spacing between adjacent subcarriers (i.e., subcarrier spacing (SCS)). For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, or 120kHz.

[0046] 2. Symbol

[0047] In wireless resources, the smallest resource granularity in the time domain can be one time domain symbol, which can also be simply referred to as a symbol. The symbol can be, for example, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a discrete Fourier transform-spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol, without limitation.

[0048] 3. Slot

[0049] In the present application, one time slot may include multiple symbols that are continuous in the time domain. For example, one time slot includes 12 continuous symbols or 14 continuous symbols.

[0050] In this application, different SCSs may correspond to different time slot lengths or symbol lengths. For example, when the SCS is 15 kHz, one time slot is 1 millisecond (ms); when the SCS is 30 kHz, one time slot is 0.5 ms.

[0051] 4. RB

[0052] In the present application, one RB may include multiple subcarriers that are continuous in the frequency domain. For example, one RB includes 12 continuous subcarriers. One subcarrier may also be referred to as one resource element (RE).

[0053] For example, taking the example that one RB includes 12 subcarriers and one time slot includes 14 symbols, the RB and time slot may be as shown in FIG1 , where one RB includes subcarriers 0 to 11, and one time slot includes symbols 0 to 13.

[0054] 5. SSB

[0055] RAN nodes can broadcast SSBs to provide downlink synchronization and basic cell configuration information for terminals within their coverage area. For example, the SSB includes the PSS, SSS, and PBCH. The PSS and SSS are used for downlink synchronization of terminals, and the PBCH can carry the master information block (MIB), which can indicate system information block type 1 (SIB1). Terminals can receive SIB1 based on the MIB to obtain radio access resources and access the RAN through the radio access resources.

[0056] As communication technology evolves, new wireless access technologies will be introduced into communication systems. In order to take into account users using current wireless access technologies, communication systems need to support two or more wireless access technologies within a period of time. For example, on a certain spectrum, a RAN node can support terminals to access the network through different wireless access technologies. Taking the example of a RAN node supporting new radio (NR) terminals to access through NR technology and supporting sixth generation (6G) terminals to access through 6G technology, on the spectrum 201 shown in Figure 2, the RAN node can broadcast NR SSB on time-frequency resources 202 and / or time-frequency resources 205 so that the NR terminal obtains the NR SSB and accesses the RAN based on the NR SSB. The RAN node can broadcast 6G SSB on time-frequency resources 203 and / or time-frequency resources 204 so that the 6G terminal obtains the 6G SSB and accesses the RAN based on the 6G SSB. From the above examples, it can be seen that the SSBs of different wireless access technologies occupy different time domain resources or frequency domain resources, which will result in a large overhead of wireless resources.

[0057] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a communication method. In this method, the RAN node can send PSS, SSS, PBCH of the first radio access technology and PBCH of the second radio access technology. Among them, the PBCH of the first radio access technology and the PBCH of the second radio access technology can share PSS and SSS, and the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology are different. Therefore, the terminal supporting the first radio access technology can perform downlink synchronization according to the PSS and SSS, and then demodulate the PBCH of the first radio access technology to achieve wireless access. The terminal supporting the second radio access technology can perform downlink synchronization according to the PSS and SSS, and then demodulate the PBCH of the second radio access technology to achieve wireless access. In addition, since the PBCH of the first radio access technology and the PBCH of the second radio access technology can share PSS and SSS, the RAN node does not need to send PSS and SSS respectively for the PBCH of the first radio access technology and the PBCH of the second radio access technology. Therefore, the above method can reduce wireless resource overhead.

[0058] It is understandable that the above method can be applied to various communication systems that can support multiple wireless access technologies. The following description will be made using the communication system 3000 shown in FIG3 as an example.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 3000 provided in this application. The communication system 3000 includes a RAN 100. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 3). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes may be connected to each other via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 3000 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is wirelessly connected to the core network 200. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and distinct physical devices, or they may be a single physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes.

[0060] The RAN 100 may include two or more different radio access systems defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, the RAN 100 includes an NR system and a future radio access system (such as a 6G system). For another example, the RAN 100 includes a 6G system and radio access systems beyond 6G. The RAN 100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0061] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, facilitates wireless access to a communication system by a terminal. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station, or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), or a relay node or a donor node.

