Communication method and device, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and device, and a computer-readable storage medium. The communication method comprises: sending a first message, the first message being used for requesting data transmission; and receiving a second message, the second message being used for responding to the first message. The second message comprises a plurality of sub-protocol data units, the plurality of sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, and a sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit among the M sub-protocol data units comprises first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit (MAC SDU) is applicable to at least one first terminal device, and the first terminal device being a terminal device matching a contention resolution identifier. The present application provides a solution for saving transmission resources.

Description

Communication method and device, and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 7, 2024, with application number 202410264572.4 and invention name “Communication method and device, computer-readable storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol release 15 (R15) introduced Early Data Transmission (EDT), which allows data to be transmitted during random access. This feature is designed to reduce latency and power consumption in terminal devices.

[0004] In the control plane EDT solution, the terminal device sends data to the base station in Msg3. In Msg4, the base station sends back data, which carries not only the contention resolution flag but also an RRC Early Data Complete message, indicating that the terminal device has completed the transmission and that the terminal device has returned to the idle state.

[0005] However, in a possible EDT scenario, multiple terminal devices send Msg3 of the random access process on the same resource at the same time, and the base station feeds back RRC Early Data Complete messages to these terminal devices respectively, which will cause resource waste. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, and provides a solution for saving transmission resources.

[0007] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the communication method comprising: sending a first message, the first message being used to request data transmission; receiving a second message, the second message being used to respond to the first message, the second message comprising a plurality of sub-protocol data units, the plurality of sub-protocol data units comprising M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each of the M sub-protocol data units comprising first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device being a terminal device matching a contention resolution identifier, M being a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; the plurality of sub-protocol data units comprising the MAC SDU; the plurality of sub-protocol data units comprising the contention resolution identifier.

[0009] Optionally, the MAC SDU is carried in the last or first N sub-protocol data units of the multiple sub-protocol data units, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0010] Optionally, the first information in the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to a terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0011] Optionally, the first information occupies one bit, and the bit is a first value indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit, and the first information is a second value indicating that the MAC SDU is not applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0012] Optionally, the first message carries a common control channel CCCH SDU, and the communication method further includes: receiving the MAC SDU in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifier carried by the M sub-protocol data units being consistent.

[0013] Optionally, the M sub-protocol data units include a first sub-protocol data unit and a second sub-protocol data unit, and the first information indication MAC SDU carried by the first sub-protocol data unit is applicable to a first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit.

[0014] Optionally, the second sub-protocol data unit is located after the first sub-protocol data unit, and the first information occupies one bit, and the bit is a first value indicating that the sub-protocol data unit where the first information is located is the first sub-protocol data unit and the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit; the bit is a second value indicating that the sub-protocol data unit where the first information is located is the second sub-protocol data unit; in other words, the first information carried in the second sub-protocol data unit indicates that the current sub-protocol data unit is the second sub-protocol data unit.

[0015] Optionally, the first message carries a CCCH SDU, and the communication method further includes: receiving the MAC SDU in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit being consistent.

[0016] In the second aspect, the present application also discloses a communication method, which includes: receiving a first message, the first message is used to request data transmission; sending a second message, the second message is used to respond to the first message, the second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units includes first information, the first information indicates whether the media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device is a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; the multiple sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; the multiple sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

[0017] Optionally, the first information in the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0018] Optionally, the M sub-protocol data units include a first sub-protocol data unit and a second sub-protocol data unit, and the first information indication MAC SDU carried by the first sub-protocol data unit is applicable to a first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit.

[0019] In the third aspect, the present application also discloses a communication device, which includes: a communication module for sending a first message, the first message is used to request data transmission; the communication module is also used to receive a second message, the second message is used to respond to the first message, the second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units includes first information, the first information indicates whether the media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device is a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; the multiple sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; the multiple sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, the present application also discloses a communication device, which includes: a communication module for receiving a first message, the first message being used to request data transmission; the communication module is also used to send a second message, the second message being used to respond to the first message, the second message including multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units including M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units including first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device being a terminal device matching a contention resolution identifier, M being a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; the multiple sub-protocol data units including the MAC SDU; the multiple sub-protocol data units including the contention resolution identifier.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. The computer program is executed by a processor to execute any one of the methods provided in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0022] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and the processor runs the computer program to execute any one of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0023] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and the processor runs the computer program to execute any one of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0024] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program is executed by a processor to execute any one of the methods provided in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0025] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the above-mentioned terminal device and the above-mentioned network device.

