Communication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, and a storage medium. According to the present disclosure, by means of providing first information indicating whether a terminal can send a PRACH on an RO configured by a network device, and / or providing first information of a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device, the terminal can determine, on the basis of the first information, whether to send a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device. As a result, an explicit definition of a sending behavior of the terminal is achieved, thereby enabling the network device to implement reception of a PRACH simply by performing PRACH detection on a corresponding RO, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

Description

Communication method, device, and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) system, a terminal can perform uplink random access through a physical random access channel (PRACH).

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to ensure that a terminal can complete random access in a timely manner while reducing the energy consumption of a network device receiving a PRACH, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication method, applied to a terminal, the method comprising:

[0006] Based on the first information, determine whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on the random access opportunity RO configured by the network device; wherein the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO.

[0007] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] Based on the first information, determining whether to detect a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal;

[0009] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO.

[0010] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including:

[0011] A processing module configured to determine, based on the first information, whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by the network device;

[0012] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0014] The processing module is configured to determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on the first information; wherein the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether PRACH can be detected on the RO.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is used to execute the communication method provided by the first aspect above.

[0016] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is used to execute the communication method provided in the second aspect above.

[0017] According to the seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method provided by the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0018] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method provided in the first or second aspect above.

[0019] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing first information to the terminal and the network device, the terminal can determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information, and the network device can determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the first information, so as to ensure that the terminal can complete random access in a timely manner. In addition, the network device does not need to detect PRACH on all ROs to achieve PRACH reception, thereby reducing power consumption of the network device.

[0020] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

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

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

[0024] FIG3A is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG3B is an interactive diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing the principles of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG4B is a schematic diagram showing the principles of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG4C is a schematic diagram showing the principles of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG5A is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG5B is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG7A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG7B is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 7200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0036] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of at least one of the associated listed items.

[0037] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various messages, these messages should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish messages of the same type from each other. For example, a first message may also be referred to as a second message, and similarly, a second message may be referred to as a first message without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0038] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a device, and a storage medium.

[0039] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, applied to a terminal, the method comprising:

[0040] Based on the first information, determine whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on the random access opportunity RO configured by the network device; wherein the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO.

[0041] In the above embodiment, by providing first information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device, and / or providing first information of a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO configured by the network device, the terminal can determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information, so as to achieve a clear definition of the terminal's sending behavior, so that the network device only needs to detect PRACH on the corresponding RO to achieve PRACH reception, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0043] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and the first information sent by the network device is received;

[0044] The first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the predefined first information is acquired.

[0045] In the above embodiment, two optional implementation methods for obtaining the first information are provided to improve the flexibility of the first information obtaining process.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the first information is used for any of the following:

[0047] Determine whether the PRACH can be sent according to whether a synchronization signal block SSB exists on a first synchronization signal block burst set SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO;

[0048] Determine whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO;

[0049] Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be sent.

[0050] In the above embodiment, by providing a plurality of optional judgment rules when the predefined rule is used as the first information, the diversity of the predefined rule used as the first information is increased, thereby improving the flexibility of the communication process.

[0051] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether the PRACH can be sent based on whether an SSB exists on the first SSB burst, and determining whether to send the PRACH on the RO based on the first information includes:

[0052] No SSB is detected on the first SSB burst, and it is determined not to send PRACH.

[0053] In the above embodiment, when no SSB is detected on the first SSB burst, it is determined not to send the PRACH, so as to achieve the purpose of determining whether the PRACH can be sent according to whether the SSB exists on the first SSB burst.

[0054] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type SIB1 signaling.

[0055] In the above embodiment, two optional implementation methods for configuring the SSB burst for the terminal are provided to improve the flexibility of the SSB burst configuration process.

[0056] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the reason why the SSB is not detected on the first SSB burst includes at least one of the following: the SSB is in an off state; the period of the SSB changes; the beam direction of the SSB changes.

[0057] In the above embodiment, multiple optional reasons for not detecting the SSB on the first SSB burst are provided to help the terminal quickly determine the reason for not detecting the SSB on the first SSB burst, thereby ensuring the integrity of the communication process.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether the PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO, and determining whether to send the PRACH on the RO based on the first information includes:

[0059] If there is no actual transmission of the SSB at the first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected, and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position, it is determined that the PRACH is not sent;

[0060] The first time domain position is a default SSB burst time domain position, or the first time domain position is an SSB burst time domain position configured by the network device through SIB1 signaling.

[0061] In the above embodiment, by determining not to send PRACH when there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position, the purpose of determining whether PRACH can be sent according to the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO is achieved.

[0062] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the reason why there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position includes at least one of the following: the network device is in the SSB off period; the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

[0063] In the above embodiment, multiple optional reasons for the absence of actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position are provided to help the terminal determine the reason for the absence of actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position, thereby ensuring the integrity of the communication process.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0065] If no SSB is detected over multiple consecutive SSB bursts, it is determined that the PRACH is not to be sent.

[0066] The SSB off time is greater than the first threshold, and it is determined not to send the PRACH;

[0067] The transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and it is determined not to send the PRACH.

[0068] In the above embodiment, other optional implementation methods for determining whether a PRACH can be sent on an RO configured on a network device are provided to improve the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be sent, and the condition under which the PRACH can be sent includes at least:

[0070] The maximum time distance between the RO where PRACH is expected to be sent and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

[0071] In the above embodiment, possible conditions for sending the PRACH are provided so that the terminal can determine whether to send the PRACH based on the above conditions, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0073] Only contention-based random access (CFRA) is expected during SSB off period;

[0074] Only CFRA is expected during SSB cycle adaptation.

[0075] In the above embodiment, two expected behaviors of the terminal when sending PRACH are provided to help the terminal determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device, thereby standardizing the PRACH sending behavior of the terminal.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0077] During the SSB shutdown period, the non-contention-based random access (CBRA) process is not initiated;

[0078] During SSB cycle adaptation, the CBRA process is not initiated.

[0079] In the above embodiment, by providing behavioral specifications for the terminal during the SSB off period and the SSB cycle adaptation period, the validity and legality of the terminal's PRACH transmission behavior are guaranteed, thereby improving the PRACH transmission success rate.

[0080] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal is in a radio resource control RRC connected state.

[0081] In the above embodiment, possible states of the terminal are provided to regulate the states in which the terminal can be, and the PRACH sending behavior of the terminal is determined based on two expected behaviors or unexpected behaviors when sending PRACH.

[0082] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, applied to a network device, comprising:

[0083] Based on the second information, determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal; wherein the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO, and / or the second information is a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether PRACH can be detected on the RO.

[0084] In the above embodiment, by providing second information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal, and / or providing second information of a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether it can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal, the network device can determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the second information, so as to achieve a clear definition of the receiving behavior of the network device, so that the network device only needs to detect PRACH on the corresponding RO to achieve PRACH reception, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0085] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0086] The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO, and based on the second information, the first information is sent to the terminal, where the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send the PRACH on the RO;

[0087] The second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO, and the predefined second information is obtained.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the flexibility of the information processing process is improved by providing a method for processing different second information by the network device.

[0089] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used by the network device to determine whether a predefined rule of detecting the PRACH on the RO is available, and the second information is used for any of the following:

[0090] Determine whether to detect the PRACH according to whether an SSB exists on a first SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO;

[0091] Determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB;

[0092] Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be detected.

[0093] In the above embodiment, by providing a plurality of optional judgment rules when the predefined rules are used as the second information, the diversity of the predefined rules used as the second information is increased, thereby improving the flexibility of the communication process.

