Communication methods, terminals, network devices, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communications, and relates to communication methods, terminals, network devices, a communication system, and a storage medium. The method executed by a terminal comprises: determining whether to perform a first operation for an Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access procedure, the first operation comprising sending first information to a network device, the first information being used for assisting the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal in the process of the Nth RACH attempt, and N being a natural number greater than 0; and initiating the Nth RACH attempt and, on the basis of a determination result, selecting a random access resource to send to the network device a random access preamble. The mode disclosed in the present disclosure can improve random access performance.

Description

Communication method, terminal, network device, communication system and storage medium

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202410082547.4, filed with the China Patent Office on January 19, 2024, entitled “Communication Method, Terminal, Network Device, Communication System and Storage Medium,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0004] Both non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and terrestrial networks (TN) face downlink coverage issues. For NTN networks, downlink coverage issues are more severe than those for TN networks due to the higher altitude of satellites above the ground. Therefore, research on solutions to enhance downlink coverage is urgently needed.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0007] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, which is executed by a terminal. The method includes:

[0008] Determining whether to perform a first operation for an Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access process, the first operation including sending first information to a network device, where the first information is used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, where the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0; initiating the Nth RACH attempt, and selecting a random access resource based on the determination result to send a random access preamble to the network device.

[0009] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, which is performed by a network device. The method includes:

[0010] A response to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for an Nth RACH attempt in a random access process, where the random access preamble is sent by the terminal using a random access resource selected based on a result of determining whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; wherein the first operation includes the terminal sending first information to the network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, and N being a natural number greater than 0.

[0011] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including:

[0012] a first processing module, configured to determine whether to perform a first operation for an Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access process, the first operation comprising sending first information to a network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0;

[0013] The first transceiver module is configured to initiate the Nth RACH attempt and select a random access resource according to a determination result to send a random access preamble to the network device.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0015] a second processing module, configured to respond to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for an Nth RACH attempt during a random access process, the random access preamble being sent by the terminal using a random access resource selected by the terminal based on a result of determining whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; wherein the first operation includes the terminal sending first information to the network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, and the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, wherein N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0016] According to the fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is proposed, comprising: one or more first processors; a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the first processor, the terminal executes the communication method described in the first aspect.

[0017] According to the sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is proposed, comprising: one or more second processors; a second memory coupled to the second processor, wherein the second memory stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the second processor, the network device executes the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0018] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method described in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0019] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is proposed, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0020] By adopting the technical solution of the present disclosure, it is possible to determine whether to perform the first operation for each RACH attempt in the RACH process, thereby selecting corresponding RACH resources according to the determination result to assist the network device in improving downlink coverage performance, thereby improving random access performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG2 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG4 is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG5 is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG6 is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG7 is an interactive diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG8 is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG9 is a flow chart showing a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0036] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: determining whether to perform a first operation for an Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access process, the first operation comprising sending first information to a network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, wherein N is a natural number greater than 0; initiating the Nth RACH attempt, and selecting a random access resource based on the determination result to send a random access preamble code to the network device.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines whether to perform the first operation for each RACH attempt in the RACH process, and then selects the corresponding RACH resource to send the random access preamble code according to the determination result. This can assist the network device in more accurately determining the number of retransmissions of the second information during the RACH attempt, thereby accurately improving the downlink coverage performance of the network device and thereby improving the performance of random access.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following sent based on a physical downlink control channel PDCCH and / or a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH:

[0039] Message Msg 2;

[0040] Message Msg 4;

[0041] Message Msg B.

[0042] In the above embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure may be used to improve the downlink coverage capability of at least one downlink signal among Msg 2, Msg 4, and Msg B sent via PDCCH and / or PDSCH.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes a parameter value of at least one of the following parameter items:

[0044] The first parameter item is used to indicate the downlink signal quality;

[0045] The second parameter item is used to indicate the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal;

[0046] The third parameter item is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the function of the network device resending the second information.

[0047] In the above embodiment, by providing the network device with the downlink signal quality, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal, and whether the terminal supports the function of the network device to retransmit the second information, the network device can be assisted to more accurately determine whether to retransmit the second information to the terminal, and the number of retransmissions of the second information, so as to accurately improve the downlink coverage performance of the network device.

[0048] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when it is determined to perform the first operation, the first information is carried in a message Msg 1 or a message Msg A and sent to the network device.

[0049] Optionally, determine to perform the first operation, and send the first information to the network device through message Msg 1 or message Msg A.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first message can be sent to the network device via Msg 1 or Msg A, which can not only improve the utilization rate of Msg 1 or Msg A, but also avoid additional resource overhead caused by the terminal sending the first message additionally.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the access method of the RACH attempt includes at least one of the following:

[0052] Contention-based random access (CBRA);

[0053] Non-contention random access CFRA;

[0054] 2-step random access 2-STEP RA;

[0055] 4-STEP RA.

[0056] In the above embodiments, since the technical solution of the present disclosure is applicable to RACH attempts of various access modes, the technical solution of the present disclosure is highly applicable and easy to implement.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process, the method includes: determining whether to perform the first operation for each access mode;

[0058] The determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process includes: determining the determination result according to the access mode corresponding to the Nth RACH attempt.

[0059] In the above embodiment, a judgment method is provided for determining whether to perform the first operation for the RACH attempt according to the access mode corresponding to the RACH attempt.

[0060] With reference to some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information including different parameter values ​​corresponds to different random access resources;

[0061] The initiating the Nth RACH attempt and selecting a random access resource according to a determination result to send a random access preamble to the network device includes: determining a corresponding random access resource according to a parameter value in the first information and sending a random access preamble.

[0062] In the above embodiment, by setting the first information including different parameter values ​​to correspond to different random access resources, the network device can distinguish the first information including different contents based on different random access resources, thereby improving the access efficiency of RACH attempts.

[0063] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process includes: determining whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt in the random access initialization phase.

[0064] In the above embodiment, it is specified that whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt can be determined in the random access initialization phase.

[0065] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process includes: determining whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt in the random access initialization phase.

[0066] In the above embodiment, it is specified that whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt can be determined in the random access initialization phase.

[0067] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining to perform the first operation, and determining a parameter value in the first information in a random access initialization phase.

[0068] In the above embodiment, it is specified that when determining to perform the first operation for the first / non-first RACH attempt in the random access initialization phase, the content of the first information corresponding to the first / non-first RACH attempt can be determined in the random access initialization phase.

