Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and an apparatus. The method comprises: receiving first information, the first information being configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP not comprising a common search space (CSS) set; and communicating with a network device by means of the first downlink BWP. In the method, the network device does not configure the CSS set in the first downlink BWP, reducing the frequency domain resource overheads of the CSS set, and improving the resource utilization rate. As the first downlink BWP does not comprise the CSS set, terminal devices communicating in the first downlink BWP do not need to monitor the CSS set, saving the power consumption of the terminal devices as well.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on January 18, 2024, with application number 202410078234.1 and invention name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] In a mobile communication system, to enable a terminal device to receive public information such as the system information block (SIB), the network should configure a common search space set (CSS set) in the activated downlink bandwidth part (BWP) for the terminal device. The terminal device can receive information such as SIB1 based on the CSS set.

[0005] CSS sets use fixed, preconfigured resources that can only be used for CSS sets. Regardless of whether a terminal device needs to receive public information through CSS sets, each BWP configured for the terminal device includes the CSS set, resulting in wasted resources. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving resource utilization.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a terminal device or a module or chip on the terminal device side. The method is described herein using the terminal device as the example. The method comprises: receiving first information; the first information being configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), the first downlink BWP not including a common search space (CSS) set, or the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP being configured with a RACH, the first downlink BWP only including a type 1 CSS set; and communicating with a network device via the first downlink BWP.

[0008] The method provided herein allows network devices to avoid configuring a CSS set in the first downlink BWP, reducing the frequency domain resource overhead of the CSS set and improving resource utilization. Because the first downlink BWP does not include the CSS set, terminal devices communicating within the first downlink BWP do not need to monitor the CSS set, which also reduces power consumption in the terminal devices.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: performing initial access through a second downlink BWP, where the second downlink BWP includes N common search space CSS sets, where N is an integer greater than 0.

[0010] Since the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, it can be ensured that the terminal device can receive public information through the CSS sets, thereby ensuring system compatibility and communication efficiency.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel RACH.

[0013] In this method, when the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with RACH, the terminal device may not receive information or messages in the random access process in the first downlink BWP. Therefore, the first downlink BWP may not include the CSS set, saving resource overhead and reducing the power consumption of the terminal device in detecting the CSS set.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel RACH, the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is an activated BWP; or, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with a dedicated configuration, and / or, the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is a BWP used in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in an RRC non-connected state or a BWP used in an initial access process.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

[0018] Through the above method, if a BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0 or the frequency domain resources of the public CORESET, the network can configure the CSS set in the BWP to be associated with the CORESET#0 or the public CORESET without additional overhead.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold; wherein, the carrier belongs to FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; wherein, the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

[0020] If the bandwidth of a carrier is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, then the bandwidth of the carrier is larger. A carrier with a larger bandwidth includes more BWPs. Therefore, not configuring a CSS set in some or all of the BWPs can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device is a terminal device with reduced capabilities.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device supports BWP without restriction, or the terminal device does not support multiple CORESETs.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, wherein the method is performed by a network device or a module or chip on the network device side. The method is described herein using the network device as the performing entity. The method comprises: sending first information, wherein the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), wherein the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set, or wherein the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is configured with a RACH, and the first downlink BWP only includes a type 1 CSS set; and communicating with a first terminal device via the first downlink BWP.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: sending second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP, and the second information indicates that the second downlink BWP includes N common search space CSS sets, where N is an integer greater than 0.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel RACH.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel RACH, the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is an activated BWP; or, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with a dedicated configuration, and / or, the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the first downlink BWP is a BWP used in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in an RRC non-connected state or a BWP used during an initial access process.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than the bandwidth threshold; wherein, the carrier belongs to FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending third information to the second terminal device, the third information being configuration information of a third BWP, the third BWP including M CSSs, where M is an integer greater than 0; the third BWP is used for the second terminal device to communicate with the network device when in an RRC connected state.

[0034] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a communication device capable of implementing any of the methods provided in any of the first to second aspects above. The communication device may be implemented in hardware or by executing corresponding software implementations in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in executing the corresponding functions of the network device, terminal device, or core network device in the above-described method. The communication device may also include a memory, which may be coupled to the processor and stores program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface circuit for supporting communication between the communication device and a device such as a terminal device.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules for implementing the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the structure of the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples. For details, please refer to the description of the method provided in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is configured to receive signals from a communication device other than the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to transmit signals from the processor to the communication device other than the communication device, wherein the processor implements the functional modules of the method in any possible implementation of any of the first and second aspects by means of logic circuits or by executing computer programs or instructions. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a memory configured to store the computer program or instructions.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects is implemented.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided, which, when read and executed by a computer, implements the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, a circuit is provided, which is used to execute the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects above, and the circuit may include a chip circuit. Optionally, the circuit may also be coupled to a memory.

[0042] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor. When the processor executes a computer program or instruction, the processor is configured to implement the method of any possible implementation of any of the first and second aspects. Optionally, the chip may further include a memory. The chip may be composed of a single chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0043] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which implements the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects through a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instruction.