[0094] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect the PRACH based on whether an SSB exists on the first SSB burst, and determining whether to detect the PRACH on the RO based on the second information includes:

[0095] No SSB is sent on the first SSB burst, and it is determined not to detect PRACH on the RO.

[0096] In the above embodiment, when no SSB is detected on the first SSB burst, it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO, so as to achieve the purpose of determining whether to detect the PRACH according to whether the SSB exists on the first SSB burst.

[0097] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type SIB1 signaling.

[0098] In the above embodiment, two optional implementation methods for configuring SSB burst for network devices are provided to improve the flexibility of the SSB burst configuration process.

[0099] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: turning off SSB; adjusting the transmission period of SSB; adjusting the beam direction of SSB.

[0100] In the above embodiment, multiple optional reasons for not detecting the SSB on the first SSB burst are provided to help the network device quickly determine the reason for not detecting the SSB on the first SSB burst, thereby ensuring the integrity of the communication process.

[0101] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect the PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts of the actual transmission of the SSB, and determining whether to detect the PRACH on the RO based on the second information includes:

[0102] If the time interval is greater than the third threshold, it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

[0103] In the above embodiment, by determining not to detect PRACH on RO when the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending SSB is greater than the third threshold, the purpose of determining whether to detect PRACH is achieved according to the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending SSB.

[0104] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the reason why the time interval is greater than the third threshold includes at least one of the following: the network device is in the SSB off period; the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

[0105] In the above embodiment, multiple optional reasons for the time interval being greater than the third threshold are provided to help the network device determine the reason why the time interval is greater than the third threshold, thereby ensuring the integrity of the communication process.

[0106] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0107] If no SSB is sent on multiple consecutive SSB bursts, it is determined that PRACH is not detected on the RO;

[0108] The SSB off time is greater than the first threshold, and it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO;

[0109] The transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

[0110] In the above embodiment, other optional implementation methods for determining whether a network device can detect a PRACH on an RO configured for a terminal are provided to improve the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0111] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be detected, and the condition under which the PRACH can be detected includes at least:

[0112] The maximum time distance between the RO where PRACH is expected to be detected and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

[0113] In the above embodiment, possible conditions for detecting the PRACH are provided so that the network device can determine whether to detect the PRACH based on the above conditions, thereby improving the flexibility of the information processing process.

[0114] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes any of the following:

[0115] Do not detect CBRA-related PRACH during SSB off period;

[0116] CBRA-related PRACH is not detected during SSB cycle adaptation.

[0117] In the above embodiment, by providing behavioral specifications for the network device during the SSB off period and the SSB cycle adaptation period, the validity and legality of the PRACH reception behavior of the network device are guaranteed, thereby improving the PRACH reception success rate.

[0118] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0119] The processing module is configured to determine whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by the network device based on the first information; wherein the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO.

[0120] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0121] The processing module is configured to determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on the second information; wherein the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether PRACH can be detected on the RO.

[0122] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is used to execute the communication method provided in the above-mentioned first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0123] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is used to execute the communication method provided in the above-mentioned second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0124] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method provided by the above-mentioned second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0125] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium storing instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes a communication method as provided in the first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0126] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method provided in the first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0127] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the communication method provided in the first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0128] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system. The chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the communication method provided in the first aspect and any embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect and any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0129] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0130] The present disclosure provides a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method," "information processing method," and "PRACH transmission method" are interchangeable; the terms "communication apparatus," "information processing apparatus," and "PRACH transmission apparatus" are interchangeable; and the terms "information processing system," "communication system," and "communication system" are interchangeable.

[0131] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0132] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0133] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0134] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0135] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0136] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0137] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0138] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0139] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0140] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0141] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0142] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0143] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0144] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0145] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", and in some embodiments may also be understood as "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission and / or reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)", etc.

[0146] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc.

[0147] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0148] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0149] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0150] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0151] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0152] In some embodiments, the network device 102 includes at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0154] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0155] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0156] In some embodiments, a core network device (or core network function node) may be a single device including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or may be multiple devices or a device group including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. The network element may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an evolved packet core (EPC), a 5G core network (5GCN), and a next generation core (NGC).

[0157] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a first network element, such as an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0158] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for user access management and mobility management, but is not limited thereto.

[0159] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a second network element, which is, for example, a session management function (SMF).

[0160] In some embodiments, the second network element is used for session management of the control plane and the user plane, but is not limited thereto.

[0161] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a third network element, such as a user plane function (UPF).

[0162] In some embodiments, the third network element is used for data forwarding, traffic statistics, quality of service (QoS) management, etc. on the user plane, but is not limited thereto.

[0163] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a fourth network element, which is, for example, a policy control function (PCF).

[0164] In some embodiments, the fourth network element is used to implement user control policy management, including but not limited to QoS control, service access control, etc.

[0165] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a fifth network element, where the fifth network element is, for example, a unified data management function (UDM).

[0166] In some embodiments, the fifth network element is used to implement user subscription data management, roaming control, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0167] In some embodiments, the core network device may include a sixth network element, which is, for example, an authentication service function (AUSF).

[0168] In some embodiments, the sixth network element is used to implement user identity authentication, but is not limited thereto.

[0169] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements may be independent of the core network device.

[0170] In some embodiments, each of the above network elements may be part of a core network device.

[0171] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0172] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0173] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0174] In some embodiments, the random access process can be divided into contention-based random access (CBRA) and non-contention-based random access (CFRA) according to type.

[0175] In some embodiments, in CFRA, the network device may pre-allocate independent channel resources for the terminal, and the terminal may perform random access based on the allocated channel resources without having to compete with other terminal devices.

[0176] In some embodiments, in CBRA, a terminal may compete with other devices for limited channel resources in a contention manner, and perform random access using the channel resources obtained through contention.

[0177] In some embodiments, CBRA can be configured using relevant information in System Information Block 1 (SIB1), and all terminals accessing the network device can share this configuration. When the PRACH triggering conditions are met, any terminal can initiate a random access procedure at any valid random access opportunity (RO).

[0178] In some embodiments, the terminal may send a random access preamble on any valid RO to initiate a random access procedure.

[0179] Since the network device cannot predict when the terminal will send the preamble, in some embodiments, the network device may detect and receive the preamble on all ROs configured for the terminal.

[0180] However, the network device detects and receives the preamble on all ROs configured for the terminal, which increases the energy consumption of the network device and affects the energy saving gain of the base station.

[0181] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method includes:

[0182] Step S2101: The terminal obtains first information.

[0183] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO configured by the network device.

[0184] It should be noted that whether the terminal can send the PRACH may refer to whether the terminal is allowed to send the PRACH by the network device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it can be, for example, "PRACH sending indication information", "first indication information", etc.

[0186] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device. The network device can send the first information to the terminal, and the terminal can receive the first information sent by the network device to obtain the first information.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO configured by the network device. The first information may be predefined, and the terminal may obtain the predefined first information.

[0189] For example, the first information may be agreed upon in the protocol, and the terminal may obtain the first information agreed upon in the protocol.

[0190] It should be noted that the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO configured by the network device. The first information may include multiple rules. The following introduces several rules that the first information may include. It can be understood that the following is only an exemplary introduction to the first information and does not constitute a limitation on the first information.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first information can be used to determine whether the PRACH can be sent based on whether a synchronization signal block (SSB) exists on the first synchronization signal block burst set (SSB burst).

[0192] The first SSB burst may include a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device. The first number may be any positive integer value, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first number.

[0193] Optionally, when the first information is used to indicate whether PRACH can be sent based on whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst, the first information may indicate that when the terminal does not detect SSB on the first SSB burst, it determines not to send PRACH.

[0194] For example, the first information may indicate that when the terminal does not detect a relevant SSB on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device, it may determine not to send the PRACH.