[0026] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip (or a data transmission device) on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the chip, the steps of the above method are implemented.

[0027] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a system chip for use in a terminal, wherein the chip system includes at least one processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected through lines, and the at least one processor is used to execute instructions to execute any one of the methods provided in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0028] Compared with the existing technology, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] In the technical solution of the present application, a terminal device sends a first message, the first message is used to request data transmission; and receives a second message, the second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units includes first information, and the first information indicates whether the media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches at least one contention resolution identifier. In the technical solution of the present application, by including the first information in the sub-headers of the M sub-protocol data units in the second message to indicate whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the terminal device that matches at least one contention resolution identifier, it is possible to achieve downlink message multiplexing by sending the same MAC SDU to at least one terminal device, saving downlink transmission resources and improving communication efficiency.

[0030] Furthermore, the first information in the subheader of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches a contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit, or the first information carried by the first sub-protocol data unit indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches a contention resolution identifier carried by a second sub-protocol data unit among multiple sub-protocol data units. The technical solution of the present application designs the information indicated by the first information so that the format of the second message is different, which can meet the small data transmission requirements under different requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a random access process in the prior art;

[0032] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of another random access process in the prior art;

[0033] FIG3 is an interactive flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a second message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a sub-protocol data unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a sub-header of a sub-protocol data unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG7 is an interactive flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another second message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] 9 is a schematic diagram of a sub-header of a first sub-protocol data unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a sub-header of a second sub-protocol data unit provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG11 is an interactive flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another second message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The communication systems to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable include, but are not limited to, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, fifth-generation (5G) systems, new radio (NR) systems, and future evolution systems or multiple communication convergence systems. Among them, the 5G system can be a non-standalone (NSA) 5G system or a standalone (SA) 5G system. The technical solution of the present application is also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architecture, dual-connection architecture, vehicle-to-everything architecture and other architectures.

[0046] This application mainly relates to the communication between terminal devices and network devices. Among them:

[0047] The network device in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as an access network device, for example, a base station (BS) (also referred to as a base station device), which is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, in the second generation (2nd-Generation, 2G) network, the device providing the base station function includes a base transceiver station (Base Transceiver Station, BTS), in the third generation (3rd-Generation, 3G) network, the device providing the base station function includes a node B (NodeB), in the fourth generation (4th-Generation, 4G) network, the device providing the base station function includes an evolved node B (evolved NodeB, eNB), in the wireless local area network (Wireless Local Area Networks, WLAN), the device providing the base station function is an access point (Access Point, AP), and the device providing the base station function in NR is the next generation Node Base station (gNB), and the further evolved node B (ng-eNB), wherein the gNB and the terminal device communicate using NR technology, and the ng-eNB and the terminal device communicate using Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) technology, and both gNB and ng-eNB can be connected to the 5G core network. The network device in the embodiment of the present application also includes a device that provides a base station function in a future new communication system, etc.

[0048] The terminal equipment in the embodiments of the present application may refer to various forms of access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations (MS), remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, wireless communication devices, user agents, or user devices. The terminal equipment may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The terminal equipment may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE), a terminal, etc.

[0049] As described in the background technology, if multiple terminal devices send Msg3 of the random access process on the same block of resources at the same time, the base station will feed back RRC Early Data Complete messages to these terminal devices respectively, which will cause resource waste.

[0050] In the EDT scenario, for these RRC Early Data Complete messages that may carry exactly the same content (generally, the configuration information related to cell reselection priority is the same), if it is possible to send only one RRC Early Data Complete message and instruct multiple specific terminal devices to receive it, then it is obviously an efficient way of downlink transmission multiplexing.

[0051] However, the current Msg4 format cannot achieve such a function.

[0052] The existing random access process is described below. As shown in Figure 1, during the contention random access process, two messages, one uplink and one downlink, need to be exchanged between the terminal device and the network device. The purpose of the contention random access message 1 (Msg1) is for the terminal device to send an uplink random access preamble sequence (Random Access Preamble), which mainly tells the network device that there is a random access request and enables the network device to estimate the transmission delay between it and the terminal device and calibrate the uplink transmission timing, that is, the timing advance (TA) adjustment. The terminal device then waits for message 2 (Msg2), which will carry the preamble index (preamble index) of Msg1, TA, message 3 (Msg3) uplink resource allocation, cell-radio network temporary identity (C-RNTII), backoff parameters, etc.