[0069] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process includes: for a non-first RACH attempt, before initiating the non-first RACH attempt, determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt.

[0070] In the above embodiment, for a non-first RACH attempt, it may also be determined whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt before initiating the non-first RACH attempt.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first operation further includes updating the first information;

[0072] The determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt includes: determining whether to update a parameter value in the first information for the non-first RACH attempt.

[0073] In the above embodiment, it is specified that the first operation may include updating the first information. Accordingly, the embodiment of determining whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt may include: determining whether to update the parameter value in the first information for a non-first RACH attempt.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt, the method includes:

[0075] Determining that a first condition is satisfied, the first condition including at least one of the following:

[0076] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from CFRA to CBRA;

[0077] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from 2-step RA to 4-step RA;

[0078] The number of RACH attempts reaches a first specified number;

[0079] The number of retransmissions of message Msg 1 has changed.

[0080] In the above embodiment, it is provided that the determination of whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt can be triggered at multiple occasions, thereby expanding the application occasions of the solution.

[0081] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining whether to update the parameter value in the first information for the non-first RACH attempt includes: updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, wherein the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the last sent first information, and / or the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information during the last RACH attempt of the non-first RACH attempt.

[0082] In the above embodiment, when updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information can be greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the last sent first information, and / or the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information can be greater than the actual number of retransmissions of the second information during the last RACH attempt of the non-first RACH attempt, so as to improve the access success rate of the non-first RACH attempt and improve the performance of random access.

[0083] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, the method includes: receiving third information sent by the network device, where the third information is used to configure a candidate retransmission number sequence; determining, from the candidate retransmission number sequence, a minimum candidate retransmission number that is greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time;

[0084] The updating of the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes: updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt according to the minimum candidate retransmission number.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt can be updated according to the candidate retransmission number sequence configured by the network device to improve the access success rate of the non-first RACH attempt and improve the performance of random access.

[0086] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third information is any one of the following:

[0087] System information block SIB 1;

[0088] SIB 19;

[0089] Radio Resource Control RRC reconfiguration message.

[0090] In the above embodiment, it is specified that the network device can configure the candidate retransmission number sequence to the terminal through at least one of SIB 1, SIB 19, and RRC reconfiguration message.

[0091] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, the method includes:

[0092] receiving fourth information sent by the network device; determining, according to the fourth information, a number of retransmissions of the second information during a previous RACH attempt that is not the first RACH attempt;

[0093] The updating of the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes: updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt according to a value greater than the number of retransmissions in the second information.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt can be determined based on the actual number of retransmissions of the second information during the previous RACH attempt that is not the first RACH attempt, so as to improve the access success rate of the non-first RACH attempt and improve the performance of random access.

[0095] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the fourth information is any one of the following:

[0096] SIB 1;

[0097] SIB 19;

[0098] RRC reconfiguration message.

[0099] In the above embodiment, it is specified that the network device can send the actual number of retransmissions of the second information in the last RACH attempt process to the terminal through at least one of SIB 1, SIB 19, and RRC reconfiguration message.

[0100] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, it includes: determining that the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time is less than a second specified number.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the upper limit of the number of retransmission times suggested by the terminal in the first information is specified.

[0102] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising: responding to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for an Nth RACH attempt in a random access process, the random access preamble being sent by the terminal using a random access resource selected based on a determination result of whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; wherein the first operation comprises the terminal sending first information to the network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, wherein N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0103] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal, which includes at least one of a first transceiver module and a first processing module; wherein the terminal is used to execute an optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0104] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, which includes at least one of a second transceiver module and a second processing module; wherein the network device is used to execute the optional implementation method of the second aspect.

[0105] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal, comprising: one or more first processors; a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory stores executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the first processor, the terminal executes any one of the communication methods described in the first aspect.

[0106] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, comprising: one or more second processors; a second memory coupled to the second processor, the second memory storing executable instructions, and when the executable instructions are executed by the second processor, the network device executes the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0107] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, which includes: a terminal, and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0108] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0109] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0110] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the first aspect and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0111] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the first aspect and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0112] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0113] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, terminal, network device, communication system, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method," "information processing method," and "method for determining whether to reselect RACH resources for each random access attempt" are interchangeable, and the terms "communication system," "information processing system," and "system for determining whether to reselect RACH resources for each random access attempt" are interchangeable.

[0114] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0115] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0116] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0117] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0118] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0119] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0120] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0121] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0122] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0123] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0124] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time / frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or the frequency domain.

[0125] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0126] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0127] In some embodiments, devices, etc. can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as "device", "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0128] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (eg, access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.).

[0129] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station" "fixed station", "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0130] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0131] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it is also possible to set the structure in which the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by terms corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links.

[0132] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0133] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0134] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0135] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0136] Although operations are described in a particular order in the accompanying drawings in the disclosed embodiments, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a serial order, or that all of the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, sending multiple messages via the same message may also be advantageous.

[0137] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system 100 may include a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0138] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0139] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0140] Optionally, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses the terminal to the wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0141] In some embodiments, the network device 102 is a base station. Optionally, the base station is, for example, a macro base station, a micro base station (also known as a small base station), a relay station, an access point, a 5G base station or a future base station, a satellite, a transmission point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), a mobile switching center, or other devices that perform base station functions in a communication system, etc., which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure. For ease of description, in all embodiments of the present disclosure, devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices are collectively referred to as network devices or base stations.

[0142] In some embodiments, network device 102 is a core network device. A core network device can be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or can be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0143] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0145] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0146] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0147] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G New Radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New Radio Access (NX), Future Generation Radio Access (FX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0148] In some embodiments, NTN networks, due to the higher altitude of satellites above the ground, present more severe downlink coverage issues than TN networks, necessitating research into solutions to enhance downlink coverage. Random access messages such as Msg2, MsgB, and Msg4, as part of downlink messages, also present coverage issues in certain scenarios. Therefore, research is needed to improve the downlink coverage of these messages to enhance random access performance.

[0149] In some embodiments, to improve the downlink coverage of Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB, the downlink coverage performance can be improved by repetition of Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB. In order for the network to determine the number of repetitions of Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB, the UE needs to report auxiliary information to assist the network in determining the repetition.

[0150] In some embodiments, the auxiliary information may be one or more of the following:

[0151] Downlink signal quality, such as Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) or downlink reference signal received power (RSRP);

[0152] Recommended number of repetitions;

[0153] Whether the UE supports Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB repetition.

