Downlink auxiliary node selection method and apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a downlink auxiliary node selection method and an apparatus. The method comprises: a network device sending a first message to each candidate auxiliary node among M candidate auxiliary nodes, wherein the first message is used for indicating an uplink resource of the network device allocated to each candidate auxiliary node among the M candidate auxiliary nodes, M being an integer greater than or equal to 1; monitoring on the allocated uplink resources for a second message sent by the first device; if a second message sent by the first device is detected on an allocated uplink resource, the network device selecting a downlink auxiliary node from the M candidate auxiliary nodes. Th embodiments of the present application widen the coverage area and improve the communication efficiency and quality.

Description

A method and device for selecting a downlink auxiliary node

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 15, 2024, with application number 202410060939.0 and application name “A Downlink Auxiliary Node Selection Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and device for selecting a downlink auxiliary node. Background Art

[0003] Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a passive IoT technology that uses radio frequency (RF) for contactless, two-way data communication. It uses RF to read and write to recording media (electronic tags or radio frequency cards), thereby identifying targets and exchanging data. However, due to its limited coverage range of approximately 10 meters, this technology is unlikely to support the future demand for hundreds of billions of devices. Therefore, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently discussing the development of passive IoT technologies based on cellular communications. This can reduce costs by leveraging existing large-scale cellular infrastructure. It can also enhance the coverage of passive IoT by leveraging mature cellular technologies, such as interference management and mobility management. However, reducing the cost of passive IoT devices inevitably reduces the uplink and downlink capabilities of these devices relative to existing UEs, potentially reducing both uplink and downlink coverage. Ensuring uplink and downlink coverage is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a method and apparatus for selecting a downlink auxiliary node, which expands coverage and improves communication quality by selecting a downlink auxiliary node.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for selecting a downlink auxiliary node, which is applied to a network device, or a chip or circuit configured in the network device, including:

[0006] A first message is sent to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where the first message is used to indicate the uplink resources of the network device allocated to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; a second message sent by the first device is detected on the allocated uplink resources; if the second message sent by the first device is detected on the allocated uplink resources, a downlink auxiliary node is selected from the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0007] The network device allocates uplink resources to the candidate auxiliary node, enabling the candidate auxiliary node to provide the allocated uplink resources to the first device. The first device can then send an uplink access message on the allocated uplink resources. If the network device detects an uplink access message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resources, it indicates that downlink assistance is required. The network device selects a downlink auxiliary node for downlink auxiliary transmission, expanding coverage and assisting the network device in sending downlink messages to the first device, thereby improving communication efficiency and quality.

[0008] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node. The uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node through the first message, and whether downlink auxiliary transmission is required is detected through the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand the coverage range.

[0009] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset. The uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node through the first message, and the need for downlink auxiliary transmission is detected through the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand the coverage range.

[0010] In one possible design, the first message includes a spreading code category and a number of spreading code groups, or the first message includes a spreading code category, a starting index, and a number of spreading codes. Uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node via the first message. Whether downlink auxiliary transmission is required is detected using the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand coverage.

[0011] In one possible design, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes. Uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node via the first message. Whether downlink auxiliary transmission is required is detected based on the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand coverage.

[0012] In one possible design, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain, or beam domain. By indicating any two or more resource combinations, uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node.

[0013] In one possible design, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select an auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0014] In one possible design, the second message includes a signal quality of each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes measured by the first device; and the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality is selected from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node. By selecting the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality as the downlink auxiliary node for downlink auxiliary transmission, communication quality is improved.

[0015] In one possible design, a third message is sent, wherein the third message is used to request an auxiliary node. Whether the network device has an auxiliary node is determined by broadcasting a message.

[0016] In one possible design, a fourth message is received from each of K auxiliary nodes, where the fourth message indicates whether the auxiliary node has downlink assistance capability, where K is an integer greater than or equal to M. An auxiliary node with downlink assistance capability is selected from the K auxiliary nodes as the M candidate auxiliary nodes. By selecting the auxiliary node with downlink assistance capability as the candidate auxiliary node, it is ensured that the candidate auxiliary node can provide assistance.

[0017] In one possible design, the third message includes a message type, where the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension. After receiving the third message, the auxiliary nodes around the network device determine whether relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, or coverage extension is supported.

[0018] In one possible design, a fifth message is sent to the selected downlink auxiliary node, the fifth message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate auxiliary transmission; or, a fifth message is sent to the selected downlink auxiliary node, the message type of the fifth message being auxiliary transmission; or, the fifth message is sent to the selected downlink auxiliary node on a first resource, the first resource being used to determine auxiliary transmission of the fifth message. Different approaches are used to distinguish between messages sent directly to the downlink auxiliary node and messages that require auxiliary transmission to the first device.

[0019] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for selecting a downlink auxiliary node. The method is applied to an auxiliary node, or a chip or circuit configured in the auxiliary node, including:

[0020] Receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message is used to indicate the allocated uplink resources of the network device; send the allocated uplink resources to a first device within the coverage area, where the uplink resources are used by the first device to send a second message, where the second message is used by the network device to select a downlink auxiliary node after detecting the allocated uplink resources.