[0053] When the timing advance of the terminal device is valid, a random access process without Msg1 and Msg2 can be considered. That is, the terminal device only sends Msg3 and receives a message (Msg4) to complete random access. In the random access process shown in Figure 2, multiple terminal devices send Msg3 on shared resources. The content of Msg3 is the same as the random access process in Figure 1, such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment request message. The network device provides feedback and confirmation in Msg4, and the message it carries can also be the same as the content carried by Msg4 in Figure 1, such as including contention resolution identification information of each terminal device.

[0054] In the technical solution of the present application, by including the first information in the sub-headers of the M sub-protocol data units in the second message to indicate whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches at least one contention resolution identifier, it is possible to achieve multiplexing of downlink messages by sending the same MAC SDU to at least one terminal device, saving downlink transmission resources and improving communication efficiency.

[0055] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] Referring to FIG1 , the method provided in this application specifically includes the following steps:

[0057] Step 301: The terminal device sends a first message to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the first message.

[0058] Step 302: The network device sends a second message to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second message.

[0059] It should be noted that the serial numbers of the steps in this embodiment do not limit the execution order of the steps.

[0060] It is understood that, in a specific implementation, the communication method can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs in a processor integrated within a chip or chip module. The method can also be implemented in the form of software combined with hardware, which is not limited in this application.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first message is used to request data transmission. More specifically, the first message can be used to request small data transmission.

[0062] In this embodiment, the second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units (subPDUs), and the sub-headers of M sub-protocol data units in the multiple sub-protocol data units include first information, and the first information indicates whether the medium access control service data unit (MAC SDU) is applicable to the first terminal device. The first terminal device is a terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried in the sub-protocol data unit. The MAC SDU is included in the multiple sub-protocol data units.

[0063] Furthermore, when the first indication information indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device, the first terminal device receives the MAC SDU; otherwise, the first terminal device does not receive the MAC SDU.

[0064] As shown in Figure 4, each second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units (subPDUs). The MAC SDU is carried in the last or first N sub-protocol data units of the multiple sub-protocol data units, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The MAC SDU is usually an RRC message.

[0065] In a specific embodiment, the MAC SDU is carried in the last sub-protocol data unit of the multiple sub-protocol data units. The MAC SDU carries the RRC EarlyDataComplete message.

[0066] In another specific embodiment, the MAC SDU is carried in the first sub-protocol data unit of the multiple sub-protocol data units. The MAC SDU carries the RRC EarlyDataComplete message.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present application, when the terminal devices simultaneously send the first message on the same block of resources and are all successfully decoded by the network device, and the network device determines that some of the terminal devices have no subsequent data to transmit, it is possible to achieve the technical effect of carrying a MAC SDU (for example, RRC Early Data Complete message) in the second message for multiple terminal devices to receive, thereby avoiding the waste of resources caused by the network device separately feeding back RRC Early Data Complete messages to these terminal devices, realizing the multiplexing of downlink messages, saving downlink transmission resources, and improving communication efficiency.

[0068] In a specific embodiment, the first message may be message 3 (Msg3), and the second message may be message 4 (Msg4). That is, message 3 is used to request small data transmission, and the sub-headers of the M sub-protocol data units of message 4 include the first information.

[0069] In a non-limiting embodiment, the first information in the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0070] In this embodiment, the structure of each sub-protocol data unit is shown in Figure 5. Each sub-protocol data unit may include a subheader and a payload. The subheader of each sub-protocol data unit carries first information. The payload of each sub-protocol data unit carries a terminal device contention resolution identifier. When the contention resolution identifier stored by the terminal device matches the terminal device contention resolution identifier carried in the payload, the sub-protocol data unit is considered to be for the terminal device.

[0071] Specifically, the first information occupies one bit, and the bit is a first value indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit, and the first information is a second value indicating that the MAC SDU is not applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 6 for details. Each sub-protocol data unit occupies one eight-bit byte Oct1. The sub-header of the sub-protocol data unit has an S1 field. The S1 field represents the first information, that is, whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0073] For example, S1=1 indicates applicable, and S1=0 indicates not applicable.