[0154] In some embodiments, NR supports configuring different Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resources for different feature combinations. Feature combinations support the following feature combinations:

[0155] Msg3 repetition;

[0156] Msg1 repetition;

[0157] RedCap (Reduced Capability) refers to a 5G technology defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardization organization, also known as lightweight 5G;

[0158] Small Data;

[0159] Slice NSAG.

[0160] In some embodiments, during a random access procedure, after a random access attempt (i.e., a random access channel attempt / RACH attempt) fails, the terminal needs to make another random access attempt until the maximum number of random access attempts is reached. During different random access attempts, the terminal may switch between contention-based random access (CBRA) and contention-free random access (CFRA), switch from 2-step RA to 4-step RA, or change the number of Msg1 repetitions.

[0161] In some embodiments, for the RACH process of Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition, whether each RACH repetition reselects random access resources has not been discussed. In view of this, the present disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, communication system and storage medium to determine whether each random access attempt reselects RACH resources for scenarios supporting Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition.

[0162] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method includes:

[0163] Step S201: Terminal 101 determines to perform a first operation for a first RACH attempt in a random access procedure.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first operation corresponding to the first RACH attempt includes the terminal sending first information to the network device and / or updating the first information. The name of the first operation is not limited and can be, for example, a specific operation, an operation of sending information, an operation of updating information, etc. Updating the first information can mean updating the content of the first information, such as default content or initial content, to obtain the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of the second information. For example, the first information corresponding to a first RACH attempt is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of the second information during the first RACH attempt, wherein the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the first RACH attempt.

[0166] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it can be, for example, auxiliary information.

[0167] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not limited. Optionally, the second information is any one of Msg 2, Msg 4, and Msg B sent based on PDCCH or PDSCH.

[0168] In some embodiments, before step S201 , the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt.

[0169] Optionally, before the terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt, the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for each access mode. Accordingly, the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt by determining whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt based on the access mode corresponding to the first RACH attempt.

[0170] In some embodiments, the access methods attempted by the RACH include, but are not limited to, CBRA, CFRA, 2-STEP RA, and 4-STEP RA. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation may be indicated to the terminal via a network device. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation may be pre-stored in the terminal. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation is a default relationship.

[0171] It should be noted that a 4-step RA involves Msg 1, Msg 2, Msg 3, and Msg 4. Msg 1 is the message sent from the terminal to the network device in the first step. Msg 2 is the message sent from the network device to the terminal in the second step. Msg 3 is the message sent from the terminal to the network device in the third step. Msg 4 is the message sent from the network device to the terminal in the fourth step.

[0172] A 2-step RA involves Msg A and Msg B. Msg A is the message sent by the terminal to the network device in the first step. Msg B is the message sent by the network device to the terminal in the second step.

[0173] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, a random access procedure includes a random access initialization phase and at least one RACH attempt. Optionally, terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt during the random access initialization phase. Optionally, terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt before initiating the first RACH attempt.

[0174] In some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt includes determining whether to update parameter values ​​in first information for the first RACH attempt. For example, determining whether to update default parameter items and default parameter values ​​in the first information to obtain first information corresponding to the current RACH attempt.

[0175] In some embodiments, determining whether to perform a first operation for a first RACH attempt includes:

[0176] For the first RACH attempt, it is determined whether to send first information.

[0177] Step S202: Terminal 101 determines first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt includes a parameter value of at least one of the following parameter items:

[0179] The first parameter item is used to indicate the downlink signal quality;

[0180] The second parameter item is used to indicate the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal 101;

[0181] The third parameter item is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the function of the network device 102 to resend the second information.

[0182] The quality of the downlink signal can be confirmed by CQI and / or RSRPR.

[0183] In some embodiments, if the terminal 101 determines to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt in the random access initialization phase, the terminal 101 determines the parameter items in the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt and the parameter value of each parameter item in the random access initialization phase.

[0184] In some embodiments, if the terminal 101 determines to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt before initiating the first RACH attempt, then the terminal 101 determines the parameter items in the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt and the parameter value of each parameter item before initiating the first RACH attempt.

[0185] Step S203 : The terminal 101 initiates a first RACH attempt, and selects a random access resource according to a result of performing the first operation on the first RACH attempt to send a random access preamble to the network device 102 .

[0186] In some embodiments, the network device 102 receives a random access preamble.

[0187] In some embodiments, the random access resource includes at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, and a code domain resource. A random access preamble is a code domain resource.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first information including different parameter values ​​corresponds to different random access resources. That is, updating the content of the first information means updating the random access resources.

[0189] Optionally, the terminal 101 initiates a first RACH attempt, and selects a random access resource to send a random access preamble to the network device 102 according to a determination result of performing the first operation on the first RACH attempt, including: determining the corresponding random access resource according to the content of the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt, and sending the random access preamble in the random access resource according to the time domain information and / or frequency domain information in the random access resource.

[0190] In some embodiments, if the access mode of the first RACH attempt is 4-STEP RA, the random access preamble may also be referred to as Msg 1. In some embodiments, the first information is carried in Msg 1 and sent to the network device.

[0191] In some embodiments, if the access mode of the first RACH attempt is 2-STEP RA, the random access preamble and the first information may be sent to the network device via Msg A.

[0192] In step S204 , the network device 102 determines the number of retransmissions of the second information during the first RACH attempt according to the first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt, and responds to the terminal 101 .

[0193] The network device 102 responding to the terminal 101 may include sending the second information to the terminal 101 once or multiple times.

[0194] In some embodiments, step S203 may be replaced with terminal 101 initiating a first RACH attempt, and selecting a random access resource based on a determination that the first operation is not performed for the first RACH attempt, and sending a random access preamble to network device 102. Accordingly, step S204 may be replaced with network device 102 responding to terminal 101. Network device 102 responding to terminal 101 may include sending the second information to terminal 101 once, i.e., the second information is not retransmitted.

[0195] If the first RACH attempt fails, a second RACH attempt and a third RACH attempt are performed according to steps S205 to S208 until random access is successful or the number of RACH attempts reaches the upper limit. In other words, the non-first RACH attempt in steps S205 to S208 can refer to any RACH attempt other than the first RACH attempt.