[0195] In some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst may be predefined, or the SSB burst may be indicated by the network device through SIB1 signaling.

[0196] In some embodiments, the reason why the SSB is not detected on the first SSB may include at least one of the following: the SSB is in an off state, the period of the SSB changes, and the beam direction of the SSB changes, but is not limited thereto.

[0197] It should be noted that the SSB is in the off state, which means that the network device has turned off the transmission of SSB, that is, SSB is deactivated. When SSB is in the off state, the network device no longer sends SSB to the terminal, so that the terminal cannot receive SSB. In this case, the terminal may not be able to synchronize correctly with the network device.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to determine whether the PRACH can be sent according to the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO.

[0199] Optionally, when the first information is used to indicate whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO, the first information may indicate that the terminal determines not to send PRACH when there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected, and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position.

[0200] The first time domain position may be a default SSB burst time domain position, or the first time domain position may be an SSB burst time domain position configured by the network device through SIB1 signaling, but is not limited thereto.

[0201] That is, when the first information is used to indicate whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO, the first information can indicate that the terminal determines not to send PRACH when there is no actual transmission of SSB at the default SSB burst time domain position or the SSB burst time domain position indicated by the SIB1 signaling, and the valid RO is located after the SSB burst in which the SSB is not actually sent.

[0202] In some embodiments, terms such as "time", "moment", "time point", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0203] In some embodiments, the reason why there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position (that is, the default SSB burst time domain position or the SSB burst time domain position indicated by SIB1 signaling) may include at least one of the following: the network device is in the SSB off period and the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst, but is not limited to this.

[0204] It should be noted that the adjustment of the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst by the network device may be to adjust the periodicity of the SSB.

[0205] In some embodiments, the terms "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "precoding", "precoder", "weight", "precoding weight", "quasi-co-location (QCL)", "transmission configuration indication (TCI) state", "spatial relation", "spatial domain filter", "transmission power", "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "the number of layers", "rank", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", "panel" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first information may also be used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when no SSB is detected on multiple consecutive SSB bursts.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first information can also be used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the SSB off time is greater than a first threshold.

[0208] The first threshold may be of any duration, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first threshold.

[0209] For example, the first information can be used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the SSB off time is greater than T, where T is the first threshold, which can be any time length.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first information can also be used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the transmission period after SSB adjustment is greater than a second threshold.

[0211] The second threshold may be of any duration, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the second threshold.

[0212] For example, the first information can be used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the transmission period after SSB adjustment (that is, SSB periodicity) is greater than P, where P is the second threshold, which can be of any duration.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be sent.

[0214] Optionally, the condition for being able to send PRACH may be the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to send PRACH and the nearest SSB time domain resource (ie, SSB occasion), but is not limited thereto.

[0215] For example, the condition for being able to send PRACH may be a first value, which may be used to indicate the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to send PRACH and the nearest SSB occasion. Optionally, the first value may be any positive value, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first value.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during SSB periodicity adaptation.

[0218] That is, the first information may be used to instruct the terminal to only expect CFRA during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period.

[0219] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period, and the terminal may be a terminal in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

[0220] That is, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period, and the first information may be valid only for the terminal in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first information may further instruct the terminal not to initiate a CBRA process during the SSB off period.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first information may further instruct the terminal not to initiate a CBRA process during SSB cycle adaptation. For example, the first information may instruct the terminal not to initiate a CBRA process when the base station adjusts the SSB transmission cycle (SSB is transmitted with a period greater than the normal SSB transmission period).

[0223] In some embodiments, the first information is used to instruct the terminal not to initiate a CBRA process during an SSB off period or an SSB cycle adaptation period, and the terminal may be a terminal in an RRC connected state.

[0224] That is, the first information is used to instruct the terminal not to initiate the CBRA process during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period. The first information may be valid only for the terminal in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0225] In some embodiments, terms such as "synchronization signal block (SSB)", "synchronization signal (SS)", "reference signal (RS)", "pilot", and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0226] Step S2102: The terminal determines whether to send a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information.

[0227] In some embodiments, the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device. The terminal can directly determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the indication of the first information.

[0228] In some embodiments, the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO configured by the network device. The terminal can determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information and the current network status (or behavior in the network).

[0229] In some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether PRACH can be sent based on whether a synchronization signal block SSB exists on the first SSB burst. The terminal can determine not to send PRACH when SSB is not detected on the first SSB burst.

[0230] For example, the terminal may not send the PRACH when no relevant SSB is detected on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO. The terminal can determine not to send PRACH when there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position.

[0232] For example, the terminal may determine whether a valid RO is located after an SSB burst in which no SSB is actually transmitted based on the time interval between two adjacent detectable SSB bursts. If so, the terminal may determine not to transmit the PRACH; otherwise, the terminal may determine to transmit the PRACH.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal does not detect SSB on multiple consecutive SSB bursts and determines not to send PRACH. Then the terminal can determine not to send PRACH if it does not detect SSB on multiple consecutive SSB bursts.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the SSB off time is greater than the first threshold, and it is determined not to send PRACH. The terminal can determine not to send PRACH when the SSB off time is greater than the first threshold.

[0235] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and it is determined not to send PRACH. The terminal can determine not to send PRACH when the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold.

[0236] It should be noted that the terminal determines not to send the PRACH, that is, the terminal does not initiate the RACH process.

[0237] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the conditions for sending PRACH. The terminal can determine whether to send PRACH based on whether the current network status (or behavior in the network) meets the conditions for sending PRACH. If so, the terminal can determine to send PRACH. If not, the terminal can determine not to send PRACH.

[0238] Taking the condition for being able to send PRACH as the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to send PRACH and the nearest SSB time domain resource as an example, if the time distance between the RO configured by the network device and the nearest SSB time domain resource is greater than the maximum time distance, the terminal can determine not to send PRACH. If the time distance between the RO configured by the network device and the nearest SSB time domain resource is less than or equal to the maximum time distance, the terminal can determine to send PRACH.

[0239] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period, then the terminal can determine whether it is currently in the SSB off period, and if so, the terminal can use CFRA to send PRACH.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB cycle adaptation period. The terminal can then determine whether it is currently in the SSB cycle adaptation period. If so, the terminal can use CFRA to send PRACH.

[0241] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period. The first information may be valid only for the terminal in the RRC connected state. In addition to determining whether it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period, the terminal should also determine whether it is in the RRC connected state. If it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period and is in the RRC connected state, the terminal can use CFRA to send PRACH.

[0242] In some embodiments, the first information is used to instruct the terminal not to initiate the CBRA process during the SSB off period. The terminal can then determine whether it is currently in the SSB off period. If so, the terminal can send PRACH without using the CBRA method.

[0243] In some embodiments, the first information is used to instruct the terminal not to initiate the CBRA process during the SSB cycle adaptation period. The terminal can then determine whether it is currently in the SSB cycle adaptation period. If so, the terminal can send PRACH without using the CBRA method.

[0244] In some embodiments, the first information is used to instruct the terminal not to initiate a CBRA process during the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period. The first information may be valid only for the terminal in the RRC connected state. In addition to determining whether it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period, the terminal should also determine whether it is in the RRC connected state. If it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period and is in the RRC connected state, the terminal may not use the CBRA method to send PRACH, that is, the terminal may not initiate any CBRA process.

[0245] Step S2103: The network device obtains the second information.

[0246] The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal, and / or the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether it can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal.

[0247] In some embodiments, the name of the second information is not limited, and it can be, for example, "PRACH reception indication information", "second indication information", etc.

[0248] In some embodiments, the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal. The network device may obtain the second information through processing to achieve acquisition of the second information.