[0044] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit or module for executing the method in any possible implementation of any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0045] In an eleventh aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system. The communication system includes: a terminal device for implementing the method in the aforementioned first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect; and a network device for implementing the method in the aforementioned second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a BWP configuration provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a BWP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a BWP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. The terms "first", "second" and corresponding terminology labels in the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances. This is merely a way of distinguishing objects with the same properties when describing the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of units is not necessarily limited to those units, but may include other units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. The methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present application are based on the same or similar technical concepts. Since the principles of solving problems by the methods and devices are similar, the implementation of the devices and methods can refer to each other, and the repetitions will not be repeated.

[0055] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various mobile communication systems, for example, the Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), a fourth generation (4G) communication system (such as long term evolution (LTE)), a fifth generation (5G) communication system (such as 5G new radio (NR)), a hybrid architecture of LTE and NR, 6G or new communication systems emerging in future communication developments, etc. The communication system may also include a machine to machine (M2M) network, a machine type communication (MTC) or other networks.

[0056] Below, some terms used in the embodiments of the present application are first explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device may be a device in a wireless network, and the network device may also be referred to as a network apparatus, a radio access network device, or an access network device. For example, the network device may be a radio access network (RAN) node that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, and may also be referred to as an access network device. Network equipment includes but is not limited to: base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next generation NodeBs (gNBs) in fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems, access network equipment in open radio access networks (O-RANs), next generation base stations in sixth generation (6G) mobile communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, etc.; or it may be a module or unit that completes part of the functions of a base station, for example, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) module, or a centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) module. The access network equipment may be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node, etc. The specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network equipment are not limited in this application.

[0058] In some implementations, network equipment may include one or more of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). RAN equipment, including CU and DU nodes, splits the protocol layers of the gNB in ​​the NR system, centrally controlling some protocol layer functions within the CU and distributing some or all of the remaining protocol layer functions within the DU, which is then centrally controlled by the CU. Furthermore, the CU can be divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP). The CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, primarily including radio resource control (RRC) and the control plane's corresponding packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) (i.e., PDCP-C). PDCP-C is primarily responsible for encryption, decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission of control plane data. The CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, primarily including the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and the user plane's corresponding PDCP (i.e., PDCP-U). SDAP is primarily responsible for processing core network data and mapping flows to bearers. The PDCP-U is primarily responsible for data plane encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, and data transmission. The CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via the E1 interface. The CU-CP represents the gNB's connection to the core network via the NG interface and to the DU via the F1 interface control plane (i.e., F1-C). The CU-UP connects to the DU via the F1 interface user plane (i.e., F1-U). Alternatively, the PDCP-C may also reside in the CU-UP.

[0059] It is understandable that in different systems, CU (including CU-CP or CU-UP) or DU may have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, and CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP. For convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP and DU as examples. The network device may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some functions of the gNB, and the DU implements some functions of the gNB. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services and implementing the functions of the RRC layer. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, the media access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer. In some deployments, the CU can be further divided into a Centralized Unit Control Plane (CU-CP) node and a Centralized Unit User Plane (CU-UP) node, where the CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions and the CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions.

[0060] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving scheduling and instruction information from a network device. The terminal device may be referred to as a terminal device, and may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device may be a device that includes wireless communication capabilities (providing voice / data connectivity to the user). For example, a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, or an in-vehicle device, in-vehicle module, etc. Currently, some examples of terminal devices include: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in the Internet of Vehicles, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, device-to-device (D2D) communication terminal devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication terminal devices, smart vehicles, telematics boxes (T-boxes), machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal devices, Internet of Things (IoT) The IoT (Internet of Things) terminal devices, etc. For example, the terminal device can be an onboard device, complete vehicle equipment, an onboard module, a vehicle, an onboard unit (OBU), a roadside unit (RSU), a T-box, a chip, or a system on chip (SOC), etc. The above chip or SOC can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU, or T-box. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, etc. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be TVs, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, speakers, set-top boxes, etc.The terminal device can also be a V2X device, such as a smart car (or intelligent car), a digital car, an unmanned car (or driverless car or pilotless car or automobile), a self-driving car or autonomous car, a pure electric vehicle (or Battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range extended EV (REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a new energy vehicle (new energy vehicle), and a roadside unit (RSU). The terminal device can also be a device in device-to-device (D2D) communication, such as an electricity meter, a water meter, etc. In addition, in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0061] The terminal devices in the present application can be divided into a first type of terminal device and a second type of terminal device. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, a low-complexity UE, and the second type of terminal device may be a non-low-complexity UE. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, a low-complexity UE (reduced capability UE, REDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device may be a legacy UE (legacy UE), such as an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) UE. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, an even lower-complexity UE (enhanced reduced capability UE, EREDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device may be a legacy UE, such as an eMBB UE. For example, the first type of terminal device is, for example, an even lower-complexity UE (enhanced reduced capability UE, EREDCAP UE), and the second type of terminal device may be a low-complexity UE (reduced capability UE, REDCAP UE).

[0062] The first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device have different characteristics, which include one or more of the following:

[0063] Bandwidth, number of supported or configured resources, number of transmit antenna ports and / or receive antenna ports, number of RF channels, number of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes, supported peak rate, application scenarios, latency requirements, processing capability, protocol version, duplex mode, services, etc. The first feature is described in detail below.