[0196] In step S205 , the terminal 101 determines to perform a first operation for a non-first RACH attempt.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first operation corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt includes the terminal sending first information to the network device and / or updating the first information. The name of the first operation is not limited and can be, for example, a specific operation, an operation of sending information, an operation of updating information, etc. Updating the first information can refer to updating the first information corresponding to the previous RACH attempt or the content of the first information used last to obtain the first information corresponding to the current RACH attempt.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of the second information. For example, the first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of the second information during the non-first RACH attempt, where the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the non-first RACH attempt.

[0199] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it can be, for example, auxiliary information.

[0200] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not limited. Optionally, the second information is any one of Msg 2, Msg 4, and Msg B sent based on PDCCH or PDSCH.

[0201] In some embodiments, before step S205 , the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt.

[0202] Optionally, before the terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt, the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for each access mode. Accordingly, the terminal 101 may determine whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt by determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt based on the access mode corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt.

[0203] In some embodiments, the access methods attempted by the RACH include, but are not limited to, CBRA, CFRA, 2-STEP RA, and 4-STEP RA. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation may be indicated to the terminal via a network device. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation may be pre-stored in the terminal. Optionally, the correspondence between each access method and whether to execute the first operation is a default relationship.

[0204] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, a random access procedure includes a random access initialization phase and at least one RACH attempt. Optionally, terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt during the random access initialization phase. Optionally, terminal 101 determines whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt before initiating the non-first RACH attempt.

[0205] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt when a first condition is satisfied. The first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0206] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from CFRA to CBRA. That is, the access mode of the previous RACH attempt is CFRA, and the access mode of this RACH attempt is CBRA.

[0207] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from 2-step RA to 4-step RA. That is, the access mode of the previous RACH attempt is 2-step RA, and the access mode of this RACH attempt is 4-step RA.

[0208] The number of RACH attempts reaches a first specified number;

[0209] The number of retransmissions of message Msg 1 has changed;

[0210] The number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the last sent first information is less than the second specified number.

[0211] In some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt includes determining whether to update parameter values ​​in first information for a non-first RACH attempt. For example, determining whether to update parameter items and parameter values ​​in first information corresponding to a previous RACH attempt to obtain first information corresponding to the current RACH attempt. For example, determining whether to update parameter items and parameter values ​​in first information used last to obtain first information corresponding to the current RACH attempt.

[0212] In some embodiments, determining whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt includes:

[0213] For a non-first RACH attempt, determining whether to send first information.

[0214] Step S206: Terminal 101 determines first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes a parameter value of at least one of the following parameter items:

[0216] The first parameter item is used to indicate the downlink signal quality;

[0217] The second parameter item is used to indicate the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal 101;

[0218] The third parameter item is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports the function of the network device 102 to resend the second information.

[0219] The quality of the downlink signal can be confirmed by CQI and / or RSRPR.

[0220] In some embodiments, if the terminal 101 determines to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt during the random access initialization phase, the terminal 101 determines the parameter items in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt and the parameter value of each parameter item during the random access initialization phase.

[0221] In some embodiments, if the terminal 101 determines to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt before initiating the non-first RACH attempt, then the terminal 101 determines the parameter items in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt and the parameter value of each parameter item before initiating the non-first RACH attempt.

[0222] In some embodiments, if it is determined to update the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information can be made greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time, and / or the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information can be made greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information during the last RACH attempt.

[0223] In some embodiments, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt, the following steps are performed: the terminal 101 receives third information sent by the network device 102, and determines a sequence of candidate retransmissions based on the third information. The terminal 101 determines, from the sequence of candidate retransmissions, a minimum candidate retransmission number that is greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time. Accordingly, the embodiment in which the terminal 101 updates the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt includes: updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt based on the minimum candidate retransmission number, and after the update, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt is the minimum candidate retransmission number.

[0224] In some embodiments, the third information is SIB 1, SIB 19, or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0225] In some embodiments, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, the method includes: the terminal 101 receives fourth information sent by the network device, and determines the number of retransmissions of the second information during the previous RACH attempt of the non-first RACH attempt based on the fourth information. The fourth message is SIB 1, SIB 19, or RRC reconfiguration message. Accordingly, the implementation method of the terminal 101 updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes: updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt based on a value greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information during the previous RACH attempt, and after the update, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt is a value greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information during the previous RACH attempt.

[0226] Step S207 : The terminal 101 initiates a non-first RACH attempt, and selects a random access resource according to a result of performing the first operation on the non-first RACH attempt to send a random access preamble to the network device 102 .

[0227] In some embodiments, the network device 102 receives a random access preamble.

[0228] In some embodiments, the random access resource includes at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, and a code domain resource. A random access preamble is a code domain resource.

[0229] In some embodiments, the first information including different parameter values ​​corresponds to different random access resources.

[0230] Optionally, the terminal 101 initiates a non-first RACH attempt, and selects a random access resource to send a random access preamble code to the network device 102 according to the determination result of performing the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt. The implementation method includes: determining the corresponding random access resource according to the content of the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, and sending the random access preamble code in the random access resource according to the time domain information and / or frequency domain information in the random access resource.

[0231] In some embodiments, if the access mode other than the first RACH attempt is 4-STEP RA, the random access preamble may also be referred to as Msg 1. In some embodiments, the first information is carried in Msg 1 and sent to the network device.

[0232] In some embodiments, if the access mode other than the first RACH attempt is 2-STEP RA, the random access preamble and the first information may be sent to the network device via Msg A.

[0233] Step S208 : The network device 102 determines the number of retransmissions of the second information in the non-first RACH attempt according to the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, and responds to the terminal 101 .

[0234] The network device 102 responding to the terminal 101 may include sending the second information to the terminal 101 once or multiple times.

[0235] In some embodiments, step S207 may be replaced with terminal 101 initiating a non-first RACH attempt, and selecting a random access resource based on a determination result that the first operation is not performed for the non-first RACH attempt, sending a random access preamble to network device 102. Accordingly, step S208 may be replaced with network device 102 responding to terminal 101. Network device 102 responding to terminal 101 may include sending the second information to terminal 101 once, i.e., the second information is not retransmitted.

[0236] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0237] In some embodiments, the terms "downlink", "downlink", "physical downlink", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0238] In some embodiments, the terms "random access attempt", "random access channel attempt", "RACH attempt" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0239] In some embodiments, the terms "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)", "DL data", "physical downlink control channel PDCCH" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0240] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0241] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0242] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "some", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "some A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, some A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0243] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit such as 0 or 1, or by a true or false value represented by true (true) or false (false) such as a Boolean value, or by comparing numerical values, for example, comparing with a predetermined value, but is not limited to this.