[0249] Optionally, the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. The network device may send the first information to the terminal based on the second information.

[0250] In some embodiments, the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO configured for the terminal. The second information may be predefined, and the network device may obtain the predefined second information.

[0251] For example, the second information may be agreed upon in the protocol, and the network device may obtain the second information agreed upon in the protocol.

[0252] It should be noted that although the first information is used by the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent, and the second information is used by the network device to determine whether PRACH can be detected, the rules included in the first information and the second information are corresponding. These rules are understood by both the terminal and the network device, and for the same rule, the terminal and the network device have the same understanding to ensure that the terminal's sending behavior and the network device's receiving behavior match.

[0253] In addition, it should be noted that the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO configured for the terminal. The second information may include multiple rules. The following introduces several rules that the second information may include. It can be understood that the following is only an exemplary introduction to the second information and does not constitute a limitation on the second information.

[0254] In some embodiments, the second information can be used to determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst.

[0255] For the above-mentioned second information, the corresponding first information is used to determine whether PRACH can be sent according to whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst.

[0256] The first SSB burst may include a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device. The first number may be any positive integer value, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first number.

[0257] Optionally, when the second information is used to indicate whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on whether an SSB exists on the first SSB burst, the second information may indicate that the network device determines not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when it does not send an SSB on the first SSB burst.

[0258] For example, the second information may instruct the network device not to detect the PRACH on the RO when no SSB is sent on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0259] In some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst may be predefined, or the SSB burst may be indicated by the network device through SIB1 signaling.

[0260] It should be noted that there may be various reasons why the network device does not send the SSB on the first SSB.

[0261] Optionally, the network device turns off the SSB, and the network device does not send the SSB on the first SSB.

[0262] Optionally, the network device adjusts the period of the SSB, and the network device does not send the SSB on the first SSB.

[0263] Optionally, the network device adjusts the beam direction of the SSB, and the network device does not send the SSB on the first SSB.

[0264] It should be noted that the above are only a few exemplary reasons why the network device does not send SSB on the first SSB, but are not limited to these.

[0265] In some embodiments, the second information can be used to determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB.

[0266] For the above-mentioned second information, the first information corresponding thereto is used to determine whether the PRACH can be sent according to the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO.

[0267] Optionally, when the second information is used to indicate whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending the SSB, the second information may indicate that the network device determines not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending the SSB is greater than a third threshold.

[0268] It should be noted that the third threshold may be the time interval between two adjacent default SSB burst time domain positions, or the third threshold may be the time interval between two adjacent SSB burst time domain positions configured by the network device for the terminal through SIB1 signaling, but is not limited thereto.

[0269] In some embodiments, the reason why the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sent by the network device is greater than the third threshold may include at least one of the following: the network device is in the SSB off period and the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst, but is not limited to this.

[0270] It should be noted that the adjustment of the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst by the network device may be to adjust the periodicity of the SSB.

[0271] In some embodiments, the second information may also be used to indicate that the network device has not sent an SSB on a plurality of consecutive SSB bursts, and determines not to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0272] For the above-mentioned second information, the corresponding first information is used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the SSB off time is greater than the first threshold.

[0273] In some embodiments, the second information may also be used to instruct the network device to determine not to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the SSB off duration is greater than the first threshold.

[0274] The first threshold may be of any duration, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first threshold.

[0275] For example, the second information can be used to instruct the network device to determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the SSB off time is greater than T, where T is the first threshold, which can be any time length.

[0276] In some embodiments, the second information may also be used to instruct the network device to determine not to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold.

[0277] For the above-mentioned second information, the corresponding first information is used to instruct the terminal to determine not to send PRACH when the transmission period after SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold.

[0278] The second threshold may be of any duration, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the second threshold.

[0279] For example, the second information can be used to instruct the network device to determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the transmission period after SSB adjustment (that is, SSB periodicity) is greater than P, where P is the second threshold, which can be of any duration.

[0280] In some embodiments, the second information may be used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be detected.

[0281] For the above-mentioned second information, the corresponding first information is used to indicate the conditions under which the PRACH can be sent.

[0282] Optionally, the condition for being able to detect the PRACH may be the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to detect the PRACH and the nearest SSB time domain resource (ie, the SSB occasion), but is not limited thereto.

[0283] For example, the condition for being able to detect PRACH may be a first value, which may be used to indicate the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to detect PRACH and the nearest SSB occasion. Optionally, the first value may be any positive value, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the value of the first value.

[0284] In some embodiments, the second information may be used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB off period.

[0285] For the above-mentioned second information, the first information corresponding thereto is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period; or, the first information corresponding thereto is used to indicate that the terminal does not initiate the CBRA process during the SSB off period.

[0286] In some embodiments, the second information may be used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during SSB cycle adaptation.

[0287] For the above-mentioned second information, the corresponding first information is used to indicate that the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB cycle adaptation; or, the corresponding first information is used to indicate that the terminal does not initiate the CBRA process during the SSB cycle adaptation.

[0288] Optionally, the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB shutdown period, or the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB cycle adaptation period. The second information may be valid only for the case where the terminal is in the RRC connected state.

[0289] Step S2104: The network device determines whether to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on the second information.

[0290] In some embodiments, the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal. The network device can directly determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the indication of the second information.

[0291] In some embodiments, the second information is a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether it can detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal. The network device can determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the second information and the current network status (or behavior in the network).

[0292] In some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst. The network device can determine that PRACH is not on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when SSB is not sent on the first SSB burst.

[0293] For example, the network device may not detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when no relevant SSB is sent on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device.

[0294] In some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB. The network device can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB is greater than the third threshold.

[0295] For example, the network device can determine whether the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending the SSB is greater than the third threshold. If so, it can be determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. If not, it can be determined to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0296] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate that the network device has not sent SSB on multiple consecutive SSB bursts, and determines not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. Then, the network device can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when SSB is not sent on multiple consecutive SSB bursts.

[0297] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate that the SSB off time is greater than the first threshold, and it is determined not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. Then the network device can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the SSB off time is greater than the first threshold.

[0298] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate that the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and it is determined not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. Then the network device can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal when the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold.

[0299] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate the conditions for detecting PRACH. The network device can determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on whether the current network status (or behavior in the network) meets the conditions for detecting PRACH. If so, the terminal can determine to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal. If not, the terminal can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0300] Taking the condition for being able to detect PRACH as the maximum time distance between the RO expecting to detect PRACH and the nearest SSB time domain resource as an example, if the time distance between the RO configured by the network device for the terminal and the nearest SSB time domain resource is greater than the maximum time distance, the network device can determine not to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal; if the time distance between the RO configured by the network device for the terminal and the nearest SSB time domain resource is less than or equal to the maximum time distance, the terminal can determine to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0301] In some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB off period. The network device can determine whether it is currently in the SSB off period. If so, the network device can not detect CBRA-related PRACH.

[0302] In some embodiments, the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during SSB cycle adaptation. The network device can determine whether it is currently in the SSB cycle adaptation period. If so, the network device can not detect CBRA-related PRACH.

[0303] In some embodiments, for the case where the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB off period or the second information is used to instruct the network device not to detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB cycle adaptation period, the second information may be valid only for the case where the terminal is in the RRC connected state. In addition to determining whether it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period, the network device should also determine whether the terminal is in the RRC connected state. If it is currently in the SSB off period or the SSB cycle adaptation period and the terminal is in the RRC connected state, the network device may not detect CBRA-related PRACH.

[0304] It should be noted that when the network device detects PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal, it can receive PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal; conversely, when the network device does not detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal, it does not need to receive PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal.