[0064] The bandwidth, or channel bandwidth, or the maximum channel bandwidth supported or configured for a terminal device, may be different between the first type terminal device and the second type terminal device. For example, the bandwidth of the first type terminal device may be 20 MHz, 10 MHz, or 5 MHz, while the bandwidth of the second type terminal device may be 100 MHz. It is understood that with the advancement of communication technology, the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the first type terminal device may no longer be 20 MHz, 10 MHz, or 5 MHz, but may evolve to a wider or narrower bandwidth, such as 3 MHz, 25 MHz, or 50 MHz.

[0065] The number of resources supported or configured, the resources may be resource blocks (RB), resource elements (RE), subcarriers, RB groups, REG bundles, control channel elements, subframes, radio frames, time slots, mini-time slots and / or symbols. The number of resources supported or configured by the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device is different, for example: the number of resources supported by the first type of terminal device is 48RBs, and the number of resources supported by the second type of terminal device is 96RBs.

[0066] The number of transmitting antenna ports and / or the number of receiving antenna ports, that is, the number of transmitting antenna ports and / or the number of receiving antenna ports of the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example: the number of transmitting antenna ports of the first type of terminal device can be 1, and the number of receiving antenna ports can be 2; the number of transmitting antenna ports of the second type of terminal device can be 2, and the number of receiving antenna ports can be 4.

[0067] The number of RF channels, that is, the number of RF channels of the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example: the number of RF channels of the first type of terminal device can be 1, and the number of RF channels of the second type of terminal device can be 2.

[0068] The number of HARQ processes, that is, the number of HARQ processes supported by the first type of terminal device is different from that of the second type of terminal device. For example, the number of HARQ processes supported by the first type of terminal device may be 8, and the number of HARQ processes supported by the second type of terminal device may be 16.

[0069] The supported peak rate, that is, the maximum peak rate of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device is different. For example, the maximum peak rate supported by the first type of terminal device may be 100Mbps, and the peak rate supported by the second type of terminal device may be 200Mbps.

[0070] Application scenarios, that is, the first type of terminal devices and the second type of terminal devices serve different application scenarios. For example, the first type of terminal devices are used in industrial wireless sensing, video surveillance, wearable devices, etc., and the second type of terminal devices are used in mobile communications, video surfing, etc.

[0071] Delay requirements, that is, the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device have different requirements for transmission delay. For example: the delay requirement of the first type of terminal device may be 500 milliseconds, and the delay requirement of the second type of terminal device may be 100 milliseconds.

[0072] The processing capability and the processing timing and processing speed of the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device for the channel or data under different subcarrier space (SCS) conditions are different. For example, the first type of terminal device does not support complex operations, and the complex operations may include: artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) rendering, while the second type of terminal device supports complex operations, or it can be understood that the processing capability of the first type of terminal device is lower than that of the second type of terminal device.

[0073] Protocol version (Release), that is, the first type of terminal device and the second type of terminal device belong to terminal devices of different protocol versions. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is Release 17 and the protocol versions after Release 17, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is the protocol version before Release 17. For example, Release 15 or Release 16. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is the protocol version of Release 18, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is the protocol version before Release 18, such as Release 15 or Release 16 or Release 17. For example, the protocol version supported by the first type of terminal device is Release 17 and the protocol versions after Release 17, and the protocol version supported by the second type of terminal device is the protocol version before Release 17. For example, Release 15 or Release 16. For example, the first type of terminal device is a low-complexity terminal that supports the protocol version of Release 17 and the protocol versions after Release 17. The second type of terminal device is a non-low-complexity terminal device that supports a protocol version before Release 17.

[0074] Duplex mode, the duplex mode includes half-duplex and full-duplex, for example: the first type of terminal equipment operates in half-duplex mode, and the second type of terminal equipment operates in full-duplex mode.

[0075] Services include, but are not limited to, IoT applications, such as video surveillance and mobile broadband (MBB). For example, the first type of terminal device supports video surveillance, while the second type of terminal device supports mobile broadband. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0076] It should be understood that other types or future new types of terminal devices that also support the technical solution of this application are also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0077] The first terminal device in the present application may be an example of a first type of terminal device, and the second terminal device may be an example of a second type of terminal device.

[0078] In this application, predefined content generally refers to information that is defined by standards and does not require additional device configuration. It is pre-recorded / written in the terminal device's hardware and / or software, or it can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network equipment or other terminal devices. Pre-configured content generally refers to information that is pre-recorded / written in the terminal device's hardware and / or software, determined by the device manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware.

[0079] Figure 1 shows the architecture of a possible communication system to which the communication method provided in this application is applicable. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal device 120 is connected to the network device 110 via a wireless connection. The network device 110 is connected to the core network 200 via a wireless or wired connection. The core network device in the core network 200 and the network device 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical functions and the radio access network logical functions.

[0080] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a fourth generation (4G) or fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, or an evolved system beyond 5G (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a WiFi system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0081] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a network device or a terminal device. It is understood that Figure 1 only shows a possible communication system architecture that can be applied in the embodiment of the present application. In other possible scenarios, the communication system architecture can also include other devices.