[0074] For another example, S1=0 indicates applicable, and S1=1 indicates not applicable.

[0075] 6, each sub-protocol data unit's sub-header also includes an E field, an S field, and an R field. The E field indicates whether the sub-protocol data unit is the last sub-protocol data unit. For example, E=1 indicates that there is a sub-protocol data unit following it, and E=0 indicates that there is no sub-protocol data unit following it. The S field indicates whether there is a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following it. For example, S=1 indicates that there is a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following it, and S=0 indicates that there is no sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following it. The R field indicates a reserved bit.

[0076] It can be understood that the S1 field may occupy a reserved bit of the sub-protocol data unit.

[0077] In a non-limiting embodiment, referring to FIG. 7 , the communication method may include steps 701 to 703 .

[0078] In step 701, the terminal device sends a first message to the network device. The first message carries a Common Control Channel (CCCH) SDU.

[0079] In step 702, the network device sends a second message to the terminal device. The second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units, and the MAC SDU is carried in the last or first N sub-protocol data units of the multiple sub-protocol data units.

[0080] In step 703, in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifiers carried by the M sub-protocol data units being consistent, the terminal device receives the MAC SDU.

[0081] Specifically, the terminal device can use the lower 48 bits of the CCCH SDU as the contention resolution identifier. That is, the consistency of the contention resolution identifiers carried by the CCCH SDU and the M sub-protocol data units means that the lower 48 bits of the CCCH SDU are consistent with the contention resolution identifiers carried by the M sub-protocol data units.

[0082] In a specific application scenario, three terminal devices, namely UE1, UE2 and UE3, send a first message on the same resource. The network device successfully receives the first message from the above three terminal devices and decides to instruct UE1 and UE2 to terminate the transmission. Then the format of the second message is shown in Figure 8.

[0083] 8 , the second message includes four sub-protocol data units, ie, sub-protocol data units corresponding to UE1, UE2, and UE3 respectively, and a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU.

[0084] The first sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct1 and Oct2). In the sub-header of the sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit behind it; the value of the S field is 0, indicating that there is no sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following it. The value of the S1 field is 1, indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit. The payload of the sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE1.

[0085] The second sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct3 and Oct4). In the sub-header of the sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit behind it; the value of the S field is 0, indicating that there is no sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following it, and the value of the S1 field is 1, indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit. The payload of the sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE2.

[0086] The third sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct5 and Oct6). In the sub-header of the sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 0, indicating that the sub-protocol data unit is the last sub-protocol data unit; the value of the S field is 1, indicating that it is followed by a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU, and the value of the S1 field is 0, indicating that the MAC SDU is not applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit. The payload of the sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE3.

[0087] The fourth sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct7 and Oct8), and the sub-protocol data unit includes a logical channel identification (LCID) and a MAC SDU.

[0088] In this embodiment, UE1, UE2 and UE3 all receive the second message and determine whether to receive the MAC SDU based on the first information (ie, the value of the S1 field) in the second message. UE1 and UE2 receive the MAC SDU, while UE3 does not.

[0089] In another embodiment of the present application, the multiple sub-protocol data units in the second message are divided into a normal sub-protocol data unit, a first sub-protocol data unit, and a second sub-protocol data unit. The first information carried by the first sub-protocol data unit indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches a contention resolution identifier carried by a second sub-protocol data unit among the multiple sub-protocol data units. The value of the first information carried in the second sub-protocol data unit is different from the value of the first information carried in the first sub-protocol data unit. The normal sub-protocol data unit does not carry the first information.

[0090] Furthermore, the second sub-protocol data unit is located after the first sub-protocol data unit, and the first information carried in the second sub-protocol data unit indicates that the current sub-protocol data unit is the second sub-protocol data unit.

[0091] Specifically, the first information occupies one bit, and the bit is a first value indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches a contention resolution identifier carried by a second sub-protocol data unit among multiple sub-protocol data units, and the first information is a second value indicating that the sub-protocol data unit is a second sub-protocol data unit. The terminal device corresponding to the sub-protocol data unit receives the MAC SDU.

[0092] Please refer to FIG. 9 , which shows a schematic diagram of a sub-header of a first sub-protocol data unit.

[0093] The subheader of the first sub-protocol data unit has a T field, and the value of the T field is a first value, indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit.