[0062] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0063] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and a RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, a RAN node may be a server loaded with a corresponding software module. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the RAN node. For ease of description, the following description takes a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0064] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0065] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0066] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 3 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 3 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 3 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0067] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. This application does not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0068] In this application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module in the base station (such as a chip), or by a control subsystem that includes the base station function. The control subsystem that includes the base station function here can be the control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal can also be performed by a module in the terminal (such as a chip or modem), or by a device that includes the terminal function.

[0069] The communication method provided by this application is described below using the RAN node and terminal shown in Figure 3 as examples of the execution entities of the interaction diagram. For example, the RAN node in the following embodiment may be RAN node 110a in Figure 3, the first terminal may be 120a in Figure 3, and the second terminal may be 120b in Figure 3. For another example, the RAN node in the following embodiment may be RAN node 110b in Figure 3, the first terminal may be 120f in Figure 3, and the second terminal may be 120g in Figure 3.

[0070] As shown in FIG4 , a communication method provided by the present application may include the following steps:

[0071] S401: The RAN node broadcasts the PSS, SSS, the first PBCH, and the second PBCH.

[0072] In this application, the first PBCH is the PBCH of the first radio access technology, and the second PBCH is the PBCH of the second radio access technology. The first radio access technology and the second radio access technology are different. For example, the first radio access technology is NR technology (also known as 5G technology), and the second radio access technology is 6G technology; or the first radio access technology is 6G technology, and the second radio access technology is a radio access technology after 6G.

[0073] In this application, the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology can share spectrum resources, and the RAN node sends the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH on the dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) bandwidth. The dynamic spectrum sharing bandwidth can be understood as the partial or complete overlap of the spectrum resources available to the first radio access technology and the spectrum resources available to the second radio technology.

[0074] A possible design is that in the time domain, the PSS and SSS occupy the same number of time units, and the first PBCH and the second PBCH occupy the same number of time units. For example, the PSS occupies 1 time unit, the SSS occupies 1 time unit, the first PBCH occupies 2 time units, and the second PBCH occupies 2 time units. Wherein, a time unit is a section of time domain resources. For example, 1 time unit is 1 symbol, or 1 time unit includes multiple consecutive symbols. In the frequency domain, the PSS and SSS occupy the same number of frequency domain units, and the first PBCH and the second PBCH occupy the same number of frequency domain units. For example, the PSS occupies 127 frequency domain units, the SSS occupies 127 frequency domain units, the first PBCH occupies 240 frequency domain units, and the second PBCH occupies 240 frequency domain units. Wherein, a frequency domain unit is a section of frequency domain resources. For example, 1 frequency domain unit is 1 subcarrier, or 1 frequency domain unit includes multiple consecutive subcarriers.

[0075] For example, taking 1 time unit as 1 symbol and 1 frequency domain unit as 1 subcarrier, PSS occupies 127 REs, SSS occupies 127 REs, the first PBCH occupies 240 REs (or the first PBCH occupies 20 RBs), and the second PBCH occupies 240 REs (or the second PBCH occupies 20 RBs).

[0076] In one possible implementation, the RAN node transmits the first PBCH and the second PBCH using frequency division or time division. It is understood that when the RAN node transmits the first PBCH and the second PBCH using frequency division, the first PBCH and the second PBCH overlap in the time domain, and the time domain interval between the second PBCH and the synchronization signal (such as the PSS or SSS) is smaller, which can ensure better time domain synchronization for the second PBCH. When the RAN node transmits the first PBCH and the second PBCH using time division, the first PBCH and the second PBCH overlap in the frequency domain. Therefore, both can overlap with the PSS and SSS in the frequency domain, ensuring better frequency domain synchronization for the second PBCH.

[0077] The following describes the use of time division and frequency division scenarios. The following description uses the example of the PSS occupying the first time unit, the SSS occupying the second time unit, the second PBCH occupying the third and fourth time units, and the first PBCH occupying the fifth and sixth time units to explain the use of time-frequency resources by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH. Any of the first to sixth time units may include at least one symbol.

[0078] Time-division scenario: The two time units occupied by the first PBCH and the two time units occupied by the second PBCH do not overlap, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH overlap. The overlap of the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH can be understood as the frequency domain units occupied by the first PBCH and the frequency domain units occupied by the second PBCH being exactly the same or partially the same. For example, the first PBCH occupies subcarriers 0 to 239, and the second PBCH also occupies subcarriers 0 to 239; or, the first PBCH occupies subcarriers 0 to 239, and the second PBCH occupies subcarriers 120 to 359; or, the first PBCH occupies subcarriers 120 to 359, and the second PBCH also occupies subcarriers 110 to 369.