[0082] During the initial access phase, the network device configures an initial BWP for random access by the terminal device, including an initial downlink BWP (initial DL BWP) and an initial uplink BWP (initial UL BWP). The initial downlink BWP is determined by the frequency domain of the control resource set (CORESET) #0 configured in the master information block (MIB) during the initial access phase, with a maximum bandwidth of no more than 20 MHz. The initial uplink BWP is configured via system information block 1 (SIB1).

[0083] After initial access, the terminal device enters the RRC connection state. The network device can flexibly configure at least one user-level BWP for each terminal device based on the bandwidth capability reported by the terminal device. If the terminal device receives multiple BWP configurations, the terminal device can only work on one of the BWPs at the same time. This BWP is called the activated BWP. Since the terminal device transmits data based on the BWP, the parameters of the terminal device's data transmission are mostly based on the BWP configuration, such as physical layer parameters, high-layer parameters, etc. The BWP is configured within the corresponding carrier bandwidth, that is, the uplink BWP is configured within the uplink carrier bandwidth, and the downlink BWP is configured within the downlink carrier bandwidth.

[0084] Network devices can send control information via the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and terminal devices need to blindly detect the PDCCH. In the NR system, to facilitate terminal devices to blindly detect the PDCCH, a search space set and a control resource set (CORESET) are defined. One search space set corresponds to one CORESET.

[0085] Search space sets are divided into CSS sets and user equipment-specific search space sets (UE-specific search space sets, USS sets). The network device needs to configure the CSS set in each BWP configured for the terminal device. The resources occupied by the CSS set are pre-configured fixed resources. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the network device configures five BWPs for the terminal device in the downlink carrier, namely BWP#0 to BWP#4. BWP#0 is the initial BWP and includes CORESET#0; BWP#1 to BWP#4 all include the CSS set.

[0086] CSS collections can include the following types:

[0087] Type 0 PDCCH CSS set, also referred to as Type 0 CSS set, is used to indicate SIB1 resources.

[0088] Type0A PDCCH CSS set, also referred to as Type0A CSS set, is used to indicate resources of other SIBs (e.g., SIB2, SIB3, etc.);

[0089] Type 1 PDCCH CSS set, also referred to as Type 1 CSS set, is used to indicate information transmitted during random access.

[0090] Type 2 PDCCH CSS set, also referred to as Type 2 CSS set, is used to indicate paging-related information;

[0091] Type 3 PDCCH CSS set, also referred to as Type 3 CSS set, is used to indicate broadcast, multicast, and unicast information; here, "indication" can also be understood as "scheduling."

[0092] Network devices configure at least one CSS set in each BWP, which increases system resource overhead and limits the flexibility of network device resource allocation because the resources occupied by the CSS set are pre-configured fixed resources.

[0093] When the method provided in the present application is applied to the network architecture in Figure 1, the method performed by the network device of the present application may also be performed by the network device of Figure 1 or a module on the network device side (such as a chip), or may be performed by a control subsystem that includes the network device function. The control subsystem that includes the network device function here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The method performed by the terminal device of the present application may also be performed by the terminal device of Figure 1 or a module on the terminal device side (such as a chip or a modem), or may be performed by a device that includes the terminal device function.

[0094] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0095] It can be understood that the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. It can be applied to the module on the terminal device or network device side, as long as it can communicate according to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. The interaction between the terminal device and the network device is used as an example for explanation below.

[0096] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the method includes:

[0097] Step 301: The network device sends first information.

[0098] Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first information.

[0099] The first information is configuration information for the first downlink BWP. The first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set, meaning the network device does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Alternatively, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is configured with RACH and includes only a Type 1 CSS set. The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may also be configured by the network device; the specific configuration method is not limited in this application.

[0100] This method allows network devices to configure only a Type 1 CSS set in the first downlink BWP, or to avoid configuring the CSS set in the first downlink BWP. This reduces the frequency domain resource overhead of the CSS set and improves resource utilization. Since the first downlink BWP does not include the CSS set, terminal devices communicating within the first downlink BWP do not need to monitor the CSS set. This also reduces power consumption in the terminal devices. Here, monitoring can also be understood as detection, blind detection, blind decoding, etc.

[0101] Exemplarily, the first information is RRC configuration information. For example, the first information is BWP-dedicated information. For example, the first information is BWP-downlink-dedicated information. After the first terminal device enters the RRC connected state, the network device may send the first information.

[0102] Exemplarily, the network device may send second information, where the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP, and the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, where N is an integer greater than 0. The first terminal device may determine the second downlink BWP based on the second information. The second information may be carried in the MIB or SIB. For example, the second information is carried in the MIB, and the second BWP includes the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. For another example, the second information is carried in the SIB, and the second BWP is the initial BWP. For another example, the second information is carried in the SIB, and the second BWP is the RedCap independent initial BWP.

[0103] Exemplarily, when the first terminal device is in an RRC non-connected state (e.g., an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state), initial access is performed through the second BWP, and system information and information in the random access process are received / sent in the second BWP. Exemplarily, in the RRC non-connected state, the first terminal device receives system information, paging messages, and information in the random access process in the second BWP. It should be noted that, during the initial access process, the second BWP can be understood as the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. If the network device does not configure an independent initial BWP for the low-complexity terminal device, during the initial access process, the second BWP can be understood as the time-frequency resources occupied by CORESET#0. If the network device configures an independent initial BWP for the low-complexity terminal device, during the initial access process, the second BWP can be understood as an independent initial BWP.