[0305] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0306] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0307] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0308] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0309] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0310] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2104. For example, step S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2101+S2102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S2103+S2104 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0311] In some embodiments, steps S2101 and S2103 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously, and steps S2102 and S2104 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously.

[0312] In some embodiments, steps S2101, S2103, and S2104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0313] In some embodiments, steps S2101, S2102, and S2103 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0314] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 .

[0315] The following describes respectively the case where the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO configured for it by the network device and the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device detects PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal (for the sake of convenience, recorded as case 1), and the case where the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO configured for it by the network device and the second information is a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether PRACH is detected on the RO configured for the terminal (for the sake of convenience, recorded as case 2).

[0316] For scenario 1, refer to FIG3A , which is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0317] Step S3101: The network device obtains second information.

[0318] The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device detects the PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal.

[0319] The optional implementation of step S3101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0320] Step S3102: The network device sends the first information to the terminal based on the second information.

[0321] The optional implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of steps S2101 and S2103 in Figure 2, and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0322] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by the network device.

[0323] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send the PRACH on the RO configured for it by the network device.

[0324] Step S3103: The terminal determines whether to send the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information.

[0325] The optional implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0326] Step S3104: The network device determines, based on the second information, whether to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0327] The optional implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2104 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0328] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3104. For example, step S3103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3101+S3104 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S3101+S3102+S3103 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0329] In some embodiments, steps S3103 and S3104 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously, and steps S3102 and S3104 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously.

[0330] In some embodiments, steps S3101, S3102, and S3103 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0331] In some embodiments, steps S3101, S3102, and S3104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0332] For situation 2, see Figure 3B, which is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0333] Step S3201: The terminal obtains predefined first information.

[0334] The first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send the PRACH on the RO configured for it by the network device.

[0335] The optional implementation of step S3201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0336] Step S3202: The terminal determines whether to send a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on the first information.

[0337] The optional implementation of step S3202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0338] Step S3203: The network device obtains predefined second information.

[0339] The second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether to detect the PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal.

[0340] The optional implementation of step S3203 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0341] Step S3204: The network device determines whether to send the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on the second information.

[0342] The optional implementation of step S3204 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2104 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0343] The communication method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3201 to S3204. For example, step S3202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3204 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3201+S3202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S3203+S3204 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0344] In some embodiments, steps S3201 and S3203 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously, and steps S3202 and S3204 may be executed in an exchanged order or simultaneously.

[0345] In some embodiments, steps S3201, S3203, and S3204 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0346] In some embodiments, steps S3201, S3202, and S3203 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0347] According to the solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal supporting network energy-saving technology can determine whether to send PRACH on the RO configured by the network device based on first information. The first information can be display indication information sent by the network device, or the first information can be a predefined rule.

[0348] Optionally, the terminal determines the PRACH transmission behavior in one of the following ways:

[0349] Method 1: If the terminal does not detect the relevant SSB on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device, it does not send PRACH.

[0350] Optionally, the SSB burst is a predefined SSB burst, or the SSB burst is an SSB burst indicated by SIB1 signaling.

[0351] Optionally, the terminal does not detect the SSB on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured by the network device, which may be caused by one of the following reasons: the SSB is in the OFF state; the SSB period is adjusted; the SSB beam direction is adjusted.

[0352] Method 2: The terminal determines whether to initiate the RACH process based on the time interval between two adjacent detectable SSB bursts and the time domain position of the valid RO.

[0353] The time domain position of the Valid RO refers to whether the valid RO is located after an SSB burst in which no SSB is actually sent.

[0354] Optionally, within the time range between two adjacent detectable SSB bursts, there is no actual transmission of SSB at the default SSB burst or the SSB burst time domain position configured by SIB1. The reasons may include any of the following: the network device is in the SSB OFF period; the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst, such as periodicity.

[0355] In some embodiments, if the terminal does not detect an SSB over multiple consecutive SSB bursts, the terminal does not initiate a RACH procedure.

[0356] In some embodiments, if the SSB OFF period is greater than T, or the SSB periodicity is greater than P, the terminal does not initiate the RACH process.

[0357] Mode 3: The terminal receives relevant indication information sent by the network device, which may indicate whether the terminal can initiate a RACH process and / or the conditions for initiating a RACH process.

[0358] The network device indicates the conditions under which the terminal can initiate the RACH process, for example, the network device indicates the maximum time distance between the RO at which the terminal expects to initiate the RACH process and the nearest SSB occasion.

[0359] Method 4: The terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period or the SSB periodicity adaptation period.

[0360] Optionally, mode 4 may be valid only for terminals in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0361] In some embodiments, when SSB is off or the network device adjusts the SSB periodicity (SSB is sent at a period greater than the SSB in the normal state), the terminal may not initiate any CBRA process.

[0362] In addition, according to the solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, a network device (including but not limited to a base station) that supports network energy-saving technology can determine whether to detect the PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the second information. The second information can be display indication information, or the second information can be a predefined rule. Optionally, the second information is display indication information, and the network device can send the first information to the terminal based on the second information.

[0363] Optionally, the network device determines the PRACH detection behavior in one of the following ways:

[0364] Method 1: If the network device does not send an SSB on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO configured for the terminal, it will not detect the PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal.

[0365] For the specific implementation method, please refer to terminal side method 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0366] Method 2: The network device determines whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal according to the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSBs.

[0367] For the specific implementation method, please refer to terminal side method 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0368] Method 3: The network device sends relevant indication information to the terminal, which indicates whether the terminal can initiate the RACH process and / or the conditions for initiating the RACH process. The network device determines whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured for the terminal based on the information.

[0369] For the specific implementation method, please refer to terminal side method three, which will not be repeated here.

[0370] Method 4: The network device does not detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB off period or the SSB periodicity adaptation period.

[0371] For the specific implementation method, please refer to terminal side method 4, which will not be repeated here.

[0372] To facilitate understanding of the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is further explained below with several examples.

[0373] Example 1

[0374] In this example, the network device may be a base station that supports network energy-saving technology. The base station can adjust the transmission time resources of some downlink signals or channels, or adjust the reception time resources of some uplink signals or channels, based on network load, the number of resident terminals, service type, service period, etc. It should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the decision-making process and strategy for whether the base station adjusts some downlink / uplink signals or channels.

[0375] In this example, the base station may determine to adjust the transmission time domain resources of the downlink channel / signal or uplink channel / signal of any of the following combinations (including a single channel or signal) based on any of the aforementioned reasons or any of its own policies:

[0376] SSB; SIB1; paging signal; tracking reference signal (TRS); physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); other newly defined downlink reference signals, such as primary synchronization signal (PSS) + secondary synchronization signal (SSS), demodulation reference signal (DRS), etc.

[0377] It should be noted that this example does not impose any restrictions on the transmission time domain resource adjustment method of the aforementioned channel / signal, such as turning off the signal / channel within a certain period of time, or using a longer transmission cycle to transmit the signal / channel, etc.

[0378] In this example, it is assumed that the base station adjusts the transmission of SSB. The adjustment can be a behavior on the base station side, and there is no need to notify the terminal of the relevant adjustment; the adjustment can also be notified to the terminal through explicit signaling.

[0379] Optionally, the adjustment can be achieved in the following ways: the base station turns off SSB within a certain time range according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the time interval for SSB time domain transmission according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the number of beams sent by SSB according to its own decision.

[0380] It should be noted that the above adjustment method is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the specific adjustment method. In addition, the above adjustment method can also be applied to any other SSB transmission adjustment process.