[0079] In one possible design, the second time unit is located after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by one time unit, the fifth time unit is located after the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit, and the sixth time unit is located after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by two time units. The third time unit is different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth time units, and the fourth time unit is also different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth time units. In other words, the third time unit and / or the fourth time unit can be located before the first time unit or after the sixth time unit.

[0080] In one case (denoted as case 1), the third time unit is located after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 3 time units, and the fourth time unit is located after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 4 time units.

[0081] For example, taking the case where the frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS are the same as the frequency domain resources occupied by the SSS, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH are the same as the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH, the positional relationship between the first to sixth time units can be shown in Figure 5. In Figure 5, the first time unit is time unit 0, the second time unit is time unit 2, the fifth time unit is time unit 1, the sixth time unit is time unit 3, the third time unit is time unit 4, and the fourth time unit is time unit 5.

[0082] In another case (denoted as case 2), the third time unit is located before the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit, and the fourth time unit is located before the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit.

[0083] For example, taking the case where the frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS are the same as the frequency domain resources occupied by the SSS, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH are the same as the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH, the positional relationship between the first to sixth time units can be shown in Figure 6. In Figure 6, the first time unit is time unit 2, the second time unit is time unit 4, the fifth time unit is time unit 3, the sixth time unit is time unit 5, the third time unit is time unit 0, and the fourth time unit is time unit 1.

[0084] To more clearly understand the specific frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH, the following example uses the PSS occupying 127 subcarriers, the SSS occupying 127 subcarriers, the first PBCH occupying 240 subcarriers, and the second PBCH occupying 240 subcarriers as an example. If the positional relationship between the first to sixth time units is shown in Figure 5, the time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH can be shown in Figure 7.

[0085] It can be understood that when the positional relationship between the first time unit to the sixth time unit is as shown in Figure 6, the frequency domain resources occupied by PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH are similar to the frequency domain resources occupied by PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH shown in Figure 7, and will not be repeated.

[0086] It will be appreciated that the time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH shown in FIG7 are merely exemplary. In specific applications, the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, or second PBCH may occupy more or fewer time-frequency resources than those shown in FIG7. For example, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the second PBCH may be greater than 240.

[0087] Frequency division scenario: The two time units occupied by the first PBCH and the two time units occupied by the second PBCH are the same, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH do not overlap.

[0088] In one possible design, the second time unit is located after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; the third time unit and the fifth time unit are located after the first time unit and are adjacent to the first time unit; the fourth time unit and the sixth time unit are located after the first time unit and are separated from the first time unit by 2 time units.

[0089] For example, taking the case where the frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS and the frequency domain resources occupied by the SSS are the same, the positional relationship between the first to sixth time units can be shown in Figure 8. In Figure 8, the first time unit is time unit 0, the second time unit is time unit 2, the third time unit and the fifth time unit are time unit 1, and the fourth time unit and the sixth time unit are time unit 3.

[0090] It is understandable that Figures 5, 6, and 8 are only examples of the time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH. In specific applications, the time-frequency resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH may also be in other forms. For example, in a time division scenario, the third time unit may be located before the first time unit, and the fourth time unit may be located after the first time unit. For another example, in a frequency division scenario, if the vertical axis represents frequency domain resources, the frequency domain resources occupied by the second PBCH may all be located above or below the frequency domain resources occupied by the first PBCH.

[0091] In addition, in a frequency division scenario, the frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, and first PBCH are similar to the frequency domain resources occupied by the PSS, SSS, and first PBCH shown in FIG7 , while the time domain resources occupied by the second PBCH are different. For example, time-frequency resources 801 in FIG8 may be configured according to the resource mapping rule for the second PBCH corresponding to time unit 4 and subcarriers 0 to subcarrier x in FIG7 , time-frequency resources 802 in FIG8 may be configured according to the resource mapping rule for the second PBCH corresponding to time unit 4 and subcarriers x+1 to subcarrier 239 in FIG7 , time-frequency resources 803 in FIG8 may be configured according to the resource mapping rule for the second PBCH corresponding to time unit 5 and subcarriers 0 to subcarrier x in FIG7 , and time-frequency resources 804 in FIG8 may be configured according to the resource mapping rule for the second PBCH corresponding to time unit 4 and subcarriers x+1 to subcarrier 239 in FIG7 . Where x is a positive integer less than 240.