[0104] After the first terminal device initially accesses through the second downlink BWP, it can receive RRC configuration information, such as first information. The first terminal device can switch from the second downlink BWP to the first BWP based on the first information.

[0105] Exemplarily, the first downlink BWP may be an activated BWP, or the first downlink BWP may be a BWP with a dedicated configuration. Alternatively, the first downlink BWP may be a BWP used by the first terminal device in an RRC connected state. For example, the first downlink BWP may be a non-initial BWP.

[0106] Exemplarily, the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP, or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used by the first terminal device in an RRC non-connected state, or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used by the first terminal device during an initial access process.

[0107] Optionally, the network device may further send third information, which is configuration information of a third downlink BWP. The third BWP includes M CSSs, where M is an integer greater than 0. The third BWP is the BWP configured by the network device for the second terminal device. The third BWP can be used for the second terminal device to communicate with the network device in an RRC connected state. The specific content of the third information can be found in the description of the first information and is not repeated here.

[0108] The second terminal device may be a second type terminal device, a terminal device with complex capabilities, a terminal device that does not support the first capability, or a terminal device that supports the second capability. The definition of the second type terminal device can refer to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0109] In one implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH). For example, if the network device does not configure a RACH in the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, the network device does not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Accordingly, if the network device does not configure a RACH in the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP, the first terminal device does not expect to configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. In this application, "not configured" can also be replaced with descriptions such as "not included".

[0110] Among them, when the network device configures the BWP for the first terminal device, it can configure an uplink BWP and a downlink BWP, which are used for uplink transmission and downlink transmission respectively. For the TDD system, the uplink BWP and the downlink BWP appear in pairs, for example, the center frequency points of a pair of uplink BWP and downlink BWP are consistent. In this application, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may refer to the uplink BWP that is consistent with the center frequency point of the first downlink BWP in the uplink BWP configured for the first terminal device; or the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may refer to the first downlink BWP and the uplink BWP as a pair of BWPs, which are used for uplink transmission and downlink transmission by the first terminal device.

[0111] Optionally, the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP may be an uplink BWP in a normal uplink carrier, or may be an uplink BWP in a supplementary uplink carrier.

[0112] For example, if the uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is configured with RACH, the first downlink BWP does not include any one or more of the type 0 CSS set, the type 1 CSS set, the type 2 CSS set, and the type 3 CSS set. Here, "configure" can also be replaced with "include" or other descriptions.

[0113] In one implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with RACH, the N CSS sets included in the second downlink BWP do not include a type 1 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set.

[0114] In one implementation, the uplink BWP corresponding to the third downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH, the M CSS sets included in the third downlink BWP do not include a Type 1 CSS set, and / or the M CSS sets include at least one of a Type 0 CSS set, a Type 0A CSS set, or a Type 2 CSS set. Since RACH is configured by network equipment based on resources and services, if the uplink BWP corresponding to a downlink BWP is configured with a RACH, the downlink BWP may include a Type 1 CSS set to enable the terminal device to perform corresponding downlink transmissions within the downlink BWP. If the uplink BWP corresponding to a downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH, the downlink BWP may not include a Type 1 CSS set.

[0115] In one implementation, if the network device determines that the first terminal device is a first type terminal device, a terminal device with reduced capabilities, a terminal device that supports the first capability, or a terminal device that does not support the second capability, then the CSS set is not configured in the first downlink BWP. Accordingly, if the first terminal device is a first type terminal device, a terminal device with reduced capabilities, a terminal device that supports the first capability, or a terminal device that does not support the second capability, the first terminal device does not expect to have a CSS set configured in the first downlink BWP. It can also be understood that the terminal device expects to have a CSS set configured in the downlink BWP, except for terminal devices of the first type, terminal devices with reduced capabilities, or terminal devices that support the first capability or do not support the second capability.

[0116] Among them, the definition of the first type of terminal device can refer to the previous description and will not be repeated here. This application does not limit how the network device determines the type of the first terminal device or the supported capabilities. For example, during the initial access process or after access, the first terminal device can report capability information to the network device, and the capability information indicates that the first terminal device is a first type of terminal device, and can also indicate that the first terminal device supports the first capability and / or does not support the second capability, etc.

[0117] In this application, the first capability is BWP without restriction, and the second capability is multiple CORESET.

[0118] For example, the first capability is BWP without restriction, indicating that the synchronization signal broadcast channel block (synchronous signal / physical broadcast channel block, SS / PBCH block, SSB) and / or CORESET#0 may not be included in the BWP. The first terminal device supports BWP without restriction, indicating that the first terminal device supports not including SSB and / or CORESET#0 in the BWP.

[0119] For example, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may indicate that within the BWP, the terminal device can be configured with three or more CORESETs. Alternatively, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may indicate that within the initial BWP, the terminal device can be configured with three or more CORESETs; or, the second capability is multiple CORESETs, which may indicate that within the BWP, in addition to CORESET#0, the terminal device can be configured with two or more CORESETs. For example, the BWP described here does not include cell definition (CD)-SSB and / or CORESET#0.