[0244] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S201 to S208. For example, step S203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S207 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S203 and step S204 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and step S207 and step S208 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0245] In some embodiments, step S201 and step S202 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously, and step S205 and step S206 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously.

[0246] In some embodiments, step S201 , step S202 , and step S204 to step S208 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0247] In some embodiments, steps S201 to S206 and step S208 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0248] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 .

[0249] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by the terminal side. The method includes:

[0250] Step S301: Determine whether to perform a first operation for a first RACH attempt in a random access procedure.

[0251] The optional implementation of step S301 can refer to the optional implementation of step S201 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0252] Step S302: Determine first information corresponding to the first RACH attempt.

[0253] The optional implementation of step S302 can refer to the optional implementation of step S202 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] Step S303: Initiate a first RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a determination result of performing the first operation on the first RACH attempt.

[0255] The optional implementation of step S303 can refer to the optional implementation of step S203 in FIG. 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0256] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 sends a random access preamble to the network device 102, but is not limited thereto and may also send a random access preamble to other entities.

[0257] Step S304: Initiate a first RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a result of determining that the first operation is not performed for the first RACH attempt.

[0258] The optional implementation of step S304 can refer to the optional implementation of step S204 in FIG. 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0259] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 sends a random access preamble to the network device 102, but is not limited thereto and may also send a random access preamble to other entities.

[0260] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S301 to S304. For example, step S303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S302 and S303 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0261] In some embodiments, step S301 and step S302 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0262] In some embodiments, step S301 , step S302 , and step S304 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0263] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by the terminal side. The method includes:

[0264] Step S401: Determine whether to perform a first operation for a non-first RACH attempt in a random access procedure.

[0265] The optional implementation of step S401 can refer to the optional implementation of step S205 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0266] Step S402: Determine first information corresponding to a non-first RACH attempt.

[0267] The optional implementation of step S402 can refer to the optional implementation of step S206 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0268] Step S403: Initiate a non-first RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a determination result of performing the first operation on the non-first RACH attempt.

[0269] The optional implementation of step S403 can refer to the optional implementation of step S207 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0270] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 sends a random access preamble to the network device 102, but is not limited thereto and may also send a random access preamble to other entities.

[0271] Step S404: Initiate a non-first RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a determination result that the first operation is not performed for the non-first RACH attempt.

[0272] The optional implementation of step S404 can refer to the optional implementation of step S208 in FIG. 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0273] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 sends a random access preamble to the network device 102, but is not limited thereto and may also send a random access preamble to other entities.

[0274] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S401 to S404. For example, step S403 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S402 and S403 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0275] In some embodiments, step S401 and step S402 may be performed in an interchangeable order or simultaneously.

[0276] In some embodiments, step S401, step S402, and step S404 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0277] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, step S403 can be combined with step S303 of Figure 3, step S404 can be combined with step S304 of Figure 3, step S403 can be combined with step S304 of Figure 3, and step S404 can be combined with step S303 of Figure 3, but is not limited thereto.

[0278] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by the terminal side. The method includes:

[0279] Step S501: determine whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access procedure, where N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0280] Optional implementations of step S501 can refer to the optional implementations of step S201 and step S205 in FIG. 2 , step S301 in FIG. 3 , and step S401 in FIG. 4 , as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 4 , which will not be repeated here.

[0281] Step S502: Determine first information corresponding to the Nth RACH attempt.

[0282] Optional implementations of step S502 can refer to the optional implementations of step S202 and step S206 in FIG. 2 , step S302 in FIG. 3 , and step S402 in FIG. 4 , as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 4 , which will not be repeated here.

[0283] Step S503: Initiate an Nth RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a determination result of performing the first operation on the Nth RACH attempt.

[0284] Optional implementations of step S503 can be found in step S203 and step S207 of FIG. 2 , step S303 of FIG. 3 , and step S403 of FIG. 4 , as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 4 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0285] Step S504: Initiate an Nth RACH attempt, and select a random access resource to send a random access preamble according to a result of determining that the first operation is not performed on the Nth RACH attempt.

[0286] Optional implementations of step S504 can refer to the optional implementations of step S204 and step S208 in FIG. 2 , step S304 in FIG. 3 , and step S404 in FIG. 4 , as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 4 , which will not be repeated here.

[0287] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S501 to S504. For example, step S503 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S502 and S503 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0288] In some embodiments, step S501 and step S502 may be executed in an interchanged order or simultaneously.

[0289] In some embodiments, step S501, step S502, and step S504 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0290] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a network device side. The method includes:

[0291] Step S601: Receive a random access preamble code sent for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access process, where N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0292] Optional implementations of step S601 can refer to step S203 in FIG. 2 , optional implementations of step S207 , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0293] In some embodiments, the network device 102 receives a random access preamble sent by the terminal 101 for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process, but is not limited thereto and may also receive a random access preamble sent by other entities for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process.

[0294] Step S602: Determine the number of retransmissions of the second information according to the first information in the random access preamble.

[0295] Optional implementations of step S602 can be found in step S204 and the optional implementations of step S208 in FIG. 2 , as well as other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0296] Step S603: respond according to the number of retransmissions.

[0297] Optional implementations of step S603 may refer to step S204 and the optional implementations of step S208 in FIG. 2 , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0298] In some embodiments, the network device 102 responds to the terminal 101, but is not limited thereto and may also respond to other entities.

[0299] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S601 to S603. For example, step S603 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S602 and S603 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0300] In some embodiments, step S601 and step S602 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0301] Figure 7 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0302] Step S701: The terminal determines whether to perform a first operation for the Nth random access channel RACH attempt in the random access process, where the first operation includes sending first information to a network device, where the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of second information, where the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0303] The optional implementation of step S701 can refer to the optional implementation of step S201, step S205 in Figure 2, step S301 in Figure 3, step S401 in Figure 4, step S501 in Figure 5, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0304] Step S702: The terminal initiates the Nth RACH attempt, selects a random access resource according to the determination result, and sends a random access preamble to the network device.

[0305] For the optional implementation of step S702, please refer to step S203 and step S207 in Figure 2, step S303 and step S304 in Figure 3, step S403 and step S404 in Figure 4, step S503 and step S504 in Figure 5, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0306] Step S703: The network device responds to the random access preamble sent by the terminal for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process.