[0092] In the present application, the PSS, SSS, first PBCH and second PBCH can be divided according to the radio access technology. For example, the PSS, SSS and first PBCH can be regarded as one SSB, and the PSS, SSS and second PBCH can be regarded as another SSB. In other words, the RAN node can determine the first SSB of the first radio access technology, and the first SSB includes the PSS, SSS and first PBCH. The RAN node can also determine the second SSB of the second radio access technology, and the second SSB includes the PSS, SSS and second PBCH. Of course, the PSS, SSS, first PBCH and second PBCH can also be regarded as one SSB. In other words, the RAN node can determine the third SSB, and the third SSB includes the PSS, SSS, first PBCH and second PBCH. In the present application, SSB can also be replaced by a synchronization signal (SS) / PBCH block.

[0093] In the present application, the first PBCH and the second PBCH can share PSS and SSS. In other words, the terminal supporting the first radio access technology and the terminal supporting the second radio access technology can perform downlink synchronization based on the same synchronization signal (including PSS and SSS), but will demodulate different PBCHs based on downlink synchronization. Specifically, the terminal supporting the first radio access technology can receive PSS, SSS and the first PBCH, perform downlink synchronization according to PSS and SSS, and demodulate the first PBCH based on downlink synchronization. The terminal supporting the second radio access technology can receive PSS, SSS and the second PBCH, perform downlink synchronization according to PSS and SSS, and demodulate the second PBCH based on downlink synchronization. For example, the method shown in Figure 4 may also include the following steps:

[0094] S402: The first terminal performs downlink synchronization according to the PSS and SSS, and demodulates the first PBCH.

[0095] S403: The second terminal performs downlink synchronization according to the PSS and SSS, and demodulates the second PBCH.

[0096] In the present application, a first terminal is a terminal that supports a first radio access technology. The first terminal can perform downlink synchronization based on the PSS and SSS, demodulate the first PBCH based on the downlink synchronization, obtain a first MIB, obtain random access resources based on the first MIB, and then initiate random access. Similarly, a second terminal is a terminal that supports a second radio access technology. The second terminal can perform downlink synchronization based on the PSS and SSS, demodulate the second PBCH based on the downlink synchronization, obtain a second MIB, obtain random access resources based on the second MIB, and then initiate random access.

[0097] It is understandable that the present application does not limit the execution order of S402 and S403. For example, S402 may be executed first and then S403, or S403 may be executed first and then S402, or S402 and S403 may be executed simultaneously.

[0098] Based on the method shown in Figure 4, the RAN node can broadcast the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH, allowing the first terminal to perform downlink synchronization based on the PSS and SSS, and then demodulate the first PBCH to achieve wireless access. It can also allow the second terminal to perform downlink synchronization based on the PSS and SSS, and then demodulate the second PBCH to achieve wireless access. In the method shown in Figure 4, the first PBCH and the second PBCH can share the PSS and SSS, so the RAN node does not need to send the PSS and SSS for the first PBCH and the second PBCH separately. Therefore, the above method can reduce radio resource overhead and improve radio resource utilization.

[0099] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the method shown in Figure 4, the first time unit to the sixth time unit are located in the same time unit set. The time unit set may include K time units that are continuous in the time domain, where K is a positive integer. For example, 1 time unit set is 1 millisecond, and the value of K is 5. The candidate position of the time unit with the earliest time domain position among the first time unit to the sixth time unit (hereinafter referred to as the starting time unit) is related to the carrier frequency and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB. The carrier frequency is the frequency of the carrier carrying the PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH, and the subcarrier spacing is the subcarrier spacing of the SSB signal. The SSB here can refer to the above-mentioned first SSB, the second SSB or the third SSB. Therefore, based on the above method, the candidate position of the starting time unit can be determined, and combined with the positional relationship between the first time unit to the sixth time unit described above, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH can be determined.

[0100] In one possible design, in a time unit set, the index T of the starting time unit may satisfy the following relationship: T = m + M × n, where m, M, and n may be determined based on the carrier frequency and the subcarrier spacing of the SSB.

