Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and an apparatus. The method comprises: a network device sends to a terminal first indication information used to indicate that the number of bits occupied by a first field is reduced, the reduced number of bits being used to indicate first sequence information of a first channel. On the basis of the communication method, by means of the first indication information, the network device notifies the terminal that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, the reduced number of bits being used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on April 3, 2024, with application number 202410407151.2 and application name “Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods and devices. Background Art

[0003] IoT-NTN is a new communications technology that combines the Internet of Things (IoT) with non-terrestrial networks (NTN). It leverages satellite networks to expand the scope of IoT applications, achieving true global coverage across land, sea, and air. It enables the coordinated deployment of large-scale fifth-generation (5G) IoT terminals and satellite networks, extending coverage to areas such as oceans, airspace, and deserts, thereby eliminating digital divides and disconnections caused by geography.

[0004] In IoT-NTNs, orthogonal cover codes (OCCs) are widely used as a coding technique to improve communication quality and transmission efficiency. OCCs are a special type of error-correcting code that uses a set of mutually orthogonal codewords to effectively reduce the bit error rate and improve fault tolerance during channel transmission.

[0005] Currently, the application of orthogonal cover codes in IoT-NTN is still imperfect. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving the application of orthogonal cover codes in IoT-NTN.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a network device, or by a component of the network device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. The method includes: sending first indication information indicating a reduction in the number of bits occupied by a first field, where the reduced number of bits is used to indicate first sequence information of a first channel.

[0009] In the first aspect, the network device notifies the terminal through first indication information that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel. Thus, the first sequence information can be indicated without increasing the total number of bits of the indication information, thereby improving system flexibility, avoiding unnecessary blind detection, and reducing signaling overhead.

[0010] In one possible design, the first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a first number of bits; the first indication information is a second value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a second number of bits, and the second number of bits is less than the first number of bits; wherein the difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

[0011] In this design, when the indication is the first value, it is used to indicate that the use of the first sequence is enabled, thereby avoiding blind detection of the receiving device and reducing complexity.

[0012] In one possible design, the method also includes: sending first control information, the first control information including a first field and a second field, the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

[0013] In this implementation, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the scheduling information of the first channel and using the reduced number of bits to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, the first sequence parameters can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0014] In one possible design, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

[0015] In this implementation, the first control information of the former requires fewer bits, and the first sequence information indicated by the first control information of the latter is more comprehensive.

[0016] In one possible design, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, and the method further includes: sending second control information, where the second control information is used to indicate a length of the first sequence.

[0017] In this implementation, the first control information indicates the sequence index of the first sequence, and the second control information indicates the length of the first sequence, so that the terminal can clearly understand the complete information of the first sequence.

[0018] In one possible design, the first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

[0019] In this implementation, several possible types of the first control information are designed.

[0020] In one possible design, the first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

[0021] In this implementation, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count indication field to indicate the information of the first sequence, the first sequence parameters can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0022] In one possible design, when the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

[0023] In this implementation, the first sequence information is indicated by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field. Furthermore, a method for indicating the number of retransmissions is designed to ensure that the number of retransmissions can still be accurately indicated even after reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field.

[0024] In one possible design, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the first field after the number of occupied bits is reduced is also used to indicate the subcarrier set.

[0025] In this implementation, by dividing the number of occupied subcarriers into different sets, more bits can be reserved for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0026] In one possible design, where the reduced number of bits is achieved by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the method further includes:

[0027] Send third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that hybrid automatic repeat request is turned off.

[0028] In this implementation, the network device instructs the terminal to turn off hybrid automatic repeat request, and the bits occupied by the new data indication field can be re-applied, thereby increasing the number of bits that can be used to indicate the first sequence information.

[0029] In one possible design, the first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

[0030] In one possible design, the subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 15 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

[0031] In one possible design, the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are continuous in the frequency domain, or the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are equally spaced in the frequency domain.

[0032] In one possible design, the method may further include: sending second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate a first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets, where M is a positive integer.

[0033] In one possible design, the first sequence is used to extend the first channel, or the first sequence is used to extend data carried by the first channel.

[0034] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal, or by a component of the terminal, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the terminal, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. The method includes receiving first indication information indicating a reduction in the number of bits occupied by a first field, where the reduced number of bits is used to indicate first sequence information of a first channel.

[0035] In the first aspect, the network device notifies the terminal through first indication information that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel. Thus, the first sequence information can be indicated without increasing the total number of bits of the indication information, thereby improving system flexibility and reducing signaling overhead.

[0036] In one possible design, the first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a first number of bits; the first indication information is a second value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a second number of bits, and the second number of bits is less than the first number of bits; wherein the difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

[0037] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving first control information, the first control information including a first field and a second field, the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

[0038] In one possible design, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

[0039] In one possible design, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, and the method further includes: receiving second control information, where the second control information is used to indicate a length of the first sequence.

[0040] In one possible design, the first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

[0041] In one possible design, the first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

[0042] In one possible design, when the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

[0043] In one possible design, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the first field after the number of occupied bits is reduced is also used to indicate the subcarrier set.

[0044] In one possible design, where the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the method further includes: receiving third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that the hybrid automatic repeat request is turned off.

[0045] In one possible design, the first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

[0046] In one possible design, the subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 15 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

[0047] In one possible design, the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are continuous in the frequency domain, or the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are equally spaced in the frequency domain.

[0048] In one possible design, the method may further include: receiving second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets, where M is a positive integer.

[0049] In one possible design, the method further includes: determining a first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets based on a first parameter, where M is a positive integer.

[0050] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or a device included in a terminal, such as a chip or a chip system; alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal described in the second aspect, or a device included in a network device, such as a chip or a chip system. When the device is a chip system, it may be composed solely of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0051] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0052] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement the sending and / or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may be composed of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0053] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and / or a receiving module, which are used to implement the sending or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementation methods.

[0054] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface is configured to communicate with a module external to the communication device; and the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the aspects. The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or a device included in a terminal, such as a chip or a chip system; alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal described in the second aspect, or a device included in a terminal, such as a chip or a chip system. When the device is a chip system, it may be composed solely of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0055] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the aspects. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or the memory may exist independently of the processor, for example, the memory and the processor are two independent modules. The memory may be located externally or internally of the communication device.

[0056] The communication device may be the network device described in the first aspect, or a device included in the network device, such as a chip or a chip system; or the communication device may be the terminal described in the second aspect, or a device included in the terminal, such as a chip or a chip system. When the device is a chip system, it may be composed solely of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0057] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any one of the aspects.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method described in any one of the aspects.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, configured to enable the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0060] It can be understood that when the communication device provided in any one of the third to eighth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as output information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as input information.

[0061] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to eighth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by different design methods in the first to second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the network device described in the above aspect and the terminal described in the above aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an expansion operation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG2 is another schematic diagram of a time domain expansion operation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of a time domain expansion operation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a process of establishing a connection between a user equipment and a network and sending a related scheduling message according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG11 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG12 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG13 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG14 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0081] Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, some terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained.

[0082] 1. IoT-NTN: As a new type of communication network, IoT-NTN is rapidly developing and being applied across various industries. Combining the Internet of Things (IoT) with non-terrestrial network technologies, IoT-NTN leverages satellite networks to expand the scope of IoT applications, achieving truly global coverage across land, sea, and air. IoT-NTN primarily supports low-complexity satellite IoT (IoT) terminals based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution of Things (LTE-enhanced Machine-To-Cell (eMTC)) and narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). This expands coverage to areas such as oceans, airspace, and deserts, alleviating digital divides and disconnections caused by geography. Furthermore, IoT-NTN technology enables satellite networks to leverage the industrial scale of terrestrial mobile communication networks, driving the development of IoT terminals towards lower costs, lower power consumption, and smaller form factors. In practical applications, it has already provided more stable and efficient technical support for the promotion and implementation of satellite IoT applications in maritime, transportation, agriculture, energy, and other sectors.

[0083] 2. Spreading: Spreading refers to a method of directly multiplying one or a group of identical signals using a specific sequence (also called spread sequence) in the time domain and / or frequency domain and spreading them to more resources for transmission. The transmitter can spread the modulated symbol sequence to obtain one or more spread data. Optionally, spread can be described in English as: spread or spreading. An expanded data can also be called an extended data, and an extended data can be the data obtained by multiplying the modulation symbol corresponding to the data with an extended element in the extended sequence. The transmitter maps the extended data to time-frequency resources for transmission. Correspondingly, the receiver receives the data, demaps the received data to time-frequency resources, and obtains the data to be despread. The receiver despreads the data to be despread to obtain the modulated symbol sequence. The receiver demodulates the adjusted symbol sequence to obtain the data.

[0084] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the extended sequence. For example, the extended sequence may be an OCC sequence. OCC sequences, that is, multiple sequences for transmission determined from a sequence set, are mutually orthogonal. OCC means that the normalized inner product of any two codewords in a certain codeword set is equal to 0. For example, the codeword [+1, +1] and the codeword [+1, -1] are orthogonal, that is, (+1) * (-1) + (+1) * (+1) = 0, then the OCC sequence may be [+1, +1] or [+1, -1]. For another example, an OCC sequence of length 4 may be [+1, +1, +1, +1], [+1, +1, -1, -1], [+1, -1, +1, -1] or [+1, -1, -1, +1]. Examples are not given one by one here. Wherein, "*" represents multiplication.

[0085] For the convenience of description, the extension principle is introduced here by taking the extended sequence as sequence #A as an example.