[0307] Optional implementations of step S703 may refer to step S204 and step S208 in FIG. 2 , optional implementations of step S603 in FIG. 6 , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0308] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S701 to S703. For example, step S702 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S701 and step S702 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0309] In some embodiments, step S701 and step S703 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0310] In some embodiments, step S701 and step S702 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0311] In some embodiments, step S702 and step S703 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0312] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method steps described in the above embodiments of the terminal side, network device side, communication system side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0313] FIG8 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0314] Step S801: The terminal determines whether to perform a first operation for the Nth random access channel RACH attempt in the random access process, where the first operation includes sending first information to a network device, where the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of second information, where the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0315] The optional implementation of step S801 can refer to the optional implementation of step S201, step S205 in Figure 2, step S301 in Figure 3, step S401 in Figure 4, step S501 in Figure 5, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0316] Step S802: The terminal initiates the Nth RACH attempt, selects a random access resource according to the determination result, and sends a random access preamble to the network device.

[0317] For the optional implementation of step S802, please refer to step S203 and step S207 in Figure 2, step S303 and step S304 in Figure 3, step S403 and step S404 in Figure 4, step S503 and step S504 in Figure 5, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, which will not be repeated here.

[0318] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of step S801 and step S802. For example, step S801 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S802 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0319] In some embodiments, step S802 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0320] In some embodiments, step S801 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0321] FIG9 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG9 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method includes:

[0322] Step S901: A network device responds to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for an Nth RACH attempt in a random access process, where the random access preamble is sent by the terminal using a random access resource selected based on a result of determining whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; wherein the first operation includes the terminal sending first information to the network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining a number of retransmissions of second information, the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0323] Optional implementations of step S901 can refer to step S204 and step S208 in FIG. 2 , optional implementations of step S603 in FIG. 6 , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0324] In some embodiments, for each RACH attempt during a random access process, the terminal determines whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and / or determines whether to update the Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information, and selects a corresponding random access resource to send a preamble based on the determination result. The Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information corresponds to the first information in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0325] In some embodiments, the Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition includes: Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB PDCCH repetition and / or Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB PDSCH repetition.

[0326] In some embodiments, the Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information may include one or more of the following:

[0327] Downlink signal quality, such as CQI or downlink reference point RSRP;

[0328] Recommended number of repetitions;

[0329] Whether the UE supports Msg2 / Msg4 / MsgB repetition;

[0330] In some embodiments, the terminal reports the auxiliary information through Msg1 / MsgA, and the terminal distinguishes the content of the auxiliary information through different RACH resources.

[0331] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information during the random access initialization phase.

[0332] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and the content of the reported auxiliary information during the random access initialization phase.

[0333] In some embodiments, CBRA resources, CFRA resources, 2-STEP RA resources, 4-STEP RA resources, etc. may be distinguished to determine separately whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and the content of the reported auxiliary information.

[0334] In some embodiments, the first random access attempt of the UE random access procedure uses the determination result of whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information determined in the random access initialization phase and / or the content of the auxiliary information reported when determining to report to determine the RACH resource.

[0335] In some embodiments, each subsequent random access attempt of the UE random access procedure uses the determination result of whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information determined in the random access initialization phase and / or the content of the auxiliary information reported when determining to report to determine the RACH resource.

[0336] In some embodiments, for each subsequent random access attempt of the UE random access process, it is re-determined whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and / or the content of the auxiliary information reported when reporting is determined, and the corresponding random access resource is selected to send the Preamble based on the determination result.

[0337] In some embodiments, updating the auxiliary information content means replacing the RACH resource, where the RACH resource corresponds to the random access resource in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0338] In some embodiments, if it is determined to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information, the UE uses random access resources corresponding to the content of the reported auxiliary information to send the Preamble.

[0339] In some embodiments, in subsequent random access attempts of the UE random access procedure, when a switch occurs between CFRA and CBRA, or when a switch occurs from 2-STEP RA to 4-STEP RA, or when the number of random access attempts reaches a certain number, the UE re-determines whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and / or determines the content of the auxiliary information to be reported when reporting. Based on the determination result, the UE selects the corresponding random access resource to send the preamble. In some embodiments, the above method is applicable to the first time the UE switches from CFRA to CBRA.

[0340] In some embodiments, after the UE switches from CFRA to CBRA, each subsequent CBRA random access attempt reports the same auxiliary information as that of the first CBRA attempt.

[0341] In some embodiments, after the auxiliary information is re-determined, subsequent random access attempts are all sent according to the re-determined auxiliary information. Re-determining the content of the auxiliary information can be understood as updating the content of the auxiliary information used last time.

[0342] In some embodiments, in subsequent random access attempts of the UE random access procedure, the recommended repetition number may be increased, and the corresponding random access resource may be selected to send the Preamble based on the increased repetition number. The recommended repetition number corresponds to the retransmission number recommended by the terminal in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0343] In some embodiments, the UE may select a repetition count greater than the last used repetition count from the configured repetition counts. For example, the configured repetition counts are sorted from lowest to highest and the next larger repetition count is selected. The UE may attempt the current repetition count X times and, if unsuccessful, increase the repetition count until the configured maximum repetition count is reached.

[0344] In some embodiments, the network configures the candidate repetition times via a system message such as SIB1 / SIB19 or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0345] In some embodiments, the network configures the value of X through a system message such as SIB1 / SIB19 or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0346] In some embodiments, in subsequent random access attempts of the UE random access procedure, when the number of msg1 repetitions is changed, it is re-determined whether to report Msg2 / MsgB / Msg4 repetition auxiliary information and / or the content of the auxiliary information when reporting is determined, and the corresponding random access resource is selected to send the Preamble based on the determination result.

[0347] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0348] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0349] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0350] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0351] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 10, the terminal 101 may include: at least one of a first transceiver module 1001, a first processing module 1002, etc. In some embodiments, the first processing module 1002 is used to determine whether to perform a first operation for the Nth random access channel RACH attempt in the random access process, and the first operation includes sending first information to a network device, and the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of second information, and the second information is the information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, wherein N is a natural number greater than 0. The first transceiver module 1001 is used to initiate the Nth RACH attempt, and select a random access resource according to the determination result to send a random access preamble code to the network device.