[0101] To better understand the method provided by the present application, the following description is made using SCSs of 15 kHz and 30 kHz as examples. For ease of description, in the following examples, one time unit is one symbol, and one time unit set is 5 milliseconds.

[0102] (1) When SCS is 15 kHz, M is 14, m is 0, 2, 6, or 8, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3.

[0103] Exemplarily, for the above case 1, T = {2, 8} + 14 × n, when the carrier frequency belongs to frequency range 1 (frequency range 1, FR1) and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1, and when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2 or 3. Among them, the frequency domain range corresponding to FR1 is 410 MHz to 7125 MHz. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH are symbols 2 to 7, which can be specifically shown in (a) of Figure 9. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, the first PBCH and the second PBCH are symbols 8 to 13, which can be specifically shown in (b) of Figure 9. It can also be understood that when the carrier frequency is less than or equal to 3 GHz, within a time unit of 5 milliseconds, the starting time unit of the SSB candidate includes symbols 2+14×0=2, 8+14×0=8, 2+14×1=16 and 8+14×1=22.

[0104] For example, for the above case 2, T = {0, 6} + 14 × n, where n is 0 or 1 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz. Taking m equal to 0 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 0 to 5, as shown in (a) of FIG10. Taking m equal to 6 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 6 to 11, as shown in (b) of FIG10.

[0105] For example, for the above frequency division scenario, T = {2, 8} + 14 × n. When the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 2 to 5, as shown in Figure 11 (a). Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 8 to 11, as shown in Figure 11 (b).

[0106] (2) When SCS is equal to 30 kHz, M is equal to 28, m is equal to 2, 8, 14 or 20, and n is equal to 0 or 1.

[0107] For example, for the above case 1, T = {8, 20} + 28 × n, where n is 0 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, and n is 0 or 1 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 8 to 13. Taking m equal to 20 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 20 to 25.

[0108] For example, for the above case 2, T = {2, 14} + 28 × n, where n is 0 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, and n is 0 or 1 when the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 2 to 7. Taking m equal to 14 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 14 to 19.

[0109] For example, for the above frequency division scenario, T = {8, 20} + 28 × n. When the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0. When the carrier frequency belongs to FR1 and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 8 to 11. Taking m equal to 20 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 20 to 23.

[0110] (3) When SCS is equal to 30 kHz, M is equal to 14, m is equal to 0, 2, 6 or 8, and n is equal to 0, 1, 2 or 3.

[0111] For example, for the above case 1, T = {2, 8} + 14 × n. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 2 to 7. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 8 to 13. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 16 to 21. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 22 to 27.

[0112] For example, for the above case 2, T = {0, 6} + 14 × n. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. Taking m equal to 0 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 0 to 5. Taking m equal to 6 and n equal to 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions of the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 6 to 11. Taking m equal to 0 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 14 to 19. Taking m equal to 6 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 20 to 25.

[0113] For example, for the frequency division scenario described above, T = {2, 8} + 14 × n. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 3 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is symmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 3 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is less than or equal to 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0 or 1. When the spectrum is asymmetric, the carrier frequency belongs to FR1, and is greater than 2.4 GHz, n is equal to 0, 1, 2, or 3. Taking m = 2 and n = 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions for the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 2 to 5. Taking m = 8 and n = 0 as an example, the time-domain candidate positions for the PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 8 to 11. Taking m equal to 2 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 16 to 19. Taking m equal to 8 and n equal to 1 as an example, the time domain candidate positions of PSS, SSS, first PBCH, and second PBCH are symbols 22 to 25.

[0114] It is understood that to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the RAN node includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0115] Figures 12 and 13 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the RAN node in the above-described method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-described method embodiments. In embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be the RAN node 110 shown in Figure 3, or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to a RAN node.

[0116] As shown in Figure 12, a communication device 1200 includes a processing unit 1210 and a transceiver unit 1220. The communication device 1200 is used to implement the functions of the RAN node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4 above.

[0117] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the function of the RAN node in the method shown in FIG4 : the processing unit 1210 is used to control the transceiver unit 1220 to send the PSS, SSS, the first PBCH, and the second PBCH.

[0118] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 1210 and the transceiver unit 1220 , please refer to the relevant description of the method shown in FIG. 4 .