[0021] By receiving uplink resources allocated by the network device, the candidate assisting node can provide the allocated uplink resources to the first device, allowing the first device to send an uplink access message on the allocated uplink resources. If the network device detects an uplink access message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resources, it indicates that downlink assistance is required. The network device selects a downlink assisting node for downlink assisting transmission, expanding coverage and assisting the network device in sending downlink messages to the first device, thereby improving communication efficiency and quality.

[0022] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node. The uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node through the first message, and the need for downlink auxiliary transmission is detected through the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand the coverage range.

[0023] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset. The uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node through the first message, and the need for downlink auxiliary transmission is detected through the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand the coverage range.

[0024] In one possible design, the first message includes a spreading code category and a number of spreading code groups, or the first message includes a spreading code category, a starting index, and a number of spreading codes. Uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node via the first message. Whether downlink auxiliary transmission is required is detected using the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand coverage.

[0025] In one possible design, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of the auxiliary node. Uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node via the first message. The need for downlink auxiliary transmission is detected using the uplink resources. If downlink auxiliary transmission is required, a downlink auxiliary node is selected to expand coverage.

[0026] In one possible design, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain, or beam domain. By indicating any two or more resource combinations, uplink resources allocated by the network device are allocated to each candidate auxiliary node.

[0027] In one possible design, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select an auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0028] In one possible design, the second message includes the signal quality of the auxiliary node measured by the first device, so that the network device can select the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node. By selecting the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality as the downlink auxiliary node for downlink auxiliary transmission, communication quality is improved.

[0029] In one possible design, a third message sent by the network device is received, the third message being used to request an auxiliary node; and a fourth message is sent to the network device, the fourth message being used to indicate whether the network device has downlink assistance capability. By indicating to the network device whether the network device has downlink assistance capability, the network device can select an auxiliary node with downlink assistance capability as a candidate auxiliary node, thereby ensuring that the candidate auxiliary node can provide assistance.

[0030] In one possible design, the third message includes a message type, where the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension. After receiving the third message, the auxiliary nodes around the network device determine whether relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, or coverage extension is supported.

[0031] In one possible design, a fifth message sent by the network device is received, the fifth message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate auxiliary transmission; or a fifth message sent by the network device is received, the message type of the fifth message being auxiliary transmission; or a fifth message sent by the network device on a first resource is received, the first resource being used to determine auxiliary transmission of the fifth message. Different approaches are used to distinguish between messages sent directly to a downlink auxiliary node and messages requiring auxiliary transmission to the first device.

[0032] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, including:

[0033] a sending module, configured to send a first message to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where the first message is used to indicate an uplink resource of the network device allocated to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

[0034] a processing module, configured to detect a second message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resource;

[0035] The processing module is further configured to select a downlink auxiliary node from the M candidate auxiliary nodes if a second message sent by the first device is detected on the allocated uplink resource.

[0036] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0037] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or, the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or, the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

[0038] In one possible design, the first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of groups of the spreading code, or the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the starting index and the number of the spreading code.

[0039] In one possible design, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of each candidate auxiliary node among the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0040] In one possible design, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain, or beam domain.

[0041] In one possible design, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select an auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0042] In one possible design, the second message includes a signal quality of each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes measured by the first device;

[0043] The processing module is further configured to select the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node.

[0044] In a possible design, the sending module is further used to send a third message, where the third message is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0045] In one possible design, a receiving module is used to receive a fourth message sent by each of K auxiliary nodes, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink assistance capability, and K is an integer greater than or equal to M; and a processing module is used to select an auxiliary node with downlink assistance capability from the K auxiliary nodes as the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0046] In one possible design, the third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

[0047] In one possible design, the sending module is also used to send a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, and the fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate auxiliary sending; or, the sending module is also used to send a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, and the message type of the fifth message is auxiliary sending; or, the sending module is also used to send the fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node on a first resource, and the first resource is used to determine the auxiliary sending of the fifth message.

[0048] The operations and beneficial effects performed by the downlink auxiliary node selection device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above, and the repeated parts will be omitted.

[0049] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, including:

[0050] A receiving module, configured to receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message is used to indicate an allocated uplink resource of the network device;

[0051] The sending module is used to send the allocated uplink resource to the first device within the coverage area, the uplink resource is used by the first device to send a second message, and the second message is used by the network device to select a downlink auxiliary node after detecting the allocated uplink resource.

[0052] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0053] In one possible design, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

[0054] In one possible design, the first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of groups of the spreading code, or the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the starting index and the number of the spreading code.

[0055] In one possible design, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of the auxiliary node.

[0056] In one possible design, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain, or beam domain.

[0057] In one possible design, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select an auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0058] In one possible design, the second message includes a signal quality of the auxiliary node measured by the first device.

[0059] In one possible design, the receiving module is further used to receive a third message sent by the network device, where the third message is used to request an auxiliary node; the sending module is further used to send a fourth message to the network device, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink auxiliary capability.