[0352] Optionally, the first transceiver module 1001 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S203, step S207, but not limited thereto) such as sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S201, step S202, step S204, step S205, step S206, step S208, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0353] Optionally, the second information includes at least one of the following sent based on a physical downlink control channel PDCCH and / or a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH:

[0354] Message Msg 2;

[0355] Message Msg 4;

[0356] Message Msg B.

[0357] Optionally, the first information includes a parameter value of at least one of the following parameter items:

[0358] The first parameter item is used to indicate the downlink signal quality;

[0359] The second parameter item is used to indicate the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal;

[0360] The third parameter item is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the function of the network device resending the second information.

[0361] Optionally, the first information is carried in message Msg 1 or message Msg A and sent to the network device.

[0362] Optionally, the access mode of the RACH attempt includes at least one of the following:

[0363] Contention-based random access (CBRA);

[0364] Non-contention random access CFRA;

[0365] 2-step random access 2-STEP RA;

[0366] 4-STEP RA.

[0367] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to, before determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in the random access process, determine whether to perform the first operation for each access mode; and determine the determination result according to the access mode corresponding to the Nth RACH attempt.

[0368] Optionally, the first information including different parameter values ​​corresponds to different random access resources; the first transceiver module 1001 is used to determine the corresponding random access resource according to the parameter value in the first information and send a random access preamble code.

[0369] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to determine whether to perform the first operation for a first RACH attempt during a random access initialization phase.

[0370] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to determine whether to perform the first operation for a non-first RACH attempt during a random access initialization phase.

[0371] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to determine to perform the first operation and determine a parameter value in the first information during a random access initialization phase.

[0372] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to, for a non-first RACH attempt, determine whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt before initiating the non-first RACH attempt.

[0373] Optionally, the first operation further includes updating the first information; the first processing module 1002 is configured to determine whether to update a parameter value in the first information for the non-first RACH attempt.

[0374] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to, before determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt, determine that a first condition is satisfied, where the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0375] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from CFRA to CBRA;

[0376] The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from 2-step RA to 4-step RA;

[0377] The number of RACH attempts reaches a first specified number;

[0378] The number of retransmissions of message Msg 1 has changed.

[0379] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is used to update the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, wherein the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time, and / or the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information during the last RACH attempt that is not the first RACH attempt.

[0380] Optionally, the first transceiver module 1001 is configured to, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, receive third information sent by the network device, where the third information is used to configure a candidate retransmission number sequence;

[0381] The first processing module 1002 is used to determine, from the candidate retransmission number sequence, a minimum candidate retransmission number that is greater than the retransmission number recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time; and update the retransmission number recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt according to the minimum candidate retransmission number.

[0382] Optionally, the third information is any one of the following:

[0383] System information block SIB 1;

[0384] SIB 19;

[0385] Radio Resource Control RRC reconfiguration message.

[0386] Optionally, the first transceiver module 1001 is configured to receive fourth information sent by the network device before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt;

[0387] The first processing module 1002 is configured to determine, based on the fourth information, the number of retransmissions of the second information during a previous RACH attempt that is not the first RACH attempt; and update, based on a value greater than the number of retransmissions of the second information, the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt.

[0388] Optionally, the fourth information is any one of the following:

[0389] SIB 1;

[0390] SIB 19;

[0391] RRC reconfiguration message.

[0392] Optionally, the first processing module 1002 is configured to, before updating the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, determine that the number of retransmissions recommended by the terminal in the first information sent last time is less than a second specified number.

[0393] In some embodiments, the first transceiver module 1001 may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the "first transceiver module" may be interchangeable with the "first transceiver".

[0394] In some embodiments, the first processing module 1002 may be a single module or include multiple submodules. Optionally, each of the multiple submodules executes all or part of the steps required by the first processing module 1002. Optionally, the term "first processing module" may be interchangeable with the term "first processor."

[0395] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG11 , the network device 102 may include: at least one of a second transceiver module 1101 and a second processing module 1102. In some embodiments, the second processing module 1102 is configured to respond to a random access preamble code sent by a terminal for the Nth RACH attempt during a random access process, wherein the random access preamble code is sent by the terminal based on a random access resource selected by the terminal based on a determination result of whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; wherein the first operation includes the terminal sending first information to the network device, the first information being used to assist the network device in determining the number of retransmissions of second information, and the second information being information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, wherein N is a natural number greater than 0.

[0396] Optionally, the second transceiver module 1101 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S203, step S207, but not limited thereto) such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the second processing module 1102 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S201, step S202, step S204, step S205, step S206, step S208, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0397] In some embodiments, the second transceiver module 1101 may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the "second transceiver module" may be interchangeable with the "second transceiver".

[0398] In some embodiments, the second processing module 1102 may be a single module or include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules each execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the second processing module 1102. Optionally, the "second processing module" may be interchangeable with the "second processor."

[0399] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 8100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 8100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 8100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0400] As shown in Figure 12, the communication device 8100 includes one or more third processors 8101. The third processor 8101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control communication devices (such as base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DU or CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 8100 is used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more third processors 8101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0401] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more third transceivers 8102. When the communication device 8100 includes one or more third transceivers 8102, the third transceiver 8102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S203, step S207, but not limited thereto), and the third processor 8101 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step S201, step S202, step S204, step S205, step S206, step S208, but not limited thereto). In an optional embodiment, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface may be interchangeable, the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be interchangeable, and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be interchangeable.

[0402] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more third memories 8103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the third memories 8103 may be located outside the communication device 8100. In an alternative embodiment, the communication device 8100 may include one or more first interface circuits 8104. Optionally, the first interface circuit 8104 is connected to the third memories 8103. The first interface circuit 8104 may be configured to receive data from the third memories 8103 or other devices, and to send data to the third processor 8101 or other devices. For example, the first interface circuit 8104 may read data stored in the third memories 8103 and send the data to the third processor 8101.

[0403] The communication device 8100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 8100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 8100 may not be limited by FIG. 12 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0404] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 8200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 8100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 8200 shown in FIG13 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0405] The chip 8200 includes one or more fourth processors 8201. The chip 8200 is configured to execute any one of the above methods.

[0406] In some embodiments, the chip 8200 further includes one or more second interface circuits 8202. The terms interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins are optionally interchangeable. In some embodiments, the chip 8200 further includes one or more fourth memories 8203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the fourth memories 8203 may be located external to the chip 8200. Optionally, the second interface circuit 8202 is connected to the fourth memory 8203. The second interface circuit 8202 can be used to receive data from the fourth memory 8203 or other devices, or to send data to the fourth memory 8203 or other devices. For example, the second interface circuit 8202 can read data stored in the fourth memory 8203 and send the data to the fourth processor 8201.