[0094] In addition, the sub-header of the first sub-protocol data unit also has an E field and an R field. The E field indicates whether the sub-protocol data unit is the last sub-protocol data unit. For example, E=1 indicates that there are more sub-protocol data units to follow, and E=0 indicates that there are no more sub-protocol data units to follow. The R field indicates a reserved bit.

[0095] In a specific embodiment, the first sub-protocol data unit may include only a sub-header.

[0096] In another specific embodiment, the first sub-protocol data unit may also include a sub-header and a payload.

[0097] Please refer to FIG10 , which shows a schematic diagram of a sub-header of a second sub-protocol data unit.

[0098] The subheader of the second sub-protocol data unit has a T field, and the value of the T field is the second value, indicating that the sub-protocol data unit is the second sub-protocol data unit. In other words, the terminal device corresponding to the sub-protocol data unit needs to receive a MAC SDU.

[0099] In addition, the subheader of the second sub-protocol data unit also has an E field, an S field, and an R field. Among them, the E field indicates whether the sub-protocol data unit is the last sub-protocol data unit. For example, E=1 indicates that there is a sub-protocol data unit following, and E=0 indicates that there is no sub-protocol data unit following. The S field indicates whether there is a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU immediately following the sub-protocol data unit. For example, S=1 indicates that there is a sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU immediately following, and S=0 indicates that there is no sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU immediately following. The R field indicates a reserved bit.

[0100] In a non-limiting embodiment, referring to FIG. 11 , the communication method may include steps 1101 to 1103 .

[0101] In step 1101, the terminal device sends a first message to the network device. The first message carries a CCCH SDU.

[0102] In step 1102, the network device sends a second message to the terminal device. The second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units, and the MAC SDU is carried in the last or first N sub-protocol data units of the multiple sub-protocol data units.

[0103] In step 1103, in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit being consistent, the terminal device receives the MAC SDU.

[0104] Specifically, the terminal device can use the lower 48 bits of the CCCH SDU as the contention resolution identifier. That is, the consistency of the contention resolution identifier carried by the CCCH SDU and the second sub-protocol data unit means that the lower 48 bits of the CCCH SDU are consistent with the contention resolution identifiers carried by the M sub-protocol data units.

[0105] In a specific application scenario, three terminal devices, namely UE1, UE2 and UE3, send a first message on the same resource. The network device successfully receives the first message from the above three terminal devices and decides to instruct UE1 and UE2 to terminate the transmission. Then the format of the second message is shown in Figure 12.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 12 , the second message includes five sub-protocol data units.

[0107] The first sub-protocol data unit is a normal sub-protocol data unit, occupying two octets (Oct1 and Oct2). In the sub-header of this sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit following; the value of the S field is 0, indicating that there is no sub-protocol data unit including a MAC SDU following. The payload of this sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE3.

[0108] The second sub-protocol data unit occupies one octet (Oct3). In the sub-header of this sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit to follow. The value of the T field is 1, indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit. The sub-header of the second sub-protocol data unit is a segmentation indicator.

[0109] The third sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct4 and Oct5). In the sub-header of this sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit behind it; the value of the T field is 0, indicating that this sub-protocol data unit is the second sub-protocol data unit. The payload of this sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE1.

[0110] The fourth sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct6 and Oct7). In the sub-header of this sub-protocol data unit, the value of the E field is 1, indicating that there is a sub-protocol data unit behind; the value of the T field is 0, indicating that this sub-protocol data unit is the second sub-protocol data unit. The payload of this sub-protocol data unit carries the contention resolution identifier of UE2.

[0111] The fifth sub-protocol data unit occupies two octets (Oct8 and Oct9), and includes the LCID and the MAC SDU.

[0112] In this embodiment, UE1, UE2, and UE3 all receive the second message and determine whether to receive the MAC SDU based on the first sub-protocol data unit in the second message and the first information in the second sub-protocol data unit (i.e., the value of the T field). UE1 and UE2 read the MAC SDUs of Oct 8 and Oct 9, while UE3 does not read the MAC SDUs of Oct 8 and Oct 9.

[0113] For more specific implementation methods of the embodiments of the present application, please refer to the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0114] Please refer to FIG. 13 , which shows a communication device 130 . The communication device 130 may include:

[0115] The communication module 1301 is configured to send a first message, where the first message is used to request data transmission.