[0086] Assume that the signal to be transmitted is d and the length of sequence #A is NSF. After performing the extension operation on sequence #A, the resulting signal is b, where bi = ai * di, where i = 0, 1, ..., NSF - 1. For ease of description, wi will be referred to as an element of sequence #A. That is, a sequence #A of length NSF contains NSF elements. It is understood that the term "element" can also be replaced by other terms, such as "symbol."

[0087] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the expansion operation provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 shows data d1, data d2, and data d3 carried by signal d. Signal d can also be referred to as data d or a group of data. The length of sequence #A is 4, and sequence #A is [a1, a2, a3, a4]. The data b obtained after expansion processing of data d based on sequence #A is [b1, b2, b3, b4]. Among them, the expanded data b1 is obtained by multiplying data d by a1, the expanded data b2 is obtained by multiplying data d by a2, the expanded data b3 is obtained by multiplying data d by a3, and the expanded data b4 is obtained by multiplying data d by a4.

[0088] For example, if the modulation symbol of the data bit sequence after modulation is b, and sequence #A is [+1, -1, -1, +1], the data obtained after extension processing can be b*[+1, -1, -1, +1] = [+b, -b, -b, +b]. The data obtained after extension processing can also be called the extended symbol sequence. In this example, the length of the extended sequence (i.e., the number of elements in sequence #A) is 4. This example shows that after data extension processing, more data will be obtained, and this data can be extended to more resources for transmission.

[0089] FIG1 takes the expansion in the time domain as an example. The number of time domain resources occupied by data d can be flexibly configured. For example, data d can occupy one or more symbols, or one or more time slots. The time domain expansion in the embodiment of the present application can be symbol-level expansion, slot-level expansion, or RV-level expansion. Symbol-level expansion refers to the expansion of data at a symbol granularity on a time slot (e.g., a single time slot). Similarly, slot-level expansion means that data can be mapped to one or more time slots, and then the data of one or more time slots is expanded. The data obtained after expansion can be mapped to each time slot.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 2, which is another schematic diagram of the time domain expansion operation provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 takes symbol-level expansion as an example. A TB of data can be mapped to one or more symbols of a time slot, and then expanded. The data obtained after expansion can be mapped to each symbol. In Figure 2, data d includes data d1, data d2, and data d3. The extended sequence a is [a1, a2, a3, a4], and the data b obtained after the data d is extended based on the extended sequence a is [b1, b2, b3, b4]. The data d, extended sequence a, and data b in the example provided in Figure 2 can all refer to the corresponding description in Figure 1. In Figure 2, data d1, data d2, and data d3 each occupy one symbol. Data b1, data b2, data b3, and data b4 can each occupy three symbols. In the example, the length of the extended sequence (i.e., the number of elements in the extended sequence is 4) is 4.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 3, which is another schematic diagram of the time domain expansion operation provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 takes symbol-level expansion as an example. A TB of data can be mapped to one time slot or multiple time slots, and then the data of one or more time slots is expanded, and the data obtained after expansion can be mapped to each time slot. The data d in Figure 3 may include data carried on one symbol or multiple symbols. The extended sequence a is [a1, a2, a3, a4], and the data b obtained after the data d is expanded based on the extended sequence a is [b1, b2, b3, b4]. The data d, extended sequence a and data b in the example provided in Figure 3 can all refer to the corresponding description in Figure 1. In Figure 3, data b1, data b2, data b3 and data b4 can each occupy a time slot.

[0092] There is no limitation on the specific form of sequence #A.

[0093] In one example, sequence #A is a binary sequence. For example, if the length of sequence #A is 2, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1+1], [+1-1]. For another example, if the length of sequence #A is 4, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1+1+1+1], [+1+1-1-1], [+1-1+1-1], [+1-1-1+1]. For another example, assuming that the length of sequence #A is 8, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1], [+1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1], [+1 +1 -1 -1 +1 +1 -1 -1], [+1 -1 -1 +1 +1 -1 -1 +1], [+1 +1 +1 -1 -1 -1 +1 -1], [+1 -1 +1 -1 -1 +1 -1 +1], [+1 +1 -1 -1 -1 -1 +1 +1], or [+1 -1 -1 +1 -1 +1 +1 -1].

[0094] In another example, sequence #A is a complex sequence. For example, if the length of sequence #A is 2, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1+j], [+1-j]. For another example, if the length of sequence #A is 4, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1 +1 +1 +1], [+1 -j -1 +j], [+1 -1 +1 -1], [+1 +j -1 -j]. For another example, assuming that the length of sequence #A is 8, sequence #A can be any of the following: [+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1], [+1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1], [+1 +1 -j -j -1 -1 jj], [+1 -1 -jj -1 +1 j -j], [+1 +1 -1 -1 +1 +1 -1 -1], [+1 -1 -1 +1 +1 -1 -1 +1], [+1 +1 jj -1 -1 -j -j], or [+1 -1 j -j -1 +1 -jj].

[0095] Further optionally, rows or columns in a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) or inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) matrix may be used as the sequence #A.

[0096] As an example, for a value of length N SF There are at most N sequences in total SFAn orthogonal sequence described as follows:

[0097] or,

[0098] where w n (k) represents the kth element in sequence #A.

[0099] The time domain extension is further described below by taking the extension of OFDM symbols as an example. As an example, the signal of the time domain symbol at symbol n satisfies Equation 1. m=0,1,…,N SF M-1 l=0,1,…,N SF -1

[0100] Among them, s n (t) represents the signal of the time domain symbol at symbol n, w n (m) represents the mth element in the sequence #A numbered n, N SF Indicates the length of sequence #A, M indicates the number of symbols corresponding to an element, t indicates time, Indicates that x is rounded down.

[0101] As an example, s n (t) is a time domain signal obtained after a signal (such as data and / or reference signal) is mapped to each subcarrier on symbol 1 and then undergoes inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT).

[0102] As an example, in the above (Formula 1), when M=1, spreading (or time domain spreading) can be called direct spreading.

[0103] As an example, in the above (Formula 1), when M>1, the spreading (or time domain spreading) can be called block-wise spreading.

[0104] As an example, in the above (Formula 1), when s n When (t) is replaced by the frequency domain signal d(k), the frequency domain expansion description can also be used. As an example, the frequency domain signal d(k) satisfies Equation 2.

[0105] Similarly, M represents the number of frequency domain resources corresponding to one element.

[0106] It can be understood that sequence #A can also be called an extended sequence or a time domain extended sequence, and its naming does not limit the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0107] Sequence #A can be a sequence based on an orthogonal cover code (hereinafter referred to as the first sequence). The first sequence channel extension mainly involves signal encoding, modulation, and demodulation and decoding at the receiving end. The following briefly introduces the basic steps of sequence channel extension based on OCC:

[0108] Signal Coding: First, the input data passes through the channel encoder, which encodes the signal using an orthogonal cover code. This coding method ensures that the signal has a certain degree of anti-interference ability and orthogonality during transmission, thereby improving the reliability of signal transmission.

[0109] Sequence expansion: The encoded signal enters a sequence expansion phase. In this phase, the signal is modulated using a spreading code sequence to expand the signal bandwidth. This process can be accomplished using a pseudo-random sequence or a specific spreading code sequence. The purpose of sequence expansion is to broaden the original signal's spectrum, thereby enhancing the signal's anti-interference capability and transmission efficiency.

[0110] Channel transmission: The signal after sequence expansion enters the channel for transmission. Because the signal spectrum has been broadened, it can better resist interference when transmitted in the channel, improving transmission reliability.

[0111] Demodulation and decoding at the receiving end: At the receiving end, the received signal is demodulated using the same spreading code sequence as the transmitting end to restore it to the original signal. The signal is then decoded by a channel decoder to recover the original data.

[0112] Throughout this process, the use of orthogonal cover codes is crucial. They not only ensure signal orthogonality during transmission but also improve signal interference immunity and transmission efficiency. Therefore, when designing an OCC-based sequence extension channel, it is necessary to select appropriate orthogonal cover codes and optimize the sequence extension algorithm to achieve optimal transmission performance.

[0113] 3. Orthogonal Cover Codes: Orthogonal cover codes have a wide range of applications, such as in smart homes, smart cities, and industrial automation. In smart homes, the use of orthogonal cover codes enables efficient communication and interconnection between devices, enabling remote monitoring and control of smart devices. In smart city construction, the application of orthogonal cover codes can enable data exchange and information transmission between various smart devices, further improving urban operational efficiency and quality of life. In industrial automation, orthogonal cover codes can be used to achieve reliable data transmission between sensors and controllers, improving the automation and stability of industrial production.

[0114] Compared to traditional coding techniques, orthogonal cover codes offer the following advantages. First, orthogonal cover code codewords are mutually orthogonal, allowing multiple codewords to be transmitted within the same frequency band, significantly improving spectrum efficiency. Second, orthogonal cover codes offer high fault tolerance, effectively resisting noise and interference in the channel and improving data transmission reliability. Furthermore, orthogonal cover codes feature a simple encoding algorithm and low computational complexity, making them suitable for a wide range of devices and scenarios in real-world applications.

[0115] In IoT-NTNs, orthogonal cover codes, as a coding technique, are widely used to improve communication quality and transmission efficiency. Due to the high device density and frequent node communications in IoT-NTNs, transmitted data is subject to complex environmental influences such as multipath fading and noise interference. Therefore, using orthogonal cover codes for coding can effectively improve signal quality and enhance communication reliability. The application of orthogonal cover codes in IoT-NTNs is of great significance. They can address signal transmission and quality issues in IoT communications, improve communication efficiency and reliability, and provide strong support for the development of smart homes, smart cities, and industrial automation.