[0060] In one possible design, the third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

[0061] In one possible design, the receiving module is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device, and the fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate auxiliary sending; or, the receiving module is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device, and the message type of the fifth message is auxiliary sending; or, the receiving module is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device on the first resource, and the first resource is used to determine the auxiliary sending of the fifth message.

[0062] The operations and beneficial effects performed by the downlink auxiliary node selection device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above, and the repeated parts will be omitted.

[0063] In the fifth aspect, the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, which includes a processor and a memory, and the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the downlink auxiliary node selection device performs the method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0064] In the sixth aspect, the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, which includes a processor and a memory, and the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the downlink auxiliary node selection device performs the method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0065] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, which can be a network device, a device in a network device, or a device that can be used in combination with a network device. Among them, the downlink auxiliary node selection device can also be a chip system. The downlink auxiliary node selection device can execute the method described in the first aspect. The function of the downlink auxiliary node selection device can be implemented by hardware, or it can be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The module can be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the downlink auxiliary node selection device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0066] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a downlink auxiliary node selection device, which may be an auxiliary node, or a device in an auxiliary node, or a device that can be used in combination with an auxiliary node. The downlink auxiliary node selection device may also be a chip system. The downlink auxiliary node selection device may execute the method described in the second aspect. The functions of the downlink auxiliary node selection device may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The module may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the downlink auxiliary node selection device may refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0067] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method described in any one of the first and second aspects is implemented.

[0068] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program, which, when executed, enables the method described in any one of the first and second aspects to be implemented.

[0069] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes at least one auxiliary node and at least one network device, the network device is used to execute the steps in the above-mentioned first aspect, and the auxiliary node is used to execute the steps in the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0070] In a twelfth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to communicate with an external device or an internal device, and the processor is used to implement the methods in the above aspects.

[0071] In one possible design, the chip may further include a memory storing a computer program or instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, or other programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor is configured to implement the aforementioned various aspects of the method.

[0072] In one possible design, the chip could be integrated into an auxiliary node or network device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology, the accompanying drawings required in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology will be described below.

[0074] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the scale of IoT connections in different classification categories;

[0075] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG3 is a flow chart of a method for selecting a downlink auxiliary node according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a downlink auxiliary node selection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another downlink auxiliary node selection device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of an auxiliary node provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] Internet of Things (IoT) practitioners have reached a consensus on the three different speed levels for IoT nodes: high-speed IoT, medium-speed IoT, and low-speed IoT. High-speed IoT is primarily carried by fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technologies such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), 4G Category 4+ (Category 4+), and Wireless Fidelity 6 (WiFi 6). Medium-speed IoT is currently primarily carried by 4G Category 1, 3G, and 2G. Low-speed IoT is primarily carried by narrowband cellular IoT (NB-IoT), long-range wide area network (LoRaWAN), and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). These different speeds also correspond to different power consumption levels, forming three distinct scenarios and correspondingly three different scales of IoT connection numbers. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the scale of IoT connections in different tiers. Among them, low-speed IoT standards such as NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, and BLE can support tens of billions of connections, while medium-speed and high-speed IoT standards can only support a much smaller scale of connections than low-speed IoT. Based on the above three types of IoT scenarios, passive IoT will become the main source of hundreds of billions of IoT connections.

[0082] Main application scenarios of the Internet of Things:

[0083] Industrial sensor networks: Industrial sensor networks are primarily used in industrial production processes, such as temperature and humidity monitoring, vibration monitoring, and production line monitoring, enabling industrial automation and intelligent management. For example, by deploying zero-power sensor devices beneath the rails, they can monitor and collect rail pressure, temperature, and other information. Furthermore, these devices can be deployed in extreme environments, such as those with high and low temperatures, moving or rotating parts, high vibration, and high humidity, where battery life is limited. Logistics and warehousing: With the continued growth of the logistics industry, companies are facing increasing pressure on warehousing and labor costs. Digital management of logistics packages can not only further improve logistics and warehousing management efficiency, but also reduce high labor costs. Zero-power communication technology, which attaches communication terminal labels to the packaging of packages or goods, is used to obtain logistics information and manage the entire logistics process, making warehousing operations simpler and more efficient.

[0084] Smart wearables: After mobile phones, smart wearables are among the most promising consumer devices for large-scale applications. Currently, various wearable devices have wireless connectivity. Depending on the functional positioning of each product, they can be used in a variety of scenarios, including health monitoring, exercise monitoring, motion sensing, and mobile positioning. Zero-power communication technology aims to ultimately break free from battery constraints, achieving longer battery life, more convenient energy security, and a better user experience.

[0085] Healthcare: Portable medical devices can meet consumers' needs for home health services, but the unique characteristics of medical monitoring devices (especially implantable ones) significantly limit their application scenarios due to issues such as battery life and portable power supplies. Zero-power IoT technology can achieve extremely low power consumption. Furthermore, the lack of batteries reduces size, facilitates flexible folding, and eliminates the need for liquid immersion. This will facilitate real-time monitoring of medical device data and efficient digital management of health conditions.