[0120] Currently, in addition to CORESET#0, a maximum of one more CORESET can be configured in a BWP. If the current BWP does not include CORESET#0, the BWP can only be associated with CORESETs other than this CORESET#0. However, to activate a BWP or a UE-specific BWP, it may be necessary to configure a USS set for the transmission of unicast signals. However, if a CSS set must be present in the BWP, both the CSS set and the USS set need to be associated with a unique CORESET in the BWP, which greatly limits the flexibility of the network configuration. If the terminal device supports the configuration of multiple CORESETs (i.e., supports the second capability), the network can flexibly configure the CSS set as needed. Therefore, in this application, if the first terminal device does not support multiple CORESETs (i.e., does not support the second capability), the CSS set may not be configured in the BWP to reduce resource overhead.

[0121] For example, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET. CORESET#0 and / or the common CORESET can be configured by the network device through the SIB. The specific configuration process is not limited in this application. The two frequency domain resources do not overlap, which can be understood as the two frequency domain resources not overlapping at all, or as the two frequency domain resources partially overlapping, or as the two frequency domain resources not completely overlapping.

[0122] For example, as shown in FIG4 , the frequency domain resources of the first BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0. In this case, it can be considered that the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0.

[0123] For another example, as shown in Figure 5, the frequency domain resources of the first BWP partially overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, that is, the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP partially overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0. In this case, it can also be considered that the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0.

[0124] Illustratively, the second downlink BWP includes frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes frequency domain resources of a common CORESET.

[0125] Illustratively, the third downlink BWP includes frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the third downlink BWP includes frequency domain resources of a common CORESET.

[0126] Through the above method, if the BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0 or the frequency domain resources of the public CORESET, the network can configure the CSS set in the BWP to be associated with the CORESET#0 or the public CORESET without additional overhead.

[0127] For example, the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold. Alternatively, the maximum configurable bandwidth of the first downlink BWP is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold.

[0128] For example, if the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, the network device may not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. For example, if the maximum configurable bandwidth of the first downlink BWP is greater than or equal to the bandwidth threshold, the network device may not configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Accordingly, the first terminal device does not expect to configure a CSS set in the first downlink BWP.

[0129] For another example, if the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is less than the bandwidth threshold, the network device should configure the CSS set in the first downlink BWP. Accordingly, the first terminal device expects to configure the CSS set in the first downlink BWP.

[0130] This application does not limit the value of the bandwidth threshold. For example, the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to frequency range (FR) 1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz. The carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, such as FR2 or FR3, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz. For example, the bandwidth threshold is related to the maximum channel bandwidth supported or configured by the terminal device. For example, the bandwidth threshold is equal to the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the terminal device. For example, the bandwidth threshold is equal to twice the maximum channel bandwidth supported by the terminal device.

[0131] For example, the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is 20 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 40 MHz. For example, the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located does not belong to FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz. For example, the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR2, and the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz. For example, the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located belongs to FR3, and the bandwidth threshold is 100 MHz, or the bandwidth threshold is 200 MHz.

[0132] If the bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is narrow, the number of BWPs is likely small. Therefore, even if a CSS set is configured in each BWP, it will not incur significant resource overhead. On the other hand, carriers with larger bandwidths contain more BWPs. Therefore, not configuring a CSS set in some or all of these BWPs can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0133] For example, the first downlink BWP belongs to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band. Or the first terminal device operates in a TDD frequency band. Optionally, the frequency band to which the first downlink BWP belongs is an asymmetric frequency band. Optionally, the asymmetric frequency band is an unpaired spectrum. For example, the first terminal device operates in an asymmetric spectrum (for unpaired spectrum operation). The word "work" here can also be replaced by descriptions such as "operation".

[0134] Since the TDD frequency band has a large bandwidth, a carrier with a large bandwidth includes a large number of BWPs. Therefore, not configuring a CSS set in some or all of the BWPs can reduce resource overhead and improve resource utilization.

[0135] For example, the first downlink BWP belongs to a first cell, which is a primary cell (PCell) or a primary secondary cell (PSCell).

[0136] For example, the terminal device expects to configure a CSS set in the BWP, but the first terminal device is excluded. The terminal device here can be replaced with "a terminal device other than the first type of terminal device", for example, the terminal device is the second terminal device.

[0137] For example, the second terminal device expects the CSS set to be configured in the BWP, but the first terminal device does not expect the CSS set to be configured in the BWP. For example, the terminal device expects the CSS set to be configured in the BWP, but the first terminal device does not expect the CSS set to be configured in the BWP.

[0138] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, except when RACH is not configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, but when RACH is not configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP.

[0139] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, except when the downlink BWP of the first terminal device does not include the complete first CORESET. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, but when the downlink BWP of the first terminal device does not include the complete first CORESET, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP. In this application, the first CORESET is CORESET#0 and / or a public CORESET.

[0140] For example, the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, except when RACH is not configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device and the downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET. That is, it can be understood that: the terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, but when RACH is not configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP of the first terminal device and the downlink BWP does not include a complete first CORESET, the first terminal device does not expect a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP.

[0141] For example, a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, but the first terminal device operating in an asymmetric spectrum does not expect a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP.