[0119] As shown in Figure 13, communication device 1300 includes a processor 1310 and an interface circuit 1320. Processor 1310 and interface circuit 1320 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 1320 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1300 may also include a memory 1330 for storing instructions executed by processor 1310, or storing input data required by processor 1310 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after processor 1310 executes instructions. Sometimes, interface circuit 1320 can also be understood as part of processor 1310, in which case communication device 1300 includes processor 1310.

[0120] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 , the processor 1310 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1210 , and the interface circuit 1320 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1220 .

[0121] When the communication device is a chip used in a RAN node, the RAN node chip implements the functions of the RAN node in the above method embodiments. The RAN node chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent to other modules in the RAN node (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), which are then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0122] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B here can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a RAN node chip and other modules within the RAN node.

[0123] 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.

[0124] 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, which 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, removable hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium 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 RAN node or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a RAN node.

[0125] 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.

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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. "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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] It can be understood that the message names between the network elements or the names of the parameters in the messages in the above embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations, and the present application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0130] It can be understood that in this application, "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that corresponding processing will be taken under certain objective circumstances, and do not limit the time, nor do they require judgment actions when implementing them, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0131] Optionally, the present application also provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the method in any of the above method embodiments is executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system also includes a memory. Optionally, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0132] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by a computer program to instruct the relevant hardware. The program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the communication device of any of the above-mentioned embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory of the communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above-mentioned communication device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. equipped on the above-mentioned communication device. Furthermore, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above-mentioned communication device and an external storage device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above-mentioned computer program and other programs and data required by the above-mentioned communication device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0133] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer program product. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments may be completed by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program may be stored in the above computer program product, and when executed, the program may include the processes in the above method embodiments.

[0134] Optionally, the present application also provides a computer instruction. All or part of the process in the above method embodiment can be completed by the computer instruction to instruct the relevant hardware (such as a computer, processor or RAN node, etc.). The program can be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium or in the above computer program product.

[0135] Optionally, the present application further provides a communication system, comprising: the RAN node in the above embodiment and the second terminal. Optionally, the communication system further comprises the first terminal in the above embodiment.

[0136] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0137] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0138] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0139] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0140] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Determine a first synchronization signal block of a first radio access technology, where the first synchronization signal block includes a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal, and a first physical broadcast channel; Determine a second synchronization signal block of a second radio access technology, where the second synchronization signal block includes the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, and a second physical broadcast channel; Transmit the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, the first physical broadcast channel, and the second physical broadcast channel. The primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal each occupy 1 time unit in the time domain, the first physical broadcast channel occupies 2 time units in the time domain, the second physical broadcast channel occupies 2 time units in the time domain, and the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology are different.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The 2 time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the 2 time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second physical broadcast channel overlap.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 3 time units; The fourth time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 4 time units.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is before the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The fourth time unit is before the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The 2 time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the 2 time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel are the same, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is after the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit; The fourth time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 2 time units.

7. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: a processing unit and a transceiver unit; The processing unit is configured to determine a first synchronization signal block of a first radio access technology, where the first synchronization signal block includes a primary synchronization signal, a secondary synchronization signal, and a first physical broadcast channel; The processing unit is further configured to determine a second synchronization signal block of a second radio access technology, where the second synchronization signal block includes the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, and a second physical broadcast channel; The transceiver unit is configured to transmit the primary synchronization signal, the secondary synchronization signal, the first physical broadcast channel, and the second physical broadcast channel. The primary synchronization signal and the secondary synchronization signal each occupy 1 time unit in the time domain, the first physical broadcast channel occupies 2 time units in the time domain, the second physical broadcast channel occupies 2 time units in the time domain, and the first radio access technology is different from the second radio access technology.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein The 2 time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the 2 time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second physical broadcast channel overlap.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 3 time units; The fourth time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 4 time units.

10. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is before the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The fourth time unit is before the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit.

11. The communication device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The 2 time units occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the 2 time units occupied by the second physical broadcast channel are the same, and the frequency domain resources occupied by the first physical broadcast channel and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second physical broadcast channel do not overlap.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein The primary synchronization signal occupies a first time unit, the secondary synchronization signal occupies a second time unit, and the second physical broadcast channel occupies a third time unit and a fourth time unit; The second time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 1 time unit; The third time unit is after the first time unit and is adjacent to the first time unit; The fourth time unit is after the first time unit and is separated from the first time unit by 2 time units.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices. The processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instructions are stored in the storage medium. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed by a communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

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