[0086] Smart home: The application of zero-power communication technology in the smart home field can get rid of complex wiring, enable each terminal to be independently controlled, and achieve long-term online operation without the need for human energy intervention.

[0087] As shown in Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes a network device, a first device and an auxiliary node.

[0088] A network device is a device deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of network devices may be different, such as Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Node B (NB) in Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), and Evolved Node B (eNB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE). A network device may also be a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario. A network device may also be a base station device in a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G) network or next generation wireless communication, or a network device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network. The network device can also be a wearable device or a vehicle-mounted device. The network device can also be a transmission and reception point (TRP).

[0089] The first device may be an ambient IoT device, which may include various terminal devices with wireless communication capabilities, handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The terminal device may be a mobile station (MS), a subscriber unit (SU), a cellular phone (Cellular Phone), a smart phone (Smart Phone), a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem (Modem), a handheld device (Handset), a laptop computer (Laptop Computer), a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, etc.

[0090] The auxiliary node can be a relay, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, user equipment (UE), repeater, etc., and has the ability to connect to the Internet of Things. During downlink transmission, the network device can send downlink data to the first device through the auxiliary node.

[0091] The communication system can be applicable to the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) system, the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) or the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G) or the next generation wireless communication system, etc.

[0092] Please refer to FIG3 , which is a flowchart of a method for selecting a downlink auxiliary node provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0093] S301: The network device sends a third message, where the third message is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0094] The third message may be sent via a broadcast message, a control message, or a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0095] Optionally, the third message includes a message type, where the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension. That is, after receiving the third message, the auxiliary nodes surrounding the network device determine whether relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, or coverage extension is supported. Coverage extension refers to extending the coverage of the network device through the auxiliary nodes.

[0096] S302: The network device receives a fourth message sent by each of the K auxiliary nodes, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether the device has downlink assistance capability, and K is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0097] The fourth message sent by each of the K auxiliary nodes may include 1 bit, where 1 may indicate that the node has downlink assistance capability, and 0 may indicate that the node does not have downlink assistance capability. 0 or 1 may also indicate the reverse.

[0098] Specifically, the network device may select auxiliary nodes with downlink assistance capabilities from the K auxiliary nodes as the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0099] S303. The network device sends a first message to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where the first message is used to indicate the uplink resources of the network device allocated to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where M is an integer less than or equal to K and greater than or equal to 1.

[0100] The uplink resource may be an uplink access resource, or an independent resource specifically used to select the auxiliary node, such as a sequence or an independent channel.

[0101] It should be noted that the uplink resources allocated by the network device to the M candidate auxiliary nodes and the uplink resources of the network device itself need to be distinguished. In addition, the uplink resources allocated by the network device to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes also need to be distinguished.

[0102] Among them, uplink resources can include access time domain resources, access frequency domain resources, spreading code resources and beam resources. The uplink resources allocated to network devices can be divided by time division, frequency division, code division or space division, including the following methods:

[0103] In one implementation, a time division method may be used, specifically including:

[0104] In the first way, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number M of the time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length. After receiving the first message, each candidate auxiliary node determines the index of its own time domain resource unit according to the ID mod M of each candidate auxiliary node, and then determines its own access time domain resource according to the starting position of the time domain resource unit, the index of the time domain resource unit and the length of the time domain resource unit. Among them, the number M of time domain resource units can be equal to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, that is, the network device can divide the time domain resource unit according to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, and the number of time domain resource units can also be greater than the number of candidate auxiliary nodes, which is not limited here. The ID of each candidate auxiliary node can be the ID of each candidate auxiliary node itself, or it can be an ID indicated by the network device, which is used to calculate the time domain resource position.

[0105] In the second way, the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number M of the time domain resource units. After receiving the first message, each candidate auxiliary node determines the index of its own time domain resource unit according to the ID mod M of each candidate auxiliary node, and then determines its own access time domain resource according to the starting position of the time domain resource unit, the index of the time domain resource unit and the length of the time domain resource unit. Among them, the number M of time domain resource units can be equal to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, that is, the network device can divide the time domain resource unit according to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, and the number of time domain resource units can also be greater than the number of candidate auxiliary nodes, which is not limited here. Alternatively, the first message can include the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit.

[0106] The third method is that the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0107] In another implementation, a frequency division method may be used, and different resource blocks (RBs), resource elements (REs), RE sets, and RB sets may be used for differentiation, specifically including:

[0108] In the first way, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length. After receiving the first message, each candidate auxiliary node determines the index of its own frequency domain resource unit according to the ID mod M of each candidate auxiliary node, and then determines its own access frequency domain resource according to the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit, the index of the frequency domain resource unit and the length of the frequency domain resource unit. Among them, the number M of frequency domain resource units can be equal to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, that is, the network device can divide the frequency domain resource units according to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes. The number of frequency domain resource units can also be greater than the number of candidate auxiliary nodes, which is not limited here. The ID of each candidate auxiliary node can be the ID of each candidate auxiliary node itself, or it can be an ID indicated by the network device, which is used to calculate the frequency domain resource position.