[0381] In this example, the base station and the terminal can determine the transmission behavior and action of the PRACH based on the transmission behavior and status of the SSB. Optionally, the base station side determines whether to detect the PRACH on the corresponding RO, and the terminal determines whether it is necessary to send the PRACH on the corresponding RO. The method provided in this example can ensure that the base station and the terminal have the same understanding of the transmission of the PRACH, thereby achieving energy saving on the base station side and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption on the terminal side. In addition, it should be noted that the method provided in this example does not affect the decision-making process of the terminal side to decide whether to send the PRACH.

[0382] According to the solution provided in this example, the terminal may not send PRACH if no relevant SSB is detected on the first N SSB bursts closest to the RO where the Preamble needs to be sent, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The SSB burst is a predefined SSB burst or an SSB burst indicated by SIB1 signaling.

[0383] Taking the adjustment of the time interval of SSB transmission by the base station as an example, refer to Figure 4A, which is a schematic diagram of the principle of the communication method shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4A, in order to achieve the purpose of energy saving, the base station adjusts the transmission period of the SSB burst from T to N*T, resulting in no actual SSB transmission at the SSB burst-related position determined according to the configuration of SIB1 or the predefined behavior of the network (for example, no SSB transmission within the N*T time between two adjacent SSB bursts). As a result, the terminal is unable to detect the SSB in part of the SSB burst according to the relevant configuration before the SSB transmission adjustment. In this case, the terminal may not send PRACH in this valid RO if the relevant SSB is not detected in the most recent SSB burst before the valid RO.

[0384] Example 2

[0385] In this example, the network device may be a base station that supports network energy-saving technology. The base station can adjust the transmission time resources of some downlink signals or channels, or adjust the reception time resources of some uplink signals or channels based on network load, the number of resident terminals, service type, service period, etc. It should be noted that the decision-making process and strategy of whether the base station adjusts some downlink / uplink signals or channels are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0386] In this example, the base station may determine to adjust the transmission time domain resources of the downlink channel / signal or uplink channel / signal of any of the following combinations (including a single channel or signal) based on any of the aforementioned reasons or any of its own strategies: SSB; SIB1; Paging; TRS; PDCCH; PDSCH; CSI-RS; other newly defined downlink reference signals, such as PSS+SSS, DRS, etc.

[0387] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any limitation on the transmission time domain resource adjustment method of the aforementioned channel / signal, such as shutting down the signal / channel within a certain period of time, or transmitting the signal / channel with a longer transmission cycle, etc.

[0388] In this example, it is assumed that the base station adjusts the transmission of SSB. The adjustment can be a behavior on the base station side, and there is no need to notify the terminal of the relevant adjustment; the adjustment can also be notified to the terminal through explicit signaling.

[0389] Optionally, the adjustment can be achieved in the following ways: the base station turns off SSB within a certain time range according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the time interval for SSB time domain transmission according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the number of beams sent by SSB according to its own decision.

[0390] It should be noted that the above adjustment method is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the specific adjustment method. In addition, the above adjustment method can also be applied to any other SSB transmission adjustment process.

[0391] In this example, the terminal can determine whether it is necessary to send PRACH within a valid RO based on the duration of SSB closure or the size of the SSB burst transmission cycle. Accordingly, the base station can determine whether it is necessary to detect PRACH within a valid RO based on the duration of SSB closure or the size of the SSB burst transmission cycle.

[0392] In this example, the terminal and the base station can make a judgment based on a time threshold T predefined by the protocol or configured by the base station, for example, by comparing the threshold T with the aforementioned SSB off duration or SSB burst transmission period, to determine whether the preamble can be sent or detected on a valid RO. Optionally, when the SSB off duration is greater than the time threshold T, or the SSB burst transmission period is greater than the time threshold T, and the terminal does not receive the corresponding SSB at the SSB burst position configured or predefined by the network and located before the valid RO, it is determined not to send the preamble on the valid RO configured on the network side, and correspondingly, the base station does not attempt to detect the preamble on the valid RO.

[0393] The method provided in this example ensures that the base station and the terminal have the same understanding of PRACH transmission, thereby achieving energy conservation on the base station side and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption on the terminal side. In addition, it should be noted that the method provided in this example does not affect the decision-making process on the terminal side to send PRACH.

[0394] According to the solution provided in this example, the terminal can determine whether it can send PRACH on a valid RO based on the duration of the SSB OFF or the transmission period after the SSB is adjusted. This example does not impose any restrictions on how the terminal obtains the duration of the SSB OFF or the transmission period after the SSB is adjusted. For example, the terminal can obtain the duration of the SSB OFF or the transmission period after the SSB is adjusted based on the indication signaling sent by the base station. In addition, the terminal can also determine it by itself based on predefined behaviors.

[0395] Taking the example of a base station adjusting the time interval for SSB transmission, see FIG4B , which is a schematic diagram illustrating the principles of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , to achieve energy conservation, the base station adjusts the SSB burst transmission period from P to N*P, and the threshold for the base station and the terminal to determine whether to send or detect a preamble on a valid RO is T. If the terminal determines that N*P>T, and no SSB was detected on the most recent SSB burst before the valid RO according to network configuration or predefined, the terminal does not send a preamble on the valid RO configured on the network side. If the base station determines that N*P>T, and no SSB was sent on the most recent SSB burst before the valid RO according to network configuration or predefined, the base station also does not attempt to detect a preamble on the valid RO.

[0396] Example 3

[0397] In this example, the network device may be a base station that supports network energy-saving technology. The base station can adjust the transmission time resources of some downlink signals or channels, or adjust the reception time resources of some uplink signals or channels based on network load, the number of resident terminals, service type, service period, etc. It should be noted that the decision-making process and strategy of whether the base station adjusts some downlink / uplink signals or channels are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0398] In this example, the base station may determine to adjust the transmission time domain resources of the downlink channel / signal or uplink channel / signal of any of the following combinations (including a single channel or signal) based on any of the aforementioned reasons or any of its own strategies: SSB; SIB1; Paging; TRS; PDCCH; PDSCH; CSI-RS; other newly defined downlink reference signals, such as PSS+SSS, DRS, etc.

[0399] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the transmission time domain resource adjustment method of the aforementioned channel / signal, such as turning off the signal / channel within a certain period of time, or using a longer transmission cycle to transmit the signal / channel, etc.

[0400] In this example, it is assumed that the base station adjusts the transmission of SSB. The adjustment can be a behavior on the base station side, and there is no need to notify the terminal of the relevant adjustment; the adjustment can also be notified to the terminal through explicit signaling.

[0401] Optionally, the adjustment can be achieved in the following ways: the base station turns off SSB within a certain time range according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the time interval for SSB time domain transmission according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the number of beams sent by SSB according to its own decision.

[0402] It should be noted that the above adjustment method is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the specific adjustment method. In addition, the above adjustment method can also be applied to any other SSB transmission adjustment process.

[0403] In this example, the base station can notify the terminal through explicit signaling the conditions under which it can send a preamble on a valid RO configured by the base station. In this example, it is assumed that the terminal can send a preamble on a valid RO only when the interval between the valid RO and the previous SSB burst in which an SSB can be detected is less than M. The interval M is M slots, M milliseconds, or M radio frames, which is not limited in this example.

[0404] The method provided in this example ensures that the base station and the terminal have the same understanding of PRACH transmission, thereby achieving energy conservation on the base station side and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption on the terminal side. In addition, it should be noted that the method provided in this example does not affect the decision-making process on the terminal side to send PRACH.

[0405] Taking the example of a base station adjusting the time interval for SSB transmission, see Figure 4C, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the principles of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4C, to achieve energy conservation, the base station adjusts the SSB burst transmission period from P to N*P. The threshold for the base station and the terminal to determine whether the terminal needs to send a preamble on a valid RO is M. When the time interval between a valid RO and the previous SSB burst in which an SSB can be detected is greater than M, the terminal does not send a preamble on the valid RO configured on the network side, and the base station does not attempt to detect a preamble on the valid RO. Otherwise, the terminal can still send a preamble on the valid RO.