[0407] In some embodiments, the second interface circuit 8202 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S203 and step S207, but not limited thereto) in the above method. For example, the second interface circuit 8202 performing the communication steps (e.g., step S203 and step S207, but not limited thereto) in the above method means that the second interface circuit 8202 performs data exchange between the fourth processor 8201, chip 8200, fourth memory 8203, or a transceiver device. In some embodiments, the fourth processor 8201 performs at least one of the other steps (e.g., step S201, step S202, step S204, step S205, step S206, and step S208, but not limited thereto).

[0408] The modules and / or devices described in various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be arbitrarily combined or separated according to circumstances. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0409] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed on the communication device 8100, causes the communication device 8100 to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0410] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 8100, enables the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0411] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Executed by a terminal, the method includes: Determine whether to perform a first operation for the Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access process, where the first operation includes sending first information to a network device, and the first information is used to assist the network device in determining the retransmission times of second information, and the second information is the information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, where N is a natural number greater than 0; Initiate the Nth RACH attempt, and select a random access resource according to the determination result to send a random access preamble to the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second information includes at least one of the following sent based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH): Message Msg 2; Message Msg 4; Message Msg B.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information includes parameter values of at least one of the following parameter items: A first parameter item for indicating downlink signal quality; A second parameter item for indicating the retransmission times recommended by the terminal; A third parameter item for indicating whether the terminal supports the function of the network device to retransmit the second information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information is sent to the network device carried in Message Msg 1 or Message Msg A.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The access modes of RACH attempts include at least one of the following: Contention-based random access (CBRA); Contention-free random access (CFRA); 2-step random access (2-STEP RA); 4-STEP RA.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein Before determining whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access process, it includes: Determine whether to perform the first operation for each access mode respectively; The determination of whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access process includes: Determine the determination result according to the access mode corresponding to the Nth RACH attempt.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein: The first information including different parameter values corresponds to different random access resources; The step of initiating the Nth RACH attempt, selecting a random access resource according to the determination result to send a random access preamble to the network device includes: Determine the corresponding random access resource according to the parameter value in the first information, and send a random access preamble.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The determination of whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access process includes: Determine whether to perform the first operation for the first RACH attempt in a random access initialization phase.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The determination of whether to perform the first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access process includes: Determine whether to perform the first operation for non-first RACH attempts in a random access initialization phase.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine to perform the first operation, and determine the parameter value in the first information in a random access initialization phase.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein Determining whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access procedure includes: For a non-first RACH attempt, before initiating the non-first RACH attempt, determine whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first operation further includes updating the first information; Determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt includes: For the non-first RACH attempt, determine whether to update the parameter value in the first information.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, Before determining whether to perform the first operation for the non-first RACH attempt, it includes: Determine that a first condition is satisfied, and the first condition includes at least one of the following: The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from CFRA to CBRA; The access mode of the RACH attempt is switched from 2-STEP RA to 4-STEP RA; The number of RACH attempts reaches a first specified number; The retransmission count of message Msg 1 changes.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein For the non-first RACH attempt, determining whether to update the parameter value in the first information includes: Update the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, where the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the previously sent first information, and / or, the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the updated first information is greater than the retransmission count of the second information during the previous RACH attempt of the non-first RACH attempt.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that Before updating the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, it includes: Receive the third information sent by the network device, where the third information is used to configure a candidate retransmission count sequence; Determine the smallest candidate retransmission count greater than the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the previously sent first information from the candidate retransmission count sequence; Updating the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes: Update the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt according to the smallest candidate retransmission count.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The third information is any one of the following: System Information Block SIB 1; SIB 19; Radio Resource Control RRC reconfiguration message.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein Before updating the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, it includes: Receive the fourth information sent by the network device; Determine the retransmission count of the second information during the previous RACH attempt of the non-first RACH attempt according to the fourth information; Updating the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt includes: Update the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt according to a value of the retransmission count greater than the second information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein The fourth information is any one of the following: SIB 1; SIB 19; RRC reconfiguration message.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 - 18, characterized in that, Before updating the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the first information corresponding to the non-first RACH attempt, it includes: Determine that the retransmission count recommended by the terminal in the previously sent first information is less than a second specified count.

20. A communication method, characterized in that, Executed by a network device, the method includes: In response to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access procedure, the random access preamble is sent on a random access resource selected by the terminal according to a determination result of whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; Wherein, the first operation includes the terminal sending a first information to the network device, the first information is used to assist the network device in determining a retransmission count of a second information, the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, and N is a natural number greater than 0.

21. A terminal, characterized in that, It includes: A first processing module, configured to determine whether to perform a first operation for the Nth random access channel (RACH) attempt in a random access procedure, the first operation includes sending a first information to a network device, the first information is used to assist the network device in determining a retransmission count of a second information, the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, and N is a natural number greater than 0; A first transceiver module, configured to initiate the Nth RACH attempt and send a random access preamble to the network device on a random access resource selected according to the determination result.

22. A network device, characterized in that, It includes: A second processing module, configured to respond to a random access preamble sent by a terminal for the Nth RACH attempt in a random access procedure, the random access preamble is sent on a random access resource selected by the terminal according to a determination result of whether to perform a first operation for the Nth RACH attempt; Wherein, the first operation includes the terminal sending a first information to the network device, the first information is used to assist the network device in determining a retransmission count of a second information, the second information is information sent by the network device to the terminal during the Nth RACH attempt, and N is a natural number greater than 0.

23. A terminal, characterized in that, It includes: One or more first processors; A first memory coupled to the first processor, and executable instructions are stored on the first memory. When the executable instructions are executed by the first processor, the terminal executes the communication method according to any one of claims 1-19.

24. A network device, characterized in that, It includes: One or more second processors; A second memory coupled to the second processor, and executable instructions are stored on the second memory. When the executable instructions are executed by the second processor, the network device executes the communication method according to claim 20.

25. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a terminal and a network device. Among them, the terminal is configured to implement the communication method described in any one of claims 1-19, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method described in claim 20.

26. A storage medium, the storage medium stores instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction runs on the communication device, it causes the communication device to execute the communication method described in any one of claims 1-20.

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