[0109] In the second way, the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit, and the number of frequency domain resource units. After each candidate auxiliary node receives the first message, it determines the index of its own frequency domain resource unit according to the ID mod M of each candidate auxiliary node, and then determines its own access frequency domain resource according to the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit, the index of the frequency domain resource unit, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit. Among them, the number M of frequency domain resource units can be equal to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, that is, the network device can divide the frequency domain resource units according to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, and the number of frequency domain resource units can also be greater than the number of candidate auxiliary nodes, which is not limited here. Alternatively, the first message may include the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit, and the index of the frequency domain resource unit.

[0110] In a third manner, the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of the frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

[0111] In another implementation, a code division method may be used, specifically including:

[0112] In the first method, the first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of spreading code groups. The network device can use different categories of spreading codes based on the number of first devices, with each first device corresponding to one spreading code. The spreading codes are grouped according to the number M of candidate auxiliary nodes, and then the category and number M of the spreading code groups are notified to each candidate auxiliary node. Each candidate auxiliary node can determine the spreading code to use and its own code group based on the category of the spreading code and the number of spreading code groups. Furthermore, its own code group can be determined based on the ID mode M of the candidate auxiliary node. The number of candidate auxiliary nodes can be greater than or equal to the number of spreading code groups. The ID can be configured by the network device or the ID of each candidate auxiliary node itself. The categories of spreading codes can include Hadamard spreading codes, discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based spreading codes, pseudo-random (PN) spreading codes, and so on.

[0113] In a second manner, the first message includes the type of the spreading code, the starting index and the number of the spreading codes, which can be adjusted according to the number of users under the candidate auxiliary node.

[0114] In another implementation, a space division method may be used. The first message includes the beam resource corresponding to the position information of each candidate auxiliary node among the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0115] It should be noted that the uplink resources of the network device allocated to each candidate auxiliary node may include any one of the time domain, frequency domain, code domain and beam domain, or may include any two or more resource combinations of the time domain, frequency domain, code domain and beam domain.

[0116] S304: The first device sends a second message to the network device.

[0117] The second message may be an uplink access message, or if the uplink resource is an independent resource, the second message may be a message specifically used for downlink auxiliary node selection.

[0118] Specifically, if the first device is within the coverage of the candidate auxiliary node, the candidate auxiliary node may provide the first device within the coverage area with allocated uplink resources, and the first device may send the second message on the allocated uplink resources. If the first device is within the coverage of the network device, the network device may provide the first device with its own uplink resources, and the first device may send the second message on the network device's own uplink resources.

[0119] After the network device sends the first message to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, it can detect the second message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resources, and detect the second message sent by the first device on the uplink resources of the network device itself. If the network device receives the second message sent by the first device, it can determine whether the candidate auxiliary node is needed based on the uplink resources of the first device. Further, if the network device detects the second message sent by the first device on the uplink resources of the network device itself, that is, the uplink resources of the first device are the uplink resources of the network device itself, then it is determined that the candidate auxiliary node is not needed. If the network device detects the second message sent by the first device on the uplink resources allocated to the candidate auxiliary node, or does not detect the second message sent by the first device on the uplink resources of the network device itself, that is, the uplink resources of the first device are the uplink resources allocated by the network device to the candidate auxiliary node, then it is determined that the candidate auxiliary node is needed.

[0120] Optionally, the second message includes a signal quality of each candidate auxiliary node in the M candidate auxiliary nodes measured by the first device. The signal quality may be a reference signal received power (RSRP), a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), or other information. The network device may select the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node.

[0121] It should be noted that, due to the different locations of each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, only some of the M candidate auxiliary nodes may be able to provide the allocated uplink resources to the first device, while the other candidate auxiliary nodes may not be able to cover the first device. Therefore, the second message sent by the first device may include the detected signal quality of some of the candidate auxiliary nodes, but not the signal quality of other candidate auxiliary nodes. The network device may select any one of the candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node.

[0122] S305: The network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node.

[0123] In one implementation, the network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, and the downlink auxiliary node receives the fifth message sent by the network device. The fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate auxiliary transmission, thereby distinguishing between messages sent directly to the downlink auxiliary node and messages that require auxiliary transmission to the first device. The downlink auxiliary node can determine that the fifth message requires auxiliary transmission based on the first indication information. The first indication information may include one bit, where 1 indicates auxiliary transmission and 0 indicates transmission to the downlink auxiliary node.

[0124] In another implementation, the network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, and the downlink auxiliary node receives the fifth message sent by the network device. The message type of the fifth message is assisted transmission. The downlink auxiliary node can determine that the fifth message requires assisted transmission based on the message type (e.g., message index). Different message types are used to distinguish between messages sent directly to the downlink auxiliary node and messages that require assisted transmission to the first device.

[0125] In another implementation, the fifth message is sent to the downlink auxiliary node on a first resource, where the first resource is used to determine the assisted transmission of the fifth message. The first resource may be time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), or code division multiplexing (CDM). By using different resources, messages sent directly to the downlink auxiliary node and messages that require assisted transmission to the first device are distinguished.

[0126] S306: The downlink auxiliary node sends a fifth message to the first device.