[0116] The communication module 1301 is also used to receive a second message, the second message including multiple sub-protocol data units, the sub-headers of M sub-protocol data units in the multiple sub-protocol data units including first information, and the first information indicates whether the media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches at least one contention resolution identifier.

[0117] Furthermore, the first message carries a common control channel CCCH SDU, and the communication module 1301 receives the MAC SDU in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifiers carried by the M sub-protocol data units being consistent.

[0118] Furthermore, in response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit being consistent, the communication module 1301 receives the MAC SDU.

[0119] In a specific implementation, the above-mentioned communication device 130 can correspond to a chip with communication function in the terminal equipment, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a baseband chip, etc.; or correspond to a chip module with communication function in the terminal equipment; or correspond to a chip module with a data processing function chip, or correspond to the terminal equipment.

[0120] In another non-limiting embodiment, the communication module 1301 is configured to receive a first message requesting data transmission;

[0121] The communication module 1301 is also used to send a second message, the second message including multiple sub-protocol data units, the sub-headers of M sub-protocol data units in the multiple sub-protocol data units including first information, and the first information indicates whether the media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches at least one contention resolution identifier.

[0122] Furthermore, the first information in the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

[0123] Furthermore, the first information carried by the first sub-protocol data unit indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches a contention resolution identifier carried by a second sub-protocol data unit among the multiple sub-protocol data units.

[0124] In a specific implementation, the above-mentioned communication device 130 can correspond to a chip with communication function in a network device, such as an SOC, a baseband chip, etc.; or correspond to a chip module with communication function in a network device; or correspond to a chip module with a data processing function chip, or correspond to a network device.

[0125] For other related descriptions about the communication device 130 , reference may be made to the related descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] Regarding the various modules / units contained in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or partly software modules / units and partly hardware modules / units. For example, for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, the various modules / units contained therein can all be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, or at least part of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of software programs, which run on the processor integrated inside the chip, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, the various modules / units contained therein can all be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component of the chip module (such as a chip, circuit module, etc.) or in different components, or at least part of the modules / units can be implemented in the form of software programs. It is implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the chip module, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated in the terminal equipment, the various modules / units contained therein can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component (for example, chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components in the terminal equipment, or, at least some modules / units can be implemented in the form of a software program, which runs on the processor integrated inside the terminal equipment, and the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented in the form of hardware such as circuits.

[0127] The present application also discloses a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is run, the steps of the method shown in the aforementioned embodiment can be executed. The storage medium may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc. The storage medium may also include a non-volatile memory or a non-transitory memory, etc.

[0128] 14 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a hardware structure diagram of a communication device, which includes a processor 1401 , a memory 1402 , and a transceiver 1403 .

[0129] Processor 1401 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application. Processor 1401 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 1401 may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores for processing data (such as computer program instructions).

[0130] The memory 1402 may be a ROM or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a RAM or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this. The memory 1402 can be independent (in this case, the memory 1402 can be located outside the device or inside the device), or it can be integrated with the processor 1401. Among them, the memory 1402 can contain computer program code. The processor 1401 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 1402, thereby implementing the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0131] The processor 1401, memory 1402, and transceiver 1403 are connected via a bus. The transceiver 1403 is used to communicate with other devices or a communication network. Optionally, the transceiver 1403 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The device used to implement the receiving function in the transceiver 1403 can be considered a receiver, and the receiver is used to perform the receiving steps in the embodiments of the present application. The device used to implement the transmitting function in the transceiver 1403 can be considered a transmitter, and the transmitter is used to perform the transmitting steps in the embodiments of the present application.

[0132] When the structural diagram shown in Figure 14 is used to illustrate the structure of the terminal device involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1401 is used to control and manage the actions of the terminal device. For example, the processor 1401 is used to support the terminal device to execute steps 301 and 302 in Figure 3, or steps 701, 702 and 703 in Figure 7, or steps 1101, 1102 and 1103 in Figure 11, and / or the actions performed by the terminal device in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The processor 1401 can communicate with other network entities through the transceiver 1403, for example, communicating with the above-mentioned network device. The memory 1402 is used to store program code and data of the terminal device. When the processor runs the computer program, it can control the transceiver 1403 to send a first message, receive a second message, RRC signaling, etc.