[0116] In the use of orthogonal cover codes, there are two important parameters: OCC length (OCC-len) and OCC index (OCC-index). In another possible interpretation, the OCC length is also called the length of the first sequence, and the OCC index is also called the index of the first sequence.

[0117] OCC-len refers to the length of the orthogonal cover code, which determines the number of code elements in the cover code. The length of the orthogonal cover code can be set according to system requirements, with different lengths corresponding to different coding gains and interference mitigation capabilities. Longer OCCs provide better interference suppression performance, but may also increase computational complexity. Therefore, in practical applications, the appropriate OCC-len should be selected based on system performance requirements and resource constraints.

[0118] The OCC-index is used to identify and select a specific orthogonal cover code. In a system, multiple orthogonal cover codes may exist, each with different symbol sequences and coding characteristics. The OCC-index is used to select a specific orthogonal cover code from among these available codes. Different OCC-indexes correspond to different orthogonal cover codes, allowing them to distinguish between different users or signal streams, enabling multiple access or multi-stream parallel transmission.

[0119] In LTE uplink transmission, particularly on the PUSCH, orthogonal cover codes can be used to distinguish different users or signal streams and reduce inter-user interference. By selecting the appropriate OCC-len and OCC-index, the system can improve signal interference immunity and system capacity while maintaining transmission efficiency.

[0120] 4. Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT): NB-IoT is a low-power, wide-coverage, and low-cost wireless communication technology designed specifically for IoT applications. It connects IoT devices to the internet through a software upgrade on existing cellular network infrastructure, utilizing existing mobile network operator frequency bands. Key technical features of NB-IoT include: Low power consumption: NB-IoT utilizes ultra-long standby technology, enabling devices to operate continuously for years in standby mode, resulting in a long battery life and meeting the long-term operational needs of IoT devices. Wide coverage: NB-IoT utilizes low-frequency wireless signals with strong penetration and wide coverage, maintaining a good connection even in complex environments such as basements and tunnels, providing reliable communication for IoT devices. Low cost: NB-IoT is deployed by leveraging the existing fourth-generation mobile communication technology (4G) network shared infrastructure, reducing construction and operating costs and making the promotion of IoT applications more cost-effective. Furthermore, NB-IoT's data transmission rate is relatively low, typically between 10kbps and 100kbps, meeting the needs of IoT devices for transmitting small amounts of data, such as sensor data and alarm information.

[0121] Narrowband IoT has broad application prospects. It can be used in smart city construction for environmental monitoring, trash bin monitoring, smart parking management, smart streetlight control, and other infrastructure. It can also be applied to smart homes, industrial automation, agriculture, logistics and transportation, healthcare, and other fields, providing more reliable, efficient, and intelligent solutions for IoT applications.

[0122] 5. Narrowband Physical Uplink Shared Channel (NPUSCH): This is an uplink physical channel in narrowband IoT. It is primarily used to carry data between terminals and base stations, including uplink data and signaling. NPUSCH is divided into Format 1 and Format 2 based on its intended use. NPUSCH Format 1 is primarily used for uplink transmission of normal data. Its functionality is similar to LTE's PUSCH, using the same Turbo code error correction as LTE, but with smaller resource blocks, not exceeding 1000 bits. It supports single-tone and multi-tone transmission within specific subcarrier spacing, with resource unit lengths specifically set to ensure efficient resource utilization. NPUSCH Format 2, on the other hand, is primarily used to carry uplink control information. In addition to transmitting uplink data, the uplink shared channel also multiplexes uplink control information, and can use both single-tone and multi-tone transmission modes.

[0123] In non-terrestrial network communications, especially when terminals communicate directly with satellites, terminal transmit power is limited, often resulting in poor link quality to the satellite. To address this, 3GPP Release 17 proposed a repetition-based uplink coverage enhancement technology to compensate for insufficient mobile phone uplink transmission power and improve communication quality. As technology evolves, 3GPP Release 19 builds on this repetition-based uplink coverage enhancement technology by proposing an OCC-based extension to increase the capacity of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) in IoT-NTNs.

[0124] To achieve this goal, researchers proposed an enhancement scheme that aims to enable multiplexing of multiple terminals in a single 3.75kHz or 15kHz subcarrier by utilizing narrowband physical uplink shared channel format 1 and orthogonal cover codes of NPRACH in radio access network (RAN)1 and RAN2.

[0125] For example, FIG4 shows a flowchart of user equipment (UE)-1 establishing a connection with the network and sending related scheduling messages under the solution based on the above-mentioned enhanced function. As shown in FIG4, the flowchart includes:

[0126] S1, Initial Access.

[0127] This is the first step in the wireless communication process where UE-1 attempts to establish a connection with an evolved 3G base station (eNB). UE-1 sends a signal to the eNB, notifying it of its desire to establish a connection. This is the first step in the wireless communication process, establishing a preliminary communication link between UE-1 and the eNB.

[0128] S2, radio resource control (RRC) protocol establishment (RRC Establish).

[0129] After successful initial access, UE-1 and the eNB begin establishing an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection. RRC is a key control layer in the LTE network, responsible for configuring, reconfiguring, and releasing radio resources between UE-1 and the eNB. During this process, an "RRC Establish" message is sent, which is a key step in establishing the RRC connection.

[0130] S3, PDCCCH message transmission.

[0131] After establishing an RRC connection, UE-1 needs to send control information or data to the eNB. To do this, UE-1 sends a PDCCCH message. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is a logical channel used to transmit paging and broadcast information, and plays a crucial role in LTE networks.

[0132] S4, nPUSCH message transmission.

[0133] In response to the PDCCCH message sent by UE-1, the eNB sends an "nPUSCH" message. nPUSCH is a key channel in narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology, used for uplink data transmission. In this signaling process, the eNB sends a response via the nPUSCH channel, acknowledging receipt of the message from UE-1 and potentially including further instructions or configuration information.

[0134] The flowchart in Figure 4 does not define how to transmit OCC parameters. However, to increase PUSCH channel capacity in IoT-NTNs, network equipment must indicate OCC parameters to terminals. Therefore, it is necessary to consider which type of downlink control information should be used to indicate OCC parameters to terminals.

[0135] The PDCCH in NB-IoT is a key channel for transmitting downlink control information. Downlink control information (DCI) is the specific information content transmitted on the PDCCH, which is used to instruct the terminal how to receive downlink data or send uplink data.

[0136] In NB-IoT, DCI has different formats, such as DCI N0 and DCI N1, which have different bit sizes and different information content. The size of the PDCCH needs to be aligned with the transmitted DCI format to ensure that the data can be decoded correctly. Currently, the size of the PDCCH is set to align with the size between DCI N0 and DCI N1, which generally means that the size of the PDCCH is a size that can accommodate the larger of the two DCI formats. Currently, the size of the PDCCH is set to 26 bits, which means that whether DCI N0 or DCI N1 is transmitted, the PDCCH can accommodate it.

[0137] When the number of bits in DCI No. 0 is increased, the PDCCH may also need to be resized accordingly to accommodate the new DCI No. 0. However, if the PDCCH size remains unchanged and the number of bits in DCI No. 0 is increased, the terminal will need to perform more blind detection attempts when attempting to decode the PDCCH. Blind detection is the process in which the terminal attempts to decode all possible DCIs without prior knowledge until the correct one is found.

[0138] Increasing the number of blind checks increases terminal power consumption and implementation complexity. Because the terminal needs to process more possibilities, it requires more computing resources and time to complete the decoding process. Furthermore, an increase in the number of blind checks can increase decoding latency, impacting the real-time nature of communications.

[0139] Therefore, when designing an NB-IoT system, it is necessary to balance the relationship between DCI size, PDCCH size, and the number of terminal blind detection attempts to minimize terminal implementation complexity and power consumption while meeting communication requirements. In other words, if the OCC parameters are simply added to DCI formats of different formats, such as DCI No. 0, the number of bits in DCI No. 0 will increase, and the terminal will need to perform more blind detection attempts when attempting to decode the PDCCH.

[0140] How to use DCI to effectively indicate OCC parameters without increasing the number of blind detections of the terminal has become a difficult problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0141] To solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that designs a DCI coding scheme that can accurately transmit OCC parameters without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process. The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0142] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems, wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, future communication systems, or systems integrating multiple communication systems, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. 5G can also be referred to as new radio (NR).

[0143] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication scenarios, for example, it can be applied to one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), machine type communication (MTC), massive machine type communication (mMTC), device to device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), and Internet of Things (IoT), etc.

[0144] The following describes a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system may include:

[0145] Terminal (terminal equipment): includes mobile devices that support air interfaces (the air interfaces can be various types of air interfaces, such as 5G air interfaces), which can access satellite networks through air interfaces and initiate calls, Internet access and other services. The terminal can be user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS) or mobile terminal (MT), etc. Specifically, the terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a computer with wireless transceiver function, and can also be a virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in unmanned driving, wireless terminal in telemedicine, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in smart city, smart home, or vehicle-mounted terminal, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the device for realizing the function of the terminal can be a terminal, or a device that can support the terminal to realize the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal or used in combination with the terminal. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication system is introduced by taking the terminal as UE as an example.