[0127] S307: The first device sends an uplink message to the network device.

[0128] In an embodiment of the present application, a network device allocates uplink resources to a candidate auxiliary node, enabling the candidate auxiliary node to provide the allocated uplink resources to a first device, which in turn can send an uplink access message on the allocated uplink resources. If the network device detects an uplink access message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resources, it indicates that downlink assistance is required. The network device selects a downlink auxiliary node for downlink auxiliary transmission, expanding coverage and assisting the network device in sending downlink messages to the first device, thereby improving communication efficiency and quality.

[0129] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the auxiliary node can also be implemented by components that can be used for the auxiliary node (such as chips or circuits), and the methods and operations implemented by the network device can also be implemented by components that can be used for the network device (such as chips or circuits).

[0130] In the embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary node or network device can be divided into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0131] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figure 4. Below, the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail in conjunction with Figures 4 to 5. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0132] 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a downlink auxiliary node selection device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The downlink auxiliary node selection device may include a sending module 401, a processing module 402 and a receiving module 403.

[0133] The downlink auxiliary node selection device can implement the steps or processes performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, for example, a terminal device, or a chip or circuit configured in the network device. Transmitting module 401 and receiving module 403 are used to perform the transmission and reception related operations on the network device side of the above method embodiments, and processing module 402 is used to perform the processing related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0134] a sending module 401, configured to send a first message to each of M candidate auxiliary nodes, where the first message is used to indicate an uplink resource of the network device allocated to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

[0135] The processing module 402 is configured to detect a second message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resource;

[0136] The processing module 402 is further configured to select a downlink auxiliary node from the M candidate auxiliary nodes if a second message sent by the first device is detected on the allocated uplink resource.

[0137] Optionally, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0138] Optionally, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

[0139] Optionally, the first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of spreading code groups, or the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the starting index and the number of the spreading code.

[0140] Optionally, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of each candidate auxiliary node among the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0141] Optionally, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain or beam domain.

[0142] Optionally, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select the auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0143] Optionally, the second message includes the signal quality of each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes measured by the first device; the processing module is further used to select the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node.

[0144] Optionally, the sending module 401 is further configured to send a third message, where the third message is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0145] Optionally, the receiving module 403 is used to receive a fourth message sent by each of the K auxiliary nodes, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink assistance capability, and K is an integer greater than or equal to M; the processing module 402 is used to select an auxiliary node with downlink assistance capability from the K auxiliary nodes as the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

[0146] Optionally, the third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

[0147] Optionally, the sending module 401 is further used to send a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, where the fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate auxiliary sending; or, the sending module 401 is further used to send a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node, where the message type of the fifth message is auxiliary sending; or, the sending module 401 is further used to send a fifth message to the selected downlink auxiliary node on a first resource, where the first resource is used to determine the auxiliary sending of the fifth message.

[0148] It should be noted that the implementation of each module may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and execute the method and functions executed by the network device in the above embodiment.

[0149] 5 , which is a schematic diagram of another downlink auxiliary node selection device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The downlink auxiliary node selection device may include a receiving module 501 and a sending module 502 .

[0150] The downlink auxiliary node selection device can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the auxiliary node in the above method embodiment, and can be, for example, a terminal device, or a chip or circuit configured in the auxiliary node. The receiving module 501 and the sending module 502 are used to perform the sending and receiving related operations on the auxiliary node side in the above method embodiment.

[0151] A receiving module 501 is configured to receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message is used to indicate an allocated uplink resource of the network device;

[0152] The sending module 502 is used to send the allocated uplink resources to the first device within the coverage area, the uplink resources are used by the first device to send a second message, and the second message is used by the network device to select a downlink auxiliary node after detecting the allocated uplink resources.

[0153] Optionally, the first message includes the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit, the starting position of the time domain resource unit and the index of the time domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the time domain resource unit and the number of time domain resource units, and the starting position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

[0154] Optionally, the first message includes the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit, the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or the first message includes the length of the frequency domain resource unit and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the starting position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

[0155] Optionally, the first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of spreading code groups, or the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the starting index and the number of the spreading code.

[0156] Optionally, the first message includes beam resources corresponding to the location information of the auxiliary node.

[0157] Optionally, the first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain or beam domain.

[0158] Optionally, the uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, the independent resource is specifically used to select the auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

[0159] Optionally, the second message includes the signal quality of the auxiliary node measured by the first device.

[0160] Optionally, the receiving module 501 is further used to receive a third message sent by the network device, where the third message is used to request an auxiliary node; the sending module 502 is further used to send a fourth message to the network device, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink auxiliary capability.

[0161] Optionally, the third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

[0162] Optionally, the receiving module 501 is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device, the fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate auxiliary sending; or, the receiving module 501 is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device, and the message type of the fifth message is auxiliary sending; or, the receiving module 501 is also used to receive the fifth message sent by the network device on the first resource, and the first resource is used to determine the auxiliary sending of the fifth message.

[0163] It should be noted that the implementation of each module may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and execute the method and functions executed by the auxiliary node in the above embodiment.