[0133] When the structural diagram shown in Figure 14 is used to illustrate the structure of the network device involved in the above embodiment, the processor 1401 is used to control and manage the actions of the network device. For example, the processor 1401 is used to support the network device to execute steps 301 and 302 in Figure 3, or steps 701 and 702 in Figure 7, or steps 1101 and 1102 in Figure 11, and / or actions performed by the network device in other processes described in the embodiments of the present application. The processor 1401 can communicate with other network entities through the transceiver 1403, for example, communicating with the above-mentioned terminal device. The memory 1402 is used to store program code and data of the network device. When the processor runs the computer program, it can control the transceiver 1403 to receive the first message, send the second message, RRC signaling, etc.

[0134] The embodiment of the present application defines the unidirectional communication link from the access network to the terminal device as a downlink, the data transmitted on the downlink is downlink data, and the transmission direction of the downlink data is called the downlink direction; and the unidirectional communication link from the terminal device to the access network is an uplink, the data transmitted on the uplink is uplink data, and the transmission direction of the uplink data is called the uplink direction.

[0135] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0136] The term "plurality" used in the embodiments of the present application refers to two or more.

[0137] The first, second, etc. descriptions appearing in the embodiments of this application are only for illustration and distinction of the description objects. There is no order, nor does it indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, and cannot constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0138] The "connection" appearing in the embodiments of the present application refers to various connection methods such as direct connection or indirect connection to achieve communication between devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0139] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any other combination. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means.

[0140] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0141] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods, devices, and systems can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic; for example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation; for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0142] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0143] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may be physically included separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0144] The above-mentioned integrated unit implemented in the form of a software functional unit can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned software functional unit is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform some steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0145] Although the present application is disclosed as above, the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be based on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending a first message, where the first message is used to request data transmission; receiving a second message, where the second message is used to respond to the first message, and the second message includes a plurality of sub-protocol data units; The multiple sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units includes first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device is a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, and M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The MAC SDU is carried in the last or first N sub-protocol data units of the multiple sub-protocol data units, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information in the subheader of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, wherein: The first information occupies one bit, and the bit is a first value indicating that the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit, and the bit is a second value indicating that the MAC SDU is not applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

5. The communication method according to claim 3, wherein: The first message carries a common control channel CCCH SDU, and the communication method further includes: In response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifiers carried by the M sub-protocol data units being consistent, the MAC SDU is received. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein: The M sub-protocol data units include a first sub-protocol data unit and a second sub-protocol data unit, and the first information carried by the first sub-protocol data unit indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The second sub-protocol data unit is located after the first sub-protocol data unit, and the first information occupies one bit. The bit is a first value indicating that the sub-protocol data unit where the first information is located is the first sub-protocol data unit and the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit; the bit is a second value indicating that the sub-protocol data unit where the first information is located is the second sub-protocol data unit.

8. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The first message carries a CCCH SDU, and the communication method further includes: In response to the CCCH SDU and the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit being consistent, the MAC SDU is received.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving a first message, wherein the first message is used to request data transmission; Sending a second message, where the second message is used to respond to the first message, the second message including multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units including M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units including first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device being a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, and M being a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein: The first information in the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit indicates whether the MAC SDU is applicable to the first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the sub-protocol data unit.

11. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein: The M sub-protocol data units include a first sub-protocol data unit and a second sub-protocol data unit, and the first information carried by the first sub-protocol data unit indicates that the MAC SDU is applicable to a first terminal device that matches the contention resolution identifier carried by the second sub-protocol data unit.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: include: The communication module is configured to send a first message requesting data transmission; the communication module is further configured to receive a second message. The second message is used to respond to the first message, and the second message includes multiple sub-protocol data units; The multiple sub-protocol data units include M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units includes first information, the first information indicating whether a media access control service data unit MAC SDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device is a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, and M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A communication module, configured to receive a first message, wherein the first message is used to request data transmission; The communication module is further configured to send a second message, The second message is used to respond to the first message, the second message including multiple sub-protocol data units, the multiple sub-protocol data units including M sub-protocol data units, the sub-header of each sub-protocol data unit in the M sub-protocol data units including first information, the first information indicating whether the media access control service data unit MACSDU is applicable to at least one first terminal device, the first terminal device is a terminal device matching the contention resolution identifier, and M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the MAC SDU; The plurality of sub-protocol data units include the contention resolution identifier.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 are executed.

15. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor runs the computer program, the processor performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

16. A communication device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor runs the computer program, the processor performs the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 11.

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