[0146] Network equipment: mainly used to implement at least one function of resource scheduling, wireless resource management, and wireless resource control of the terminal. Specifically, the network equipment may include any one of a base station, a wireless access point, a transmission receive point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), and some other access nodes. The network equipment communicates with the core network element through a wired or wireless manner, such as through a next generation (NG) interface. Different network devices can exchange signaling such as switching through the Xn interface. In the embodiment of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device may be a network device; it may also be a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device or used in combination with the network device. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication system is introduced by taking the network device as a base station as an example.

[0147] Core network elements: responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network and providing functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management and security authentication for terminals. Core network elements may include the following network elements: user plane function (UPF), authentication server function (AUSF), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), network exposure function (NEF), network function repository function (NRF), policy control function (PCF) and unified data management (UDM). Optionally, it may also include application function (AF) and unified data repository (UDR). For the introduction of the above network elements, please refer to the existing technology and will not be repeated here.

[0148] Satellite ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between network equipment and core network elements.

[0149] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG5 , in a communication system, two terminals: UE1 and UE2 can communicate with each other, for example, in a scenario of Internet of Vehicles or sidewalk communication.

[0150] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, in the communication system, UE1 can communicate with a control node or a roadside unit (RSU). In the narrowband non-terrestrial network of the Internet of Things, a control node generally refers to a device responsible for network control, management, and coordination functions. These devices play a vital role in the IoT-NTN, ensuring stable operation and efficient communication of the network. The control node can be of various types, depending on the network architecture and application requirements. The following are some possible types of devices that may serve as control nodes in the IoT-NTN:

[0151] Satellite ground stations: Satellite ground stations are key facilities connecting satellites to terrestrial networks. They serve as control nodes for the IoT-NTN, responsible for monitoring, managing, and scheduling satellite networks. They receive and process data from satellites and send control commands to satellites to ensure the normal operation of the network.

[0152] Gateway devices: Gateway devices act as a bridge in the IoT-NTN, connecting different networks and communication protocols. They serve as control nodes, managing and coordinating communications between IoT devices and satellite networks. Gateway devices typically possess powerful data processing and forwarding capabilities, enabling data aggregation, filtering, and forwarding, improving network transmission efficiency.

[0153] Network Controller: A network controller is a device specifically responsible for network management and control. In an IoT-NTN, the network controller serves as a control node, monitoring, configuring, and optimizing the entire network. It collects real-time network status information and adjusts resource allocation based on network load and traffic conditions, ensuring network stability and performance.

[0154] Cloud computing platform: With powerful computing, storage, and processing capabilities, the cloud computing platform can serve as one of the control nodes of the IoT-NTN. Through the cloud computing platform, the IoT-NTN can be centrally controlled and managed, including data collection, processing, analysis, and decision-making. The cloud computing platform also provides flexible scalability to meet the growing needs of the IoT-NTN.

[0155] It should be understood that the above is an exemplary introduction to the device types of control nodes in IoT-NTN. The control node devices of IoT-NTN may change with the development of technology and the evolution of network architecture, and are not limited thereto.

[0156] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, in a communication system, a control node or RSU can communicate with a base station. In an IoT-NTN (Internet of Things Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network), the scenarios in which a control node or remote switching unit communicates with a base station are diverse, depending on specific application requirements and network architecture. The following are descriptions of several possible communication scenarios:

[0157] Data relay and forwarding: Control nodes or remote switching units may act as data relays, receiving data from base stations and forwarding it to satellites or other remote nodes. Similarly, they may receive data from satellites and forward it to base stations. This relay function is particularly important in areas where terrestrial network coverage is insufficient or unavailable, ensuring that IoT devices can reliably connect to the network.

[0158] Network Management and Control: Control nodes or remote switching units manage and control the entire IoT-NTN network. They communicate with base stations to monitor network status, configure network parameters, and adjust resource allocation. By interacting with base stations, these control nodes ensure stable network operation, optimize network performance, and quickly respond to network failures.

[0159] Security authentication and access control: Security is a key issue in IoT-NTNs. Control nodes or remote switching units can collaborate with base stations to implement security authentication and access control mechanisms. They can verify the identity of IoT devices, authorize access to network resources, and monitor for potential security threats. This communication scenario helps protect the network from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

[0160] Collaborative Positioning and Navigation: For IoT applications requiring precise positioning and navigation, control nodes or remote switching units can work in conjunction with base stations. By communicating with the base stations, they can receive and process positioning signals from satellites, providing precise geographic location information to IoT devices. This communication scenario has broad application prospects in logistics, intelligent transportation, and other fields.

[0161] It should be understood that the communication scenarios in IoT-NTN are diverse and complex, and the specific implementation methods may vary depending on the application scenarios, network architecture and technology selection, and are not limited.

[0162] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG8 , in a communication system, a UE can communicate with a base station. For example, several possible scenarios of communication between a UE and a base station in an IoT-NTN are described below:

[0163] UE power-on and base station connection establishment: When a UE is powered on, it begins searching for nearby base station signals. It scans available radio channels and nearby base stations to find the strongest signal source. Once it finds the base station with the strongest signal, the UE sends a connection request to it, including its identity and necessary parameters. After verifying the UE's identity, the base station allocates radio and core network resources and sends a connection confirmation message to the UE, establishing the connection.

[0164] Data transmission and synchronization: Once a UE establishes a connection with a base station, data transmission can begin between them. The base station encodes and modulates the data and then transmits it to the UE via radio frequency signals. To ensure accurate data transmission, synchronization and timing between the UE and the base station are required. The base station sends a synchronization signal to the UE, allowing it to identify the base station's time slot and frequency, thereby synchronizing its clock with the base station. Timing ensures that the UE sends and receives data at the appropriate time, avoiding conflicts.

[0165] Network authorization and authentication: Network security is crucial in IoT-NTNs. Base stations authorize and authenticate UEs based on their policies, ensuring only legitimate devices can access the network. This typically involves verifying the UE's identity and access rights.

[0166] Dynamic resource allocation and management: As network load and UE requirements change, the base station dynamically allocates and manages resources. This may include adjusting the allocation of radio resources, optimizing data rates, and handling any potential interference or conflicts.

[0167] The aforementioned communication scenarios together constitute the basic communication process between UEs and base stations in an IoT-NTN. Through this process, UEs can reliably connect to the network, exchange data with other devices, and implement various IoT applications.

[0168] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the communication system can be used in a satellite-based transparent transmission scenario. This refers to a scenario where a satellite acts as a relay station, transparently transmitting signals when transmitting signals via satellite. The core concept of satellite-based transparent transmission lies in "transparency," meaning that the satellite does not process or modify the signal in any way, but instead directly transmits the signal from the transmitter to the receiver. In other words, the satellite acts as a relay station, transparently transmitting signals between the terminal and the core network (data network) via the satellite ground station.

[0169] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG10 , the communication system can be used in a regeneration satellite scenario, which is a satellite communication mode in which the satellite not only forwards signals as a relay station but also has the ability to regenerate the signals. Unlike the transparent transmission satellite scenario, the regeneration satellite decodes, re-encodes, and modulates the signals before forwarding them to restore signal quality or adapt to different transmission requirements. In other words, the satellite (or satellite ground station) regenerates the signals and then transmits the signals between the terminal and the core network (data network). At this time, since the satellite (or satellite ground station) in the regeneration satellite scenario not only forwards signals as a relay station but also has the ability to regenerate signals, this has certain similarities with the functions of a base station, and the satellite (or satellite ground station) can be regarded as a special type of base station.

[0170] It should be noted that Figures 5-10 are exemplary framework diagrams, in which the number of nodes included and the state of the terminal are not limited. In addition to the functional nodes shown in Figures 5-10, other nodes may also be included, such as gateway devices, application servers, etc., without limitation.

[0171] Based on the communication system introduced above, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which reduces the number of bits occupied by the scheduling information of the first channel and uses the reduced number of bits to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, thereby accurately transmitting OCC parameters without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0172] In an embodiment of the present application, the first channel is flexible and can be an uplink channel, a downlink channel, or a sidelink channel. The OCC application object can be the first channel, or the data in the first channel. The first sequence can be used to extend the first channel, or the first sequence can be used to extend the data carried by the first channel.

[0173] For ease of understanding, this application first takes the narrowband physical uplink shared channel in the uplink channel as an example to introduce the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Table 1, the scheduling information of the narrowband physical uplink shared channel adopts DCI format 1, which is an information format containing multiple key fields for accurately guiding the transmission parameters and instructions of the uplink shared channel. It should be understood that the DCI fields listed in Table 1 are only examples and may vary in actual applications due to different versions of the NB-IoT specification or differences in implementation methods.

[0174] Table 1

[0175] As shown in Table 1, the description of each field (item) is as follows:

[0176] Flag used to distinguish between formats N0 and N1: This flag is used to distinguish between different DCI formats. In LTE and other wireless communication systems, DCI has multiple formats, each used for different purposes and transmission types. This flag helps the UE determine the specific format of DCI it is receiving.

[0177] The subcarrier indication field is used to specify the subcarrier resources allocated to the UE. In narrowband communication systems, resource allocation is usually more precise, so this field may be used to indicate which specific subcarriers the UE should use for uplink transmission.

[0178] The resource allocation field is used to specify the time and frequency resources that the UE should use. This may include specific time slots, subframes, or frequency resource blocks.

[0179] The Scheduling Delay field indicates how long the UE should wait before starting uplink transmission after receiving the DCI. This is important for ensuring synchronization between the UE and the base station and avoiding collisions.