[0164] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The network device can be applied to the system shown in Figure 2 to perform the functions of the network device in the above method embodiment, or to implement the steps or processes performed by the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0165] As shown in Figure 6, the network device includes a processor 601 and a transceiver 602. Optionally, the network device also includes a memory 603. The processor 601, transceiver 602, and memory 603 can communicate with each other via internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 603 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 601 is used to call and execute the computer programs from the memory 603 to control the transceiver 602 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the network device may also include an antenna for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 602 via wireless signals.

[0166] The processor 601 and the memory 603 may be combined into a processing device, and the processor 601 is configured to execute the program code stored in the memory 603 to implement the above functions. In a specific implementation, the memory 603 may also be integrated into the processor 601 or independent of the processor 601. The processor 601 may correspond to the processing module in FIG4 .

[0167] The transceiver 602 may correspond to the receiving module and transmitting module in FIG4 , and may also be referred to as a transceiver unit or transceiver module. The transceiver 602 may include a receiver (or receiver, receiving circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter, transmitting circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0168] It should be understood that the network device shown in FIG6 is capable of implementing each process related to the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 . The operations and / or functions of each module in the network device are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment. To avoid repetition, detailed description is omitted here.

[0169] The processor 601 can be used to execute the actions implemented within the network device described in the previous method embodiments, while the transceiver 602 can be used to execute the actions of the network device sending to or receiving from the auxiliary node described in the previous method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the previous method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0170] The processor 601 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor (GPOR), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device (PLD), a transistor logic device (TLD), a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor 601 may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and so on. The communication bus 604 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industrial Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. These buses may be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, and so on. For ease of illustration, FIG6 shows only one bold line, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or type of bus. The communication bus 604 is used to facilitate communication between these components. In the embodiment of this application, the transceiver 602 is used to communicate signaling or data with other node devices. The memory 603 may include volatile memory, such as nonvolatile dynamic random access memory (NVRAM), phase change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc. It may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory devices, such as NOR flash memory or NAND flash memory, semiconductor devices, such as solid state disks (SSDs), etc. The memory 603 may optionally be at least one storage device located away from the aforementioned processor 601. The memory 603 may optionally also store a set of computer program code or configuration information. Optionally, the processor 601 may also execute the program stored in the memory 603. The processor may cooperate with the memory and the transceiver to execute any of the methods and functions of the network device in the above-mentioned application embodiments.

[0171] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an auxiliary node provided in an embodiment of the present application. The auxiliary node can be applied to the system shown in Figure 2 to perform the functions of the auxiliary node in the above method embodiment, or to implement the steps or processes performed by the auxiliary node in the above method embodiment.

[0172] As shown in Figure 7, the auxiliary node includes a processor 701 and a transceiver 702. Optionally, the auxiliary node also includes a memory 703. The processor 701, transceiver 702, and memory 703 can communicate with each other via internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 703 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 701 is used to call and execute the computer programs from the memory 703 to control the transceiver 702 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the auxiliary node may also include an antenna for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 702 via wireless signals.

[0173] The processor 701 may correspond to the processing module in FIG5 and may be combined with the memory 703 to form a processing device. The processor 701 is configured to execute the program code stored in the memory 703 to implement the above functions. In a specific implementation, the memory 703 may also be integrated into the processor 701 or independent of the processor 701.

[0174] The transceiver 702 may correspond to the transmitting module and receiving module in FIG5 , and may also be referred to as a transceiver unit or transceiver module. The transceiver 702 may include a receiver (or receiver, receiving circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter, transmitting circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0175] It should be understood that the auxiliary node shown in FIG7 is capable of implementing the various processes related to the auxiliary node in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 . The operations and / or functions of the various modules in the auxiliary node are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the aforementioned method embodiment; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0176] The processor 701 can be used to execute the actions implemented within the auxiliary node described in the previous method embodiment, and the transceiver 702 can be used to execute the actions of the auxiliary node sending to or receiving from the network device described in the previous method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the previous method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0177] The processor 701 may be any of the aforementioned types of processors. The communication bus 704 may be a PCI bus or an EISA bus. These buses may be classified as address buses, data buses, and control buses. For ease of illustration, FIG7 shows only one thick line, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The communication bus 704 is used to implement communication between these components. The transceiver 702 of the device in the embodiment of the present application is used to communicate signaling or data with other devices. The memory 703 may be any of the aforementioned types of memory. The memory 703 may optionally be at least one storage device located remote from the processor 701. The memory 703 stores a set of computer program code or configuration information, and the processor 701 executes the program in the memory 703. The processor may cooperate with the memory and transceiver to perform any of the methods and functions of the auxiliary node in the aforementioned embodiment of the application.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes a processor for supporting an auxiliary node or network device to implement the functions involved in any of the above embodiments, such as generating or processing the first message involved in the above method.

[0179] In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing necessary computer programs and data for assisting nodes or network devices. The chip system may consist solely of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. The inputs and outputs of the chip system correspond to the receiving and transmitting operations of the assisting node or network device in the method embodiment.

[0180] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of any one of the embodiments shown in Figure 3.