[0142] For example, a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, except for the first terminal device operating in an asymmetric spectrum and whose downlink BWP does not include the complete first CORESET. In other words, it can be understood that a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP, but the first terminal device operating in an asymmetric spectrum and whose downlink BWP does not include the complete first CORESET does not expect a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP.

[0143] For example, a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, except for the first terminal device that operates in an asymmetric spectrum and does not have a RACH configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP. In other words, it can be understood that a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, but the first terminal device that operates in an asymmetric spectrum and does not have a RACH configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP does not expect a CSS set to be configured in the downlink BWP.

[0144] For example, a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, but does not include a first terminal device that operates in an asymmetric spectrum, does not have a RACH configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP, and does not include a complete first CORESET in the downlink BWP. That is, it can be understood that a terminal device expects a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, but does not expect a CSS set to be configured in a downlink BWP, but does not include a RACH configured in the uplink BWP corresponding to the downlink BWP, and does not include a complete first CORESET in the downlink BWP.

[0145] In the above example, "the terminal device expects the CSS set to be configured within the BWP" can be understood as "the network device should (or must) configure the CSS set within the BWP configured for the terminal device." In this example, "the terminal device does not expect the CSS set to be configured within the BWP" can be understood as "the network device may not configure the CSS set within the BWP configured for the terminal device."

[0146] Step 302: The first terminal device communicates with the network device through the first downlink BWP.

[0147] Correspondingly, the network device communicates with the first terminal device through the first downlink BWP.

[0148] This application does not limit how the network device and the first terminal device communicate through the first BWP and will not be described in detail here.

[0149] Optionally, the network device may also communicate with the second terminal device via a third BWP, which will not be described in detail here.

[0150] For example, if the first terminal device needs to receive public information, the public information includes at least one of SIB1, other SIBs (for example, SIBs other than SIB1), information during random access, paging-related information, broadcast information, multicast information, and unicast information. In a first implementation method, the network device can instruct the first terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the second BWP to receive the public information.

[0151] In a second implementation, the network device can configure a USS in the first BWP for the first terminal device. The network device then sends public information via unicast via the USS. The first terminal device then receives the public information via the USS in the first BWP. In this method, the network device sends public information via unicast, allowing the network device to more flexibly schedule based on system resources and service availability, thereby improving the flexibility of network device resource allocation.

[0152] In a third implementation, the network device may further configure a fourth BWP for the first terminal device. The fourth BWP is a non-initial BWP, for example, a dedicated BWP, and the fourth BWP includes X CSS sets, where X is an integer greater than 0. If the first terminal device needs to receive public information, the network device may instruct the first terminal device to switch from the first BWP to the fourth BWP, and the first terminal device may receive the public information based on the CSS sets in the fourth BWP.

[0153] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or network device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0154] The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments.

[0155] As shown in Figure 6, a communication device 600 includes a processing unit 610 and a communication unit 620. The communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in each of the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0156] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device:

[0157] The processing unit receives first information through the communication unit; the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part BWP, and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space CSS set;

[0158] The processing unit communicates with the network device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

[0159] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the functions of a network device:

[0160] The processing unit sends first information through the communication unit, where the first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part BWP, and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space CSS set;

[0161] The processing unit communicates with the first terminal device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

[0162] A more detailed description of the processing unit 610 and the communication unit 620 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0163] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or physically separated. Moreover, the units in the device can all be implemented in the form of software called through processing elements; or all be implemented in the form of hardware; or some units can be implemented in the form of software called through processing elements, and some units can be implemented in the form of hardware. For example, each unit can be a separately established processing element, or it can be integrated into a certain chip of the device. In addition, it can also be stored in the form of a program in a memory, called by a certain processing element of the device and execute the function of the unit. In addition, all or part of these units can be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. The processing element here can also be a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each operation of the above method or each unit above can be implemented by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor element or by software called through the processing element.

[0164] In one example, the unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above method, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more digital singnal processors (DSPs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms. For another example, when the unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), or other processor that can call a program. For another example, these units can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0165] The above-mentioned receiving unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to receive signals from other chips or devices. The above-mentioned sending unit is an interface circuit of the device, which is used to send signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the sending unit is the interface circuit of the chip used to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0166] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device of the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to Figure 7, which is a structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 700 includes a processor 701 and a transceiver 702. The communication device 700 can be a terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 700 can be a network device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 7 only shows the main components of the communication device 700. In addition to the processor 701 and the transceiver 702, the communication device 700 can further include a memory 703, and an input and output device (not shown in the figure).

[0167] Optionally, processor 701 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Memory 703 is primarily used to store software programs and data. Transceiver 702 may include a radio frequency circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0168] Optionally, the processor 701 , the transceiver 702 , and the memory 703 may be connected via a communication bus.

[0169] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 701 can read the software program in the memory 703, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 701 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 701. The processor 701 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0170] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna can be set independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna can be arranged remotely from the communication device.

[0171] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the above-mentioned communication device 600 may take the form of the communication device 700 shown in FIG. 7 .

[0172] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing unit 610 in FIG6 can be implemented by the processor 701 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703. The functions / implementation process of the communication unit 620 in FIG6 can be implemented by the transceiver 702 in the communication device 700 shown in FIG7.