[0180] The modulation and coding scheme field is used to indicate the modulation method and coding rate that the UE should use. This determines the efficiency and reliability of data transmission.

[0181] The Redundancy Version field is used to indicate the redundancy version in the Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) process. HARQ is a technology used to improve data transmission reliability by using multiple redundancy versions to retransmit lost or damaged data packets.

[0182] The retransmission count indication field indicates the number of retransmissions of the DCI or related data. This helps improve transmission reliability, especially in the presence of interference or poor signal quality.

[0183] The New Data Indication field is used to indicate whether the DCI contains new data or a retransmission of previous data. This helps the UE to correctly process the received data.

[0184] The DCI subframe retransmission count indication field may be used to indicate the number of times the DCI message itself is repeated in consecutive subframes. This helps the UE receive DCI more reliably in poor signal quality conditions.

[0185] From Table 1, it can be observed that in the scheduling information of the narrowband physical uplink shared channel, the number of bits occupied by each field may be the same or different, depending on the specific transmission requirements and system design. Next, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the example in Table 1. It should be emphasized that although the narrowband physical uplink shared channel is used as an example for explanation, the communication method in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to the scheduling information of other types of first channels, and its application is not limited.

[0186] Figure 11 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, the method may include the following steps:

[0187] S810: The network device sends first indication information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first indication information from the network device.

[0188] The first indication information is used to indicate that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, the first field is used to indicate the scheduling information of the first channel, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel. The introduction to the scheduling information of the first channel can be referred to the introduction of Table 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0189] Furthermore, the first indication information can be flexibly carried in either a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block. For the first channel, its subcarrier spacing can be either 15kHz or 3.75kHz, depending on the specific communication requirements and system configuration. This design ensures channel flexibility and adaptability to meet communication requirements in diverse scenarios.

[0190] It can be understood that the reduction in the number of bits occupied by the first field is equivalent to the number of bits occupied by the current first field. For example, the number of bits occupied by each field is shown in Table 1. For the terminal, the terminal may switch from a scenario in which the first sequence of the first sequence is not applied to a scenario in which the first sequence of the first sequence is applied. When the terminal does not apply the first sequence of the first sequence, the network device can transmit the first field (equivalent to the above-mentioned "current first field") without the number of bits reduced between the terminal to indicate the scheduling information of the first channel. When the network device finds that the terminal needs to apply the first sequence of the first sequence, it can indicate that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced based on the above-mentioned first indication information.

[0191] Exemplarily, the first field may be at least one of the fields shown in Table 1. In other words, the field whose occupied bits are reduced may be one or more of the fields shown in Table 1.

[0192] Optionally, when the first indication information is set to the first value, the number of bits of the first field remains the first number of bits, and the first field is a version without bit reduction. For example, the first number of bits is shown in Table 1.

[0193] Optionally, when the first signaling indicating the first indication information is optional signaling and the first signaling is not configured, effective or sent, the first indication information can also be regarded as the first value.

[0194] Optionally, the first indication information will be a second value, in which case the number of bits of the first field is reduced to the second number of bits, which is less than the first number of bits. The difference between the second and first number of bits represents the amount of bit reduction.

[0195] Optionally, the first indication information is an RRC or SIB message.

[0196] Optionally, the first indication information is an RRC or SIB message used to configure a first sequence to extend the first channel or data carried in the first channel.

[0197] Optionally, the first indication information can be used to indicate whether the number of bits of the first field is reduced.

[0198] Taking the subcarrier field as an example of the first field, if the first indication information is the first value, the number of bits in the subcarrier field remains at 6 and is not reduced. Conversely, if the first indication information is the second value, the number of bits in the subcarrier field is reduced to 4, i.e., from 6 bits to 4 bits, a total reduction of 2 bits. Optionally, the first value can indicate that the first sequence extended first channel ak and the data carried in the first channel are not configured, activated, or enabled. Optionally, the second value can indicate that the first sequence extended first channel or the data carried in the first channel are configured, activated, or enabled.

[0199] In another possible explanation, when the first indication information is the third value, the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced to the third number of bits. In other words, the first indication information can also indicate the reduced number of bits of the first field.

[0200] For example, taking the first field as the subcarrier indication field, if the third value is 5, the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier indication field is reduced to 5. In other words, compared with the unreduced subcarrier indication field shown in Table 1, it occupies 6 bits, which is 1 bit less.

[0201] In addition, to facilitate understanding, the embodiment of the present application first introduces the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the process of information interaction between the network device and the terminal. After introducing the above content, the possible design of how to reduce the number of bits occupied by the first field is introduced.

[0202] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device notifies the terminal through the first indication information that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced. The reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, so that the terminal device can clearly determine whether the current signaling contains the first sequence information, thereby avoiding errors in parsing the first sequence information and scheduling information. As a result, the first sequence information can be indicated without increasing the total number of bits of the indication information, thereby improving system flexibility and reducing signaling overhead.

[0203] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG12 , the method may further include:

[0204] S820: The network device sends first control information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first control information from the network device.

[0205] The first control information includes a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate scheduling information for the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information for the first channel. The first control information can be any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information, without limitation. The terminal can determine the first sequence information from the first control information.

[0206] Optionally, the first control information may be used to indicate a sequence index of the first sequence, or may be used to indicate both the length of the first sequence and the sequence index of the first sequence. In these two designs, the former requires fewer bits for the first control information, while the latter provides more comprehensive first sequence information.

[0207] In an embodiment of the present application, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the scheduling information of the first channel and using the reduced number of bits to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, the first sequence information can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0208] It is understandable that if the network device does not send the first indication information to the terminal, the network device can indicate the scheduling information of the first channel through the DCI field of the occupied bit status listed in Table 1. The specific implementation can refer to the relevant technology and will not be repeated here.

[0209] In one embodiment, when the first control information is used to indicate a sequence index of the first sequence, as shown in FIG13 , the method may further include:

[0210] S830: The network device sends second control information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the second control information from the network device.

[0211] The second control information is used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

[0212] In the embodiment of the present application, the first control information indicates the sequence index of the first sequence, and the second control information indicates the length of the first sequence, so that the terminal can clearly understand the complete information of the first sequence.

[0213] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced above from the perspective of the process of information interaction between the network device and the terminal. To help understanding, the possible design of reducing the number of bits occupied by the first field is introduced below. For the sake of convenience, the first field in the occupied bit state shown in Table 1 is referred to as initial control information. Since the number of bits reduced in the first field is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, the number of bits required for the first sequence information of the orthogonal cover code of the first channel determines how many bits should be reduced in the first field. The following first introduces the number of bits required for the first sequence information of the orthogonal cover code of the first channel in each scenario.

[0214] For example, in one scenario, the first control information is used to indicate the sequence index of the first sequence and the length of the first sequence, and the length of the first sequence can be 1, 2, or 4. In this case, the first control information needs to occupy 3 bits. The first control information in this case can be shown in Table 2.

[0215] Table 2

[0216] It can be seen that in the above scenario, the first control information needs to occupy 3 bits.

[0217] In another example, in a scenario where a network device indicates the length of a first sequence to a terminal via second control information, the first control information can simply be used to indicate the sequence index of the first sequence. In this scenario, the first control information occupies one or two bits. Specifically, if the length of the first sequence is two, the first control information occupies one bit. The first control information in this case can be as shown in Table 3.

[0218] Table 3

[0219] Similarly, if the length of the first sequence is 4, the first control information needs to occupy 2 bits. The first control information at this time may be as shown in Table 4.

[0220] Table 4

[0221] It can be seen that in the above scenario, the first control information needs to occupy 1 or 2 bits.

[0222] The above describes the possible number of bits required for the first sequence information: 1, 2, or 3 bits. The number of bits reduced in the first field is used to indicate the first sequence information. In other words, ensuring that the number of bits reduced in the first field is greater than or equal to the number of bits required for the first sequence information can achieve the first sequence information indication. In this case, whether the number of bits used is reduced in a single field or in multiple fields, the first sequence information indication can be achieved.

[0223] When the number of bits occupied by a single first field can be reduced to no less than the number of bits required for the first sequence information, the single first field can be reduced to indicate the first sequence information, or multiple first fields can be reduced to indicate the first sequence information. For example, if the number of bits required for the first sequence information is 2, the number of bits occupied by field A in the first field can be reduced to 2, and the number of bits occupied by field B in the first field can be reduced to 1. In this case, the number of bits occupied by only two fields A can be reduced, or the number of bits occupied by one field A can be reduced and the number of bits occupied by one field B can be reduced to indicate the first sequence information.

[0224] When the number of bits occupied by a single first field can be reduced to less than the number of bits required for the first sequence information, multiple first fields can be reduced to indicate the first sequence information. For example, if the number of bits required for the first sequence information is 2, the number of bits occupied by field A in the first field can be reduced to 1, and the number of bits occupied by field B in the first field can be reduced to 1. In this case, the number of bits occupied by one field A can be reduced, and the number of bits occupied by one field B can be reduced, to combine a two-bit field to indicate the first sequence information.

[0225] For ease of understanding, this application describes the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application using an example in which the first field may be a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and / or a retransmission count indication field. That is, the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count indication field.

[0226] It should be understood that although the embodiments of the present application do not exhaustively list the possibilities of reducing the number of bits of various types of first fields (or combinations of various types of first fields), but use the above three types of fields as examples for illustration, the communication method in the embodiments of the present application is also applicable to other types of first fields without limitation.