[0181] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method of any one of the embodiments shown in Figure 3.

[0182] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned one or more auxiliary nodes and one or more network devices.

[0183] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disc (SSD)).

[0184] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a downlink auxiliary node, characterized in that The method includes: The network device sends a first message to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, where the first message is used to indicate the uplink resources of the network device allocated to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The network device detects a second message sent by the first device on the allocated uplink resources; If the second message sent by the first device is detected on the allocated uplink resources, the network device selects a downlink auxiliary node from the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first message includes the start position and the number of time domain resource units of the time domain resource unit, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or, the first message includes the length, the start position and the number of time domain resource units of the time domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length, the start position and the index of the time domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length and the number of time domain resource units, and the start position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before sending the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first message includes the start position and the number of frequency domain resource units of the frequency domain resource unit, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or, the first message includes the length, the start position and the number of frequency domain resource units of the frequency domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length, the start position and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the start position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency domain position or a predefined frequency domain position plus a second offset.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of groups of the spreading code, or, the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the start index and the number of the spreading code.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first message includes the beam resources corresponding to the position information of each candidate auxiliary among the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that The first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain or beam domain.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The uplink resources are uplink access resources, or, the uplink resources are independent resources, and the independent resources are dedicated to selecting auxiliary nodes, and the independent resources are sequences or independent channels.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The second message includes the signal quality of each candidate auxiliary node among the M candidate auxiliary nodes measured by the first device; The network device selecting a downlink auxiliary node from the M candidate auxiliary nodes includes: The network device selects the candidate auxiliary node with the best signal quality from the M candidate auxiliary nodes as the downlink auxiliary node.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Before the network device sends the first message to each of the M candidate auxiliary nodes, it further includes: The network device sends a third message, and the third message is used to request an auxiliary node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The method further includes: The network device receives a fourth message sent by each of the K auxiliary nodes, where the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink assistance capability, and K is an integer greater than or equal to M; The network device selects, from the K auxiliary nodes, the auxiliary nodes with downlink assistance capability as the M candidate auxiliary nodes.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink assistance node, where the fifth message includes first indication information for indicating assisted transmission; or The network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink assistance node, and the message type of the fifth message is assisted transmission; or The network device sends a fifth message to the selected downlink assistance node on a first resource, where the first resource is used to determine assisted transmission of the fifth message.

13. A downlink secondary node selection method, characterized in that The method includes: An auxiliary node receives a first message sent by a network device, where the first message is used to indicate the uplink resources allocated to the network device; The auxiliary node sends the allocated uplink resources to a first device within its coverage area, where the uplink resources are used for the first device to send a second message, and the second message is used for the network device to select a downlink assistance node after detecting it on the allocated uplink resources.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first message includes the start position and the number of time domain resource units of a time domain resource unit, and the length of the time domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or, the length, the start position, and the number of time domain resource units of the time domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length, the start position, and the index of the time domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length and the number of time domain resource units, and the start position of the time domain resource unit is the end position of the third message or the end position of the third message plus a first offset, and the third message is sent before the first message and is used to request an auxiliary node.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first message includes the start position and the number of frequency domain resource units of a frequency domain resource unit, and the length of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined resource length, or, the length, the start position, and the number of frequency domain resource units of the frequency domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length, the start position, and the index of the frequency domain resource unit, or, the first message includes the length and the number of frequency domain resource units, and the start position of the frequency domain resource unit is a predefined frequency position or a predefined frequency position plus a second offset.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein The first message includes the category of the spreading code and the number of groups of the spreading code, or, the first message includes the category of the spreading code, the start index, and the number of the spreading code.

17. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first message includes the beam resources corresponding to the location information of the auxiliary node.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, characterized in that, The first message includes at least one of the following resources: time domain, frequency domain, code domain, or beam domain.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13-18, characterized in that, The uplink resource is an uplink access resource, or the uplink resource is an independent resource, and the independent resource is dedicated to selecting an auxiliary node, and the independent resource is a sequence or an independent channel.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The second message includes the signal quality of the auxiliary node measured by the first device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13-20, characterized in that, Before the auxiliary node receives the first message sent by the network device, it further includes: The auxiliary node receives a third message sent by the network device, and the third message is used to request the auxiliary node. The auxiliary node sends a fourth message to the network device, and the fourth message is used to indicate whether it has downlink assistance capabilities.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The third message includes a message type, and the message type includes at least one of relay, uplink assistance, downlink assistance, and coverage extension.

23. The method according to any one of claims 13-22, characterized in that, The method further includes: The auxiliary node receives a fifth message sent by the network device, and the fifth message includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate assisted transmission; or The auxiliary node receives a fifth message sent by the network device, and the message type of the fifth message is assisted transmission; or The auxiliary node receives a fifth message sent by the network device on a first resource, and the first resource is used to determine assisted transmission of the fifth message.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor runs the computer program to enable the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-12.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor runs the computer program to enable the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 13-23.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program, and when the computer program is run by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1-23 is implemented.

27. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is used to communicate with external devices or internal devices, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-23.

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