[0173] As another possible product form, the terminal device or network device in the present application may adopt the structure shown in Figure 8, or include the components shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 800 provided in the present application.

[0174] As shown in FIG8 , a communication device 800 includes at least one processor 801. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface 802.

[0175] When the program instructions are executed in the at least one processor 801, the communication device 800 can implement the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs thereof. Alternatively, the processor 801 implements the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs thereof through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0176] The communication interface 802 can be used to receive program instructions and transmit them to the processor. Alternatively, the communication interface 802 can be used for the communication device 800 to communicate with other communication devices, such as exchanging control signaling and / or service data. Exemplarily, the communication interface 802 can be used to receive signals from devices other than the communication device 800 and transmit them to the processor 801, or to send signals from the processor 801 to other communication devices other than the communication device 800.

[0177] Optionally, the communication interface 802 may be a code and / or data read and write interface circuit, or the communication interface 802 may be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver, or a pin of a chip.

[0178] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include at least one memory 803, which may be used to store required program instructions and / or data. It should be noted that the memory 803 may exist independently of the processor 801 or may be integrated with the processor 801. The memory 803 may be located within the communication device 800 or outside the communication device 800, without limitation.

[0179] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a power supply circuit 804, which may be used to supply power to the processor 801. The power supply circuit 804 may be located in the same chip as the processor 801, or in another chip other than the chip where the processor 801 is located.

[0180] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a bus, and various parts of the communication device 800 may be interconnected via the bus.

[0181] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the communication device 600 shown in FIG. 6 may take the form of the communication device 800 shown in FIG. 8 .

[0182] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing unit 610 in FIG6 can be implemented by the processor 801 in the communication device 800 shown in FIG8 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 803. The functions / implementation process of the communication unit 620 in FIG6 can be implemented by the communication interface 802 in the communication device 800 shown in FIG8.

[0183] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG8 does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device or network device. For example, in other embodiments of the present application, the terminal device or network device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine or split certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0184] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station.

[0185] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The base station module receives information from other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or the base station module sends information to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal. The base station module here can be the baseband chip of the base station, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0186] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0187] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0188] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0189] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0190] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0191] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0192] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0193] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Comprising: Receiving first information; The first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP), and the first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; Communicating with a network device through the first downlink BWP.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further comprises: Performing initial access through a second downlink BWP, where the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, and N is an integer greater than 0.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receiving second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH).

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH, the N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

7. According to the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC non-connected state or a BWP used in the initial access process.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set (CORESET) #0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of a common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET #0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of a common CORESET.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than a bandwidth threshold; Wherein, the carrier belongs to frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP belong to a time division duplex (TDD) frequency band.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device is a terminal device with reduced capabilities.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device; the terminal device supports unrestricted BWP, or the terminal device does not support multiple CORESETs.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, Comprising: Sending first information, where the first information is configuration information of a first downlink BWP, and the first downlink BWP does not include a CSS set; Communicating with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further comprises: Sending second information; the second information is configuration information of a second downlink BWP, and the second information indicates that the second downlink BWP includes N CSS sets, and N is an integer greater than 0.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a RACH.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein The uplink BWP corresponding to the second downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH). The N CSS sets include at least one of a type 0 CSS set, a type 0A CSS set, or a type 2 CSS set, and / or the N CSS sets do not include a type 1 CSS set.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration, and / or the second downlink BWP is an initial BWP.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state, and / or the second downlink BWP is a BWP used in the RRC idle state or a BWP used in the initial access procedure.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of CORESET#0, and / or the second downlink BWP includes the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than a bandwidth threshold; Wherein, the carrier belongs to frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending third information to a second terminal device, where the third information is configuration information of a third BWP. The third BWP includes M CSSs, and M is an integer greater than 0. The third BWP is used for the second terminal device to communicate with a network device in the RRC connected state.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, Including: A processing unit receives first information through a communication unit; The first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP). The first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; The processing unit communicates with a network device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, Including: A processing unit sends first information through a communication unit. The first information is configuration information of a first downlink bandwidth part (BWP). The first downlink BWP does not include a common search space (CSS) set; The processing unit communicates with a first terminal device through the first downlink BWP via the communication unit.

24. The device according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The uplink BWP corresponding to the first downlink BWP is not configured with a random access channel (RACH).

25. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is an active BWP; Alternatively, the first downlink BWP is a BWP with dedicated configuration.

26. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that, The first downlink BWP is a BWP used in the radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

27. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 26, characterized in that, The frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of control resource set CORESET#0, and / or the frequency domain resources of the first downlink BWP do not overlap with the frequency domain resources of the common CORESET.

28. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 27, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the carrier where the first downlink BWP is located is greater than a bandwidth threshold; Among them, the carrier belongs to the frequency range FR1, and the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 40 MHz; when the carrier belongs to a frequency range outside FR1, the bandwidth threshold is less than or equal to 200 MHz.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor; The processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device implements the method described in any one of claims 1 to 21.

30. A chip, characterized in that, It includes a processor, the processor is coupled to the memory, and is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip implements the method described in any one of claims 1 to 21.

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