[0227] The following introduces how the three types of fields mentioned above can reduce the number of bits occupied.

[0228] First, possible designs for reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field are described.

[0229] It should be noted that in scenarios where orthogonal cover codes are required, such scenarios are typically limited by coverage. In this case, the number of subcarriers required by the terminal device is not large, because increasing the number of subcarriers would actually reduce coverage performance. Therefore, it is not necessary to indicate excessive subcarrier information. Reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field will not only not adversely affect the communication system, but may actually help improve the overall efficiency and performance of the system.

[0230] For the subcarrier field in the scenario where the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, the subcarrier field is shown in Table 1, which occupies 6 bits, among which different subcarrier fields I sc Indicates the subcarrier set n sc This can be shown in Table 5.

[0231] Table 5

[0232] Among them, the subcarrier field 0–11 indicates a subcarrier I sc ; Subcarrier fields 12-15 indicate the subcarrier set from subcarrier 3 (I sc -12), 3 subcarriers are allocated continuously; subcarrier field 16-17 indicates the subcarrier set from subcarrier 6 (I sc -16), 6 subcarriers are allocated consecutively; subcarrier field 18 indicates the subcarrier set {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11}; subcarrier fields 19-63 indicate that no subcarrier is allocated.

[0233] The subcarrier field can be reduced by 1 bit. The reduced subcarrier field is shown in Table 6.

[0234] Table 6

[0235] By comparing Table 6 with Table 5, it can be seen that reducing the subcarrier field from 0-63 to 0-31 can reduce 1 bit.

[0236] In another embodiment, 2 bits may be reserved in the subcarrier field, and the reduced subcarrier field is shown in Table 7:

[0237] Table 7

[0238] The indication method of the subcarrier field shown in Table 7 above is equivalent to limiting the nPUSCH frequency domain to schedule at most 1 or 3 resource elements (REs), so only 4 bits are needed to indicate the subcarrier information of the nPUSCH, leaving 2 bits.

[0239] In this way, by limiting the number of subcarriers that the nPUSCH channel can occupy in the frequency domain, more bits are reserved for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0240] In one embodiment, it is also possible to define multiple sets of nPUSCH resources (sets), for example, to define 2 sets of nPUSCH resources, thereby reserving 2 bits from the subcarrier field, as shown in Tables 8 and 9. At this time, the subcarrier field can be indicated by subcarrier set set1 and subcarrier set set2.

[0241] Table 8-set 1

[0242] Table 9-set 2

[0243] From Table 8 and Table 9, it can be seen that by dividing the subcarrier field into multiple sets for indication, the number of bits required for the subcarrier field in a single set is reduced compared to the number of bits required for the subcarrier field shown in Table 5.

[0244] In an embodiment of the present application, by limiting the number of subcarriers that the nPUSCH channel can occupy in the frequency domain and dividing them into different sets, the terminal can use all possible RE combinations according to its own capabilities and the scheduling information of the network device, leaving more bits for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0245] Optionally, the above set 1 and set 2 may also have other combinations. For example, Table 10 shows another set 1, called set 1.1.

[0246] Table 10-set 1.1

[0247] Table 11 shows another set 2, called set 2.1.

[0248] Table 11-set 2.1

[0249] It should be understood that the number of subcarrier sets and the division of the subcarrier sets described above are merely exemplary and intended to illustrate one possible implementation. However, in actual communication scenarios, various other implementations may exist based on specific requirements and system design, and are not limited to the above examples.

[0250] In the above-mentioned design of dividing the set of subcarrier sets to reduce the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, it is particularly critical for the terminal to clearly determine the subcarrier based on the subcarrier set in which the subcarrier is determined (referred to as the first subcarrier set). Based on this, the embodiment of the present application also designs an implementation method for the network to indicate the subcarrier set to the terminal. In the embodiment of the present application, the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are continuous in the frequency domain, or the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are equally spaced in the frequency domain. Several possible implementations of the indication of the first subcarrier set are introduced below:

[0251] In one embodiment, the terminal may determine the first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets based on the first parameter, where M is a positive integer. Optionally, M is predefined or configured by signaling.

[0252] Exemplarily, the first parameter may be a PUSCH transmission mode indicated by the network device. If the network device indicates that the terminal is to use a single-tone mode to transmit PUSCH at 15 kHz, set 1 (i.e., set 1 is the first subcarrier set) is used to indicate the subcarrier information. If the network device indicates that the terminal is to use a multi-tone mode to transmit PUSCH at 15 kHz, set 2 (i.e., set 2 is the first subcarrier set) is used to indicate the subcarrier information.

[0253] In another implementation manner, the first parameter may also be the first field with the number of occupied bits reduced.

[0254] For example, the subcarrier set can be indicated by the number of retransmissions indicated by the retransmission number indication field in the first field. For example, when the number of PUSCH retransmissions indicated by the retransmission number indication field is greater than the threshold value, only Set 1 is used; otherwise, Set 2 is used. For another example, when the number of PDSCH or PDCCH retransmissions indicated by the retransmission number indication field to the terminal is greater than the threshold value, Set 1 is used; otherwise, Set 2 is used.

[0255] In another implementation, the first parameter may also be a PDCCH aggregation level used when scheduling the terminal.

[0256] Illustratively, when the aggregation level is greater than the threshold, Set 1 is used; otherwise, Set 2 is used.

[0257] In another embodiment, the first parameter may also be a subcarrier set determined by a control channel element (CCE) index of a PDCCH used when scheduling a terminal.

[0258] Illustratively, when the value of CCE Index is the first value or in the first value set, Set 1 is used; otherwise, Set 2 is used.

[0259] In another implementation, the network device may indicate the first subcarrier set among the M subcarrier sets to the terminal through the second indication information.

[0260] It should be understood that the above-described design of determining the first subcarrier set by the terminal is merely illustrative, intended to illustrate one possible method for determining the first subcarrier set. However, in actual communication scenarios, various other determination methods may exist based on specific requirements and system design, and are not limited to the above example.

[0261] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal is dynamically indicated or determined in an implicit manner which subcarrier set to use for PUSCH, without the need for additional signaling to indicate the subcarrier set to use for PUSCH, and a certain scheduling flexibility is still retained.

[0262] The above describes possible implementation methods for reducing the number of occupied bits in the subcarrier field at 15kHz subcarrier spacing. Similarly, for the subcarrier field at 3.75kHz subcarrier spacing, the number of occupied bits can also be reduced. The following is an explanation:

[0263] For the subcarrier field at 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing, the number of occupied bits can be reduced to 1 or 2. First, the scenario of reducing the number of occupied bits to 1 bit is described.

[0264] When the number of occupied bits is reduced to 1 bit, 1 bit of occupation can be reduced from the subcarrier field by defining a set of 2 nPUSCH resources. Table 12 shows the subcarrier field under 3.75kHz subcarrier spacing.

[0265] Table 12

[0266] As shown in Table 12, the subcarrier field 0–47 indicates a subcarrier I sc , subcarrier fields 48-63 indicate that no subcarriers are allocated.

[0267] The subcarrier fields shown in Table 12 are divided into two sets, set1.2 and set2.2. Set1.2 is shown in Table 13, and set2.2 is shown in Table 14.

[0268] Table 13-set 1.2

[0269] In Table 13, the subcarrier field 0–23 indicates a subcarrier I sc , subcarrier fields 24-31 indicate that no subcarriers are allocated.

[0270] Table 14-set 2.2

[0271] In Table 14, the subcarrier field 0–23 indicates a subcarrier I sc +24, Subcarrier fields 24-31 indicate that no subcarriers are allocated.

[0272] Combining Table 13 and Table 14, it can be seen that by dividing the subcarrier field into multiple sets for indication, within a single set, the number of bits required for the subcarrier field is reduced compared to the number of bits required for the subcarrier field shown in Table 12.

[0273] In an embodiment of the present application, by limiting the number of subcarriers that the nPUSCH channel can occupy in the frequency domain and dividing them into different sets, all possible RE combinations are used according to the scheduling information of the network device, leaving more bits for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0274] In one embodiment, by defining a set of three nPUSCH resources, two bits of occupancy can be reduced from the subcarrier field. In this case, the subcarrier field shown in Table 12 is divided into three sets: set1.3, set2.3, and set3.3. Set1.3 is shown in Table 15, set2.3 is shown in Table 16, and set3.3 is shown in Table 17.

[0275] Table 15-set 1.3

[0276] As shown in Table 15, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier I sc .

[0277] Table 16-set 2.3

[0278] As shown in Table 16, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier I sc +16.

[0279] Table 17-set 3.3

[0280] As shown in Table 17, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier I sc +32.

[0281] It can be seen from Tables 15 to 17 that by dividing the subcarrier field into 3 sets for indication, the number of bits required for the subcarrier field is reduced compared to dividing the subcarrier field into 2 sets for indication in Tables 13 and 14.

[0282] In an embodiment of the present application, by limiting the number of subcarriers that the nPUSCH channel can occupy in the frequency domain and dividing them into different sets, 2 bits can be further reserved, leaving more bits for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0283] It should be understood that the number of subcarrier sets and the division of the subcarrier sets described above are merely exemplary and intended to illustrate one possible implementation. However, in actual communication scenarios, various other implementations may exist based on specific requirements and system design, and are not limited to the above examples.

[0284] Exemplarily, the sets may be divided in other ways. For example, set 1.2 in Table 13 and set 2.2 in Table 14 may be divided into odd and even numbers. In this case, set 1.2 is shown in Table 18 and set 2.2 is shown in Table 19.