[0406] Example 4

[0407] In this example, the network device may be a base station that supports network energy-saving technology. The base station can adjust the transmission time resources of some downlink signals or channels, or adjust the reception time resources of some uplink signals or channels based on network load, the number of resident terminals, service type, service period, etc. It should be noted that the decision-making process and strategy of whether the base station adjusts some downlink / uplink signals or channels are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0408] In this example, the base station may determine to adjust the transmission time domain resources of the downlink channel / signal or uplink channel / signal of any of the following combinations (including a single channel or signal) based on any of the aforementioned reasons or any of its own strategies: SSB; SIB1; Paging; TRS; PDCCH; PDSCH; CSI-RS; other newly defined downlink reference signals, such as PSS+SSS, DRS, etc.

[0409] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the transmission time domain resource adjustment method of the aforementioned channel / signal, such as turning off the signal / channel within a certain period of time, or using a longer transmission cycle to transmit the signal / channel, etc.

[0410] In this example, it is assumed that the base station adjusts the transmission of SSB. The adjustment can be a behavior on the base station side, and there is no need to notify the terminal of the relevant adjustment; the adjustment can also be notified to the terminal through explicit signaling.

[0411] Optionally, the adjustment can be achieved in the following ways: the base station turns off SSB within a certain time range according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the time interval for SSB time domain transmission according to its own decision; the base station adjusts the number of beams sent by SSB according to its own decision.

[0412] It should be noted that the above adjustment method is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the specific adjustment method. In addition, the above adjustment method can also be applied to any other SSB transmission adjustment process.

[0413] In this example, the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB off period or during SSB periodicity adaptation. This method is only valid for terminals in the RRC_CONNECTED state. When SSB is off or the base station adjusts the SSB periodicity (SSB is transmitted at a period greater than the normal SSB periodicity), the terminal does not initiate any CBRA process.

[0414] FIG5A is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method includes:

[0415] Step S5101, obtain first information.

[0416] The optional implementation of step S5101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0417] The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO.

[0418] In some embodiments, the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO. The terminal receives the first information sent by the network device, but is not limited thereto. The terminal may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0419] In some embodiments, the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the terminal obtains the predefined first information.

[0420] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains first information specified by the protocol.

[0421] In some embodiments, the terminal obtains the first information from an upper layer(s).

[0422] In some embodiments, the terminal performs processing to obtain the first information.

[0423] In some embodiments, step S5101 is omitted, and the terminal autonomously implements the function indicated by the first information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0424] In some embodiments, the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether a PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the first information is used for any of the following:

[0425] determining whether a PRACH can be sent according to whether a synchronization signal block SSB exists on a first synchronization signal block burst set SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO;

[0426] Determine whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO;

[0427] Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be sent.

[0428] Step S5102: Based on the first information, determine whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by the network device.

[0429] The optional implementation of step S5102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0430] In some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether PRACH can be sent based on whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst. If the terminal does not detect SSB on the first SSB burst, it determines not to send PRACH.

[0431] In some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type SIB1 signaling.

[0432] In some embodiments, the reason why the SSB is not detected on the first SSB burst includes at least one of the following: the SSB is in an off state; the period of the SSB changes; and the beam direction of the SSB changes.

[0433] In some embodiments, the first information is used to determine whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO. If there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected, and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position, the terminal determines not to send PRACH.

[0434] The first time domain position is a default SSB burst time domain position, or the first time domain position is an SSB burst time domain position configured by the network device through SIB1 signaling.

[0435] In some embodiments, the reason why there is no actual transmission of SSB at the first time domain position includes at least one of the following: the network device is in the SSB off period; the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

[0436] In some embodiments, if no SSB is detected over a plurality of consecutive SSB bursts, the terminal determines not to send the PRACH.

[0437] In some embodiments, the SSB off time duration is greater than a first threshold, and the terminal determines not to send PRACH.

[0438] In some embodiments, the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and the terminal determines not to send the PRACH.

[0439] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be sent, and the condition under which the PRACH can be sent includes at least: a maximum time distance between the RO where the PRACH is expected to be sent and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

[0440] In some embodiments, the terminal only expects contention-based random access (CFRA) during the SSB off period; or, the terminal only expects CFRA during the SSB cycle adaptation period.

[0441] In other words, the terminal does not initiate a non-contention-based random access (CBRA) process during the SSB off period; the terminal does not initiate a CBRA process during the SSB cycle adaptation period.

[0442] Optionally, the terminal is in a radio resource control RRC connected state.

[0443] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5101 to S5102. For example, step S5102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, step S5101 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0444] FIG5B is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5B , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method includes:

[0445] Step S5201, obtain the second information.

[0446] The optional implementation of step S5201 can refer to step S2103 in Figure 2, the optional implementation of step S5101 in Figure 5A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 5A, which will not be repeated here.

[0447] The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO, and / or the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO.

[0448] In some embodiments, the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect PRACH on the RO. Based on the second information, the network device sends the first information to the terminal, and the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO.

[0449] In some embodiments, the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO, and the network device obtains the predefined second information.

[0450] In some embodiments, the network device obtains second information specified by the protocol.

[0451] In some embodiments, the network device obtains the second information from an upper layer(s).

[0452] In some embodiments, the network device performs processing to obtain the second information.

[0453] In some embodiments, step S5201 is omitted, and the network device autonomously implements the function indicated by the second information, or the above function is default or by default.

[0454] In some embodiments, the second information is used by the network device to determine whether a predefined rule of detecting the PRACH on the RO is met, and the second information is used for any of the following:

[0455] determining whether to detect a PRACH based on whether an SSB exists on a first SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO;

[0456] Determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB;

[0457] Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be detected.

[0458] Step S5202: Based on the second information, determine whether to detect the PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal.

[0459] The optional implementation of step S5202 can refer to step S2104 in Figure 2, the optional implementation of step S5102 in Figure 5A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 2 and 5A, which will not be repeated here.

[0460] In some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect PRACH based on whether SSB exists on the first SSB burst. The network device does not send SSB on the first SSB burst, and the network device determines not to detect PRACH on the RO.

[0461] In some embodiments, for any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type SIB1 signaling.

[0462] In some embodiments, any one of the following: the network device turning off SSB, the network device adjusting the transmission period of SSB, and the network device adjusting the beam direction of SSB may cause the network device to not send SSB on the first SSB burst.

[0463] In some embodiments, the second information is used to determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts actually sending SSBs. If the time interval is greater than a third threshold, the network device determines not to detect PRACH on the RO.

[0464] In some embodiments, the reason why the time interval is greater than the third threshold includes at least one of the following: the network device is in an SSB off period; the network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

[0465] In some embodiments, the network device does not send an SSB for a plurality of consecutive SSB bursts, and the network device determines not to detect a PRACH on the RO.

[0466] In some embodiments, the SSB off time duration is greater than a first threshold, and the network device determines not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

[0467] In some embodiments, the transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than a second threshold, and the network device determines not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

[0468] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate a condition for detecting the PRACH, and the condition for detecting the PRACH includes at least: a maximum time distance between the RO expecting to detect the PRACH and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

[0469] In some embodiments, the network device does not detect CBRA-related PRACH during the SSB off period.

[0470] In some embodiments, the network device does not detect CBRA-related PRACH during SSB cycle adaptation.

[0471] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5201 to S5202. For example, step S5202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0472] In some embodiments, step S5201 is optional and can be omitted or replaced in different embodiments. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, step S5201 can be combined with step S5101 of FIG5A .