[0285] Table 18-set 1.2

[0286] In Table 18, the subcarrier fields 0–23 indicate even-numbered subcarriers 2I sc The subcarrier fields 24-31 indicate that no subcarriers are allocated.

[0287] Table 19-set 2.2

[0288] In Table 19, the subcarrier fields 0–23 indicate odd-numbered subcarriers 2I sc + 1. Subcarrier fields 24-31 indicate that no subcarrier is allocated.

[0289] In another example, set1.3 in Table 15, set2.3 in Table 16, and set3.3 in Table 17 can be distinguished by the value modulo 3. In this case, set1.3, set2.3, and set3.3 are shown in Table 20, Table 21, and Table 22, respectively.

[0290] Table 20-set 1.3

[0291] In Table 20, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier 3I sc .

[0292] Table 21-set 2.3

[0293] In Table 21, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier 3I sc +1.

[0294] Table 22-set 3.3

[0295] In Table 22, the subcarrier field 0–15 indicates a subcarrier 3I sc +2.

[0296] The above describes an implementation method for reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field at a 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing by dividing the subcarrier set. It is understandable that the terminal can determine the subcarrier set at a 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing by the implementation method for determining the subcarrier set at a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, which will not be repeated here.

[0297] The above introduces possible designs for reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field. Taking into account non-terrestrial networks, especially when using low-orbit (LEO) satellites for communication, it is indeed possible to encounter a long round-trip time (RTT), such as 54ms under the LEO-600 orbit. In this scenario, the traditional retransmission mechanism may no longer be applicable or its efficiency may be reduced because the long RTT will cause the retransmission process to become impractical or uneconomical. In this case, the new data indication field can be used to indicate other information instead of the traditional retransmission indication. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application reduces the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, and no longer indicates new data, but indicates the first sequence information. That is, 1 bit of the new data indication field is used to indicate the first sequence information.

[0298] In this case, the network device may notify the terminal that the new data indication field is invalid or that the hybrid automatic repeat-request (HARQ) is turned off (or invalid). Accordingly, as shown in FIG14 , the method may further include:

[0299] S840: The network device sends third indication information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the third indication information from the network device.

[0300] The third indication information indicates that the hybrid automatic repeat request of the terminal is turned off. Alternatively, the third indication information indicates that the new data indication field is invalid. Exemplarily, the third indication information can be carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

[0301] In the embodiment of the present application, the number of bits available for indicating the first sequence information is increased by reusing the bits occupied by the new data indication field.

[0302] In one embodiment, the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field may be reduced. A possible design for reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field is described below.

[0303] Exemplarily, the 3 bits in the retransmission count field are replaced by 2 bits, and the reduced 1 bit is used to indicate the first sequence information.

[0304] Optionally, to ensure that the number of retransmissions can still be accurately indicated after reducing the number of bits occupied by the number of retransmissions, the number of available PUSCH repetitions can be configured through RRC signaling, and then the 2-bit retransmission number field can be used to indicate the number of repetitions used in the above "available number of retransmissions". For example, the available repetition numbers can be {1, 2, 4, 8} or {16, 32, 64, 128}.

[0305] The "available number of repetitions" may be associated with the second control information indicating the length of the first sequence in step S830 in the embodiment shown in FIG13 . For example, when the second control information indicates that the length of the first sequence is 1 or 2, the "available number of repetitions" may be: {1, 2, 4, 8}. Furthermore, when the second control information indicates that the length of the first sequence is 4, the "available number of repetitions" may be: {16, 32, 64, 128}.

[0306] Alternatively, the reduced number of bits can also be used to indicate the number of retransmissions on the first channel. The reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information, that is, the number of retransmissions on the first channel is associated with the first sequence information. Exemplarily, the length of the first sequence can be associated with the aforementioned "available number of repetitions." For example, when the length of the first sequence is 1 or 2, the aforementioned "available number of repetitions" can be: {1, 2, 4, 8}. Furthermore, when the length of the first sequence is 4, the aforementioned "available number of repetitions" can be: {16, 32, 64, 128}.

[0307] In the embodiment of the present application, the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field is reduced to indicate the first sequence information. In addition, a mechanism is designed to indicate the number of repetitions available for the PUSCH, ensuring that the number of retransmissions can still be accurately indicated after reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field.

[0308] The above introduces the number of bits required for the first sequence information and the number of bits that can be reduced for each type of first field. For first sequence information with different required numbers of bits, the number of bits occupied by each type of first field can be flexibly reduced to meet the needs of the first sequence information. Several typical examples are selected below to illustrate the possible reduction in the number of bits occupied by the first field to indicate the first sequence information. It is mentioned above that the first field in the occupied bit number state shown in Table 1 is called initial control information. The following is an introduction from the perspective of comparing the initial control information with the first control information. The first control information includes a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the scheduling information of the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel.

[0309] In one embodiment, for scenarios where the first sequence information requires 2 bits or 1 bit, the subcarrier field can be used alone to save these 2 bits or 1 bit. In this case, the first control information includes a first subcarrier indication field and a first sequence indication field. The first subcarrier indication field occupies M1 bits; the second subcarrier indication field occupies K1 bits, where N ≤ K1 - M1.

[0310] In one embodiment, for scenarios where the first sequence information requires 1 bit, the new data indication field is used alone to save this 1 bit. In this case, the first control information includes the first new data indication field and the first sequence indication field, and the number of bits occupied by the first new data indication field is M2; the initial control information includes the second new data indication field, and the number of bits occupied by the second new data indication field is K2; N≤K2-M2;

[0311] In one embodiment, if the first sequence information requires one bit, a retransmission count indication field is used to save this bit. In this case, the first control information includes a first retransmission count indication field, which occupies M3 bits; the initial control information includes a second retransmission count indication field, which occupies K3 bits; N ≤ K3 - M3.

[0312] In one embodiment, for scenarios where the first sequence information is 2 or 3 bits, the subcarrier indication field and the new data indication field are combined to save these 2 or 3 bits. In this case, assuming K1-M1=L1, K2-M2=L2, then N≤L1+L2.

[0313] In one embodiment, for scenarios where the first sequence information requires 2 or 3 bits, the new data indication field and the retransmission count indication field are combined to save these 2 or 3 bits.

[0314] In one embodiment, when the first sequence information requires 3 bits, the subcarrier indication field, the retransmission number indication field, and the new data indication field are combined to save these 3 bits.

[0315] In one embodiment, for a scenario where the first sequence information requires 2 bits or 3 bits, the subcarrier indication field and the retransmission number indication field are combined to save these 2 bits or 3 bits.

[0316] It should be understood that although the embodiments of the present application do not exhaustively list the possibilities of reducing the number of bits of various types of first fields (or combinations of various types of first fields), but illustrate them with the above examples, the communication method in the embodiments of the present application is also applicable to other types of first fields (or combinations of first fields) to reduce the number of occupied bits, without limitation.

[0317] In an embodiment of the present application, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the scheduling information of the first channel and using the reduced number of bits to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, the first sequence parameters can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0318] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the execution logic of each step. It is understandable that each node, such as a terminal, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to implement the above functions. Those skilled in the art should easily appreciate that, in combination with the algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiment disclosed herein, the method of the embodiment of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0319] The embodiment of the present application can divide the terminal into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0320] In a specific implementation, each network element shown in this application, such as a terminal or network device, may adopt the structure shown in Figure 15 or include the components shown in Figure 15. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. When the communication device has the functions of a terminal described in an embodiment of this application, the communication device may be a terminal or a chip or system-on-chip in the terminal. When the communication device has the functions of a network device described in an embodiment of this application, the communication device may be a network device or a chip or system-on-chip in the network device.

[0321] As shown in Figure 15 , the communication device may include a processor 1201, a communication line 1202, a transceiver 1203, and a memory 1204. The processor 1201, the memory 1204, and the transceiver 1203 may be connected via the communication line 1202. In one example, the processor 1201 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in Figure 15 .

[0322] As an optional implementation, the communication device includes multiple processors. For example, in addition to the processor 1201 in FIG. 15 , it may also include a processor 1207 .

[0323] The processor 1201 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 1201 may also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules.

[0324] The communication line 1202 is used to transmit information between the various components included in the communication device.

[0325] Transceiver 1203 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. Such other communication networks may be Ethernet, radio access networks (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 1203 may be an interface circuit, a pin, a radio frequency module, a transceiver, or any other device capable of communication.

[0326] Furthermore, the communication device may further include a memory 1204. The memory 1204 is configured to store instructions, wherein the instructions may be computer programs.

[0327] Among them, the memory 1204 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and / or instructions, or a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and / or 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, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices. Optical disc storage includes compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, or Blu-ray disc, etc.

[0328] It should be noted that the memory 1204 can exist independently of the processor 1201 or can be integrated with the processor 1201. The memory 1204 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data. The memory 1204 can be located within the communication device or outside the communication device, without limitation. When the processor 1201 executes the instructions stored in the memory 1204, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented.

[0329] As an optional implementation, the communication apparatus further includes an output device 1205 and an input device 1206. For example, the input device 1206 is a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a joystick, or the like, and the output device 1205 is a display screen, a speaker, or the like.

[0330] It should be noted that the communication device may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal, an embedded device, a chip system, or a device having a structure similar to that shown in FIG15 . Furthermore, the component structure shown in FIG15 does not limit the communication device. In addition to the components shown in FIG15 , the communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0331] In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0332] Figure 16 shows a structural diagram of a communication device 13, which is applied to a network device. Each module in the device shown in Figure 16 has the function of implementing the execution steps of the network device shown in Figures 11 to 14, and can achieve its corresponding technical effects. The corresponding beneficial effects of the execution steps of each module can be referred to the description of the execution steps of the network device, and will not be repeated here. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The communication device can be a network device or a chip or system on chip in the network device. For example, the communication device includes: a transceiver module 131, which is used to send a first indication information for indicating that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel.

[0333] In a first aspect, the network device notifies the terminal through first indication information that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel.

[0334] In one embodiment, the first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is the first number of bits; the first indication information is a second value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is the second number of bits, and the second number of bits is less than the first number of bits; wherein the difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

[0335] In this design, the first indication information indicates a reduced number of bits.

[0336] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 131 is further used to send first control information, where the first control information includes a first field and a second field, where the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

[0337] In this implementation, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the scheduling information of the first channel and using the reduced number of bits to indicate the first sequence information of the first channel, the first sequence parameters can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0338] In one embodiment, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

[0339] In this implementation, the first control information of the former requires fewer bits, and the first sequence information indicated by the first control information of the latter is more comprehensive.

[0340] In one embodiment, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence. The transceiver module 131 is further configured to send second control information, where the second control information is configured to indicate the length of the first sequence.

[0341] In this implementation, the first control information indicates the sequence index of the first sequence, and the second control information indicates the length of the first sequence, so that the terminal can clearly understand the complete information of the first sequence.

[0342] In one embodiment, the first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

[0343] In this implementation, several possible types of the first control information are designed.

[0344] In one embodiment, the first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

[0345] In this implementation, by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count indication field to indicate the information of the first sequence, the first sequence parameters can be accurately transmitted without causing additional burden on the terminal blind detection process.

[0346] In one embodiment, when the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

[0347] In this implementation, the first sequence information is indicated by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field. Furthermore, a method for indicating the number of retransmissions is designed to ensure that the number of retransmissions can still be accurately indicated even after reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission count field.

[0348] In one embodiment, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the first field after the number of occupied bits is reduced is also used to indicate the subcarrier set.

[0349] In this implementation, by dividing the number of occupied subcarriers into different sets, more bits can be reserved for indicating the first sequence information, thereby improving the flexibility of the first sequence information indication and improving the transmission performance and scheduling flexibility under the first sequence.

[0350] In one embodiment, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the transceiver module 131 is further configured to send third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that hybrid automatic repeat request is turned off.

[0351] In this implementation, the network device instructs the terminal to turn off hybrid automatic repeat request, and the bits occupied by the new data indication field can be re-applied, thereby increasing the number of bits that can be used to indicate the first sequence information.

[0352] In one embodiment, the first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

[0353] In one embodiment, the subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 15 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

[0354] Figure 17 shows a structural diagram of a communication device 14, which is applied to a terminal. Each module in the device shown in Figure 17 has the function of implementing the terminal execution steps shown in Figures 11 to 14, and can achieve its corresponding technical effects. The corresponding beneficial effects of the execution steps of each module can be referred to the description of the terminal execution steps, and will not be repeated here. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The communication device can be a terminal or a chip or system on chip in the terminal. For example: the communication device includes:

[0355] The transceiver module 141 is configured to receive first indication information indicating that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, where the reduced number of bits is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

[0356] In one embodiment, the first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is the first number of bits; the first indication information is a second value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is the second number of bits, and the second number of bits is less than the first number of bits; wherein the difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

[0357] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 141 is used to receive first control information, where the first control information includes a first field and a second field, where the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of the first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

[0358] In one embodiment, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

[0359] In one embodiment, the first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence. The transceiver module 141 is configured to receive second control information, where the second control information is used to indicate the length of the first sequence.

[0360] In one embodiment, the first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

[0361] In one embodiment, the first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

[0362] In one embodiment, when the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

[0363] In one embodiment, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the first field after the number of occupied bits is reduced is also used to indicate the subcarrier set.

[0364] In one embodiment, when the number of bits is reduced by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the transceiver module 141 is further configured to receive third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that hybrid automatic repeat request is turned off.

[0365] In one embodiment, the first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

[0366] In one embodiment, the subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 15 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

[0367] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes a network device and a terminal, wherein the network device may have the function of the above-mentioned communication device 13, and the terminal may have the function of the above-mentioned communication device 14.

[0368] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by a computer program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be a terminal device of any of the above-mentioned embodiments, such as: an internal storage unit including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end, such as a hard disk or memory of the terminal device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above-mentioned terminal device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. equipped on the above-mentioned terminal device. Furthermore, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above-mentioned terminal device and an external storage device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above-mentioned computer program and other programs and data required by the above-mentioned terminal device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0369] The present application also provides a computer instruction. All or part of the process in the above method embodiment can be completed by the computer instruction to instruct the relevant hardware (such as a computer, processor, network device, and terminal, etc.). The program can be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium.

[0370] The present application also provides a chip system. This chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete components, without limitation. The chip system includes a processor and a transceiver. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by the chip system. For example, the chip system can be used to implement the functions performed by the network device or terminal in the above method embodiments.

[0371] In one possible design, the above-mentioned chip system also includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and / or data. When the chip system is running, the processor executes the program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to perform the functions performed by the network device or terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0372] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0373] In an embodiment of the present application, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in an embodiment of the present application may also be a circuit or any other device that can implement a storage function, for storing instructions and / or data.

[0374] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0375] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple. It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A. For example, B can be determined based on A. It should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. In addition, the "connection" 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 limitation on this.

[0376] Unless otherwise specified, the "transmission" (transmit / transmission) appearing in the embodiments of the present application refers to bidirectional transmission, including the actions of sending and / or receiving. Specifically, the "transmission" in the embodiments of the present application includes the sending of data, the receiving of data, or the sending of data and the receiving of data. In other words, the data transmission here includes uplink and / or downlink data transmission. Data may include channels and / or signals, uplink data transmission is uplink channel and / or uplink signal transmission, and downlink data transmission is downlink channel and / or downlink signal transmission. The "network" and "system" appearing in the embodiments of the present application express the same concept, and the communication system is the communication network.

[0377] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0378] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0379] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple different places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0380] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a device, such as a single-chip microcomputer, a chip, etc., or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0381] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited to this. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: First indication information is sent, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a first number of bits; The first indication information is a second value, the number of bits occupied by the first field is a second number of bits, and the second number of bits is smaller than the first number of bits; The difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: First control information is sent, where the first control information includes the first field and a second field, where the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of a first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, and the method further includes: Second control information is sent, where the second control information is used to indicate a length of the first sequence.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that In a case where the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that In a case where the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the subcarrier field after the reduced number of bits is further used to indicate the subcarrier used for the first channel in the first subcarrier set.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are continuous in the frequency domain, or the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are equally spaced in the frequency domain.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second indication information is sent, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets, where M is a positive integer.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that: In a case where the reduced number of bits is achieved by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the method further comprises: Send third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that hybrid automatic repeat request is turned off.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 15 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The first sequence is used to extend the first channel, or the first sequence is used to extend data carried by the first channel.

16. A communication method, characterized in that: include: First indication information is received, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the number of bits occupied by the first field is reduced, and the reduced number of bits is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first indication information is a first value, and the number of bits occupied by the first field is a first number of bits; The first indication information is a second value, the number of bits occupied by the first field is a second number of bits, and the second number of bits is smaller than the first number of bits; The difference between the first number of bits and the second number of bits is the reduced number of bits.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: First control information is received, where the first control information includes the first field and a second field, where the first field is used to indicate scheduling information of a first channel, and the second field is used to indicate first sequence information of the first channel.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that: The first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, or the first sequence information of the first channel includes a length of the first sequence and a sequence index of the first sequence.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first sequence information of the first channel includes a sequence index of the first sequence, and the method further includes: Second control information is received, where the second control information is used to indicate a length of the first sequence.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The first control information is any one of downlink control information, uplink control information, and sidelink control information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized in that The first field includes one or more of the following fields: a subcarrier field, a new data indication field, and a retransmission number indication field; the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing at least one of the following: the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, or the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that In a case where the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the retransmission number indication field, the reduced number of bits is also used to indicate the number of retransmissions of the first channel.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that In a case where the reduced number of bits is obtained by reducing the number of bits occupied by the subcarrier field, the subcarrier field after the reduced number of bits is further used to indicate the subcarrier used for the first channel in the first subcarrier set.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are continuous in the frequency domain, or the subcarriers in the first subcarrier set are equally spaced in the frequency domain.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second indication information is received, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first subcarrier set from M subcarrier sets, where M is a positive integer.

27. The method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first subcarrier set is determined from M subcarrier sets according to a first parameter, where M is a positive integer.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that In a case where the reduced number of bits is achieved by reducing the number of bits occupied by the new data indication field, the method further comprises: Third indication information is received, where the third indication information indicates that hybrid automatic repeat request is disabled.

29. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 28, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in a radio resource control protocol message or a system message block.

30. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 29, characterized in that The subcarrier spacing of the first channel is 16 kHz or 3.75 kHz.

31. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 30, characterized in that The first sequence is used to extend the first channel, or the first sequence is used to extend data carried by the first channel.

32. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

33. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 31.

34. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes at least one processor, and the at least one processor is configured to enable the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

35. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 31 is executed.

36. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes: a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 16 to 31.

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