[0473] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0474] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0475] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0476] Figure 6A is a structural diagram of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6A, the terminal 6100 may include at least a processing module 6101. In some embodiments, the processing module 6101 is configured to determine whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by a network device based on first information; wherein the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule for the terminal to determine whether PRACH can be sent on the RO. Optionally, the processing module 6101 is used to execute at least one of the other steps (such as step S2102, but not limited to this) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0477] In some embodiments, the terminal 6101 may further include a transceiver module. Optionally, the transceiver module is configured to perform at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal in any of the above methods (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto), and will not be further described herein.

[0478] Figure 6B is a structural diagram of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6B, the network device 6200 may include at least a processing module 6201. In some embodiments, the processing module 6201 is configured to determine whether to detect PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal based on the second information; wherein the second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect and send PRACH on the RO, and / or the second information is a predefined rule for the network device to determine whether PRACH can be detected on the RO. Optionally, the processing module 6201 is used to execute at least one of the other steps (such as step S2104, but not limited to this) performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0479] In some embodiments, the network device 6201 may further include a transceiver module. Optionally, the transceiver module is configured to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S2103, but not limited thereto) of sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods, and will not be further described herein.

[0480] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0481] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules each execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0482] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0483] As shown in FIG7A , the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 7100 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0484] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0485] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the transceiver 7103 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S2101 and step S2103, but not limited thereto), and the processor 7101 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2102 and step S2104, but not limited thereto).

[0486] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0487] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuit 7104 is connected to the memory 7102. The interface circuit 7104 may be configured to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7104 may read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0488] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7A. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0489] 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 7200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 7100 is a chip or a chip system, reference may be made to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 shown in FIG7B , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0490] The chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201 , and the chip 7200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0491] In some embodiments, the chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202. Optionally, the interface circuit 7202 is connected to the memory 7203. The interface circuit 7202 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7203 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in the memory 7203 and send the instructions to the processor 7201.

[0492] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S2101, step S2103, but not limited to this), and the processor 7201 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2102, step S2104, but not limited to this).

[0493] In some embodiments, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver may be used interchangeably.

[0494] In some embodiments, the chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside the chip 7200.

[0495] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 7100, the communication device 7100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0496] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 7100, enables the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0497] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

[0498] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

[0499] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a terminal, the method includes: Based on the first information, determining whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by the network device; The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises any of the following: The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send a PRACH on the RO, and the first information sent by the network device is received; The first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the predefined first information is acquired.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether a PRACH can be sent on the RO, and the first information is used for any of the following: determining whether a PRACH can be sent according to whether a synchronization signal block SSB exists on a first synchronization signal block burst set SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO; Determine whether PRACH can be sent based on the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected and the time domain position of the valid RO; Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be sent.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first information is used to determine whether a PRACH can be sent according to whether an SSB exists on a first SSB burst, and the determining whether to send a PRACH on the RO based on the first information includes: No SSB is detected on the first SSB burst, and it is determined not to send PRACH.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that For any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type 1 SIB1 signaling.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that A reason why the SSB is not detected in the first SSB burst includes at least one of the following: SSB is closed; The cycle of SSB changes; The beam direction of SSB changes.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first information is used to determine whether a PRACH can be sent according to a time range corresponding to two adjacent SSB bursts detected and a time domain position of a valid RO, and determining whether to send a PRACH on the RO based on the first information includes: If there is no actual transmission of the SSB at a first time domain position within the time range corresponding to the two adjacent SSB bursts detected, and the time domain position of the valid RO is located after the first time domain position, determining not to send the PRACH; The first time domain position is a default SSB burst time domain position, or the first time domain position is an SSB burst time domain position configured by the network device through SIB1 signaling.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The reason why there is no actual transmission of the SSB at the first time domain position includes at least one of the following: The network device is in the SSB closed period; The network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The method further comprises any of the following: If no SSB is detected over multiple consecutive SSB bursts, it is determined that the PRACH is not to be sent. The SSB off time is greater than the first threshold, and it is determined not to send the PRACH; The transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than the second threshold, and it is determined not to send the PRACH.

10. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first information is used to indicate a condition under which the PRACH can be sent, and the condition under which the PRACH can be sent includes at least: The maximum time distance between the RO where PRACH is expected to be sent and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises any of the following: Only contention-based random access (CFRA) is expected during SSB off period; Only CFRA is expected during SSB cycle adaptation.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The method further comprises any of the following: During the SSB shutdown period, the non-contention-based random access (CBRA) process is not initiated; During SSB cycle adaptation, the CBRA process is not initiated.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The terminal is in a radio resource control RRC connected state.

14. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a network device, the method includes: Based on the second information, determining whether to detect a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal; The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO, and / or the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The method further comprises any of the following: The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect the PRACH on the RO, and based on the second information, first information is sent to the terminal, where the first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send the PRACH on the RO; The second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO, and the predefined second information is obtained.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The second information is used by the network device to determine whether a predefined rule of the PRACH can be detected on the RO, and the second information is used for any of the following: determining whether to detect a PRACH based on whether an SSB exists on a first SSB burst, where the first SSB burst includes a first number of SSB bursts closest to the RO; Determine whether to detect PRACH based on the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts that actually send SSB; Indicates the conditions under which PRACH can be detected.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The second information is used to determine whether to detect the PRACH according to whether an SSB exists on the first SSB burst, and the determining whether to detect the PRACH on the RO based on the second information includes: No SSB is sent on the first SSB burst, and it is determined not to detect PRACH on the RO.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that For any SSB burst included in the first SSB burst, the SSB burst is predefined, or the SSB burst is indicated by the network device through system information block type SIB1 signaling.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that The method further comprises at least one of the following: Turn off SSB; Adjust the SSB sending cycle; Adjust the SSB beam direction.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein The second information is used to determine whether to detect the PRACH according to the time interval between two adjacent SSB bursts of the actual transmission of the SSB, and the determining whether to detect the PRACH on the RO based on the second information includes: If the time interval is greater than a third threshold, it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The reason why the time interval is greater than the third threshold includes at least one of the following: The network device is in the SSB closed period; The network device adjusts the transmission time domain resources of the SSB burst.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The method further comprises any of the following: Not sending an SSB over a plurality of consecutive SSB bursts, determining not to detect a PRACH on the RO; The SSB off time is greater than a first threshold, determining not to detect the PRACH on the RO; The transmission period after the SSB adjustment is greater than a second threshold, and it is determined not to detect the PRACH on the RO.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein The second information is used to indicate a condition for detecting the PRACH, where the condition for detecting the PRACH includes at least: The maximum time distance between the RO where PRACH is expected to be detected and the nearest SSB time domain resource.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein The method further comprises any of the following: Do not detect CBRA-related PRACH during SSB off period; CBRA-related PRACH is not detected during SSB cycle adaptation.

25. A terminal, characterized in that: include: A processing module configured to determine, based on the first information, whether to send a physical random access channel PRACH on a random access opportunity RO configured by the network device; The first information is indication information indicating whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO, and / or the first information is a predefined rule used by the terminal to determine whether the terminal can send PRACH on the RO.

26. A network device, characterized in that: include: A processing module is configured to determine, based on the second information, whether to detect a PRACH on the RO configured by the network device for the terminal; The second information is indication information indicating whether the network device can detect and send the PRACH on the RO, and / or the second information is a predefined rule used by the network device to determine whether the PRACH can be detected on the RO.

27. A terminal, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; The terminal is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

28. A network device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; The network device is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 14 to 24.

29. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 14 to 24.

30. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or 14 to 24.

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