Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a network device sending a first signal, wherein the sending period of the first signal is less than a first period, and / or, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold value; and on the basis of a first response signal, the network device determining whether to send a second signal to a beam position corresponding to the first response signal, wherein the first response signal is a response to the first signal. The embodiments of the present application reduce the length of identifiers of terminal devices, so that the signaling overhead can be reduced. The embodiments of the present application reduce the number of second signals and the sending directions thereof, thereby facilitating a reduction in the interference suffered by the second signals.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on April 2, 2024, with application number 202410398128.1 and application name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] In large-scale satellite systems, there are many satellites, each of which can send synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks (synchronization signal / PBCH block, SSB). The same satellite may also send SSBs in different cells provided by the satellite, and the interference between these SSBs may be more serious.

[0005] To reduce interference, one approach is to use time-division to transmit SSB signals to each satellite (and to different cells covered by the same satellite). However, the duration of an SSB transmission cycle is relatively long, so only a limited number of cells can implement time-division transmission.

[0006] Another way to reduce interference is to have each satellite (and the different cells covered by the same satellite) transmit SSB signals using frequency division. However, SSB occupies a large bandwidth, and implementing frequency division requires an extremely large bandwidth, making it impractical.

[0007] It can be seen that how to reduce SSB interference is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for reducing interference of a reference signal.

[0009] In a first aspect, a first communication method is provided, which can be applied to the network side, for example, it can be executed by a network device. The network device is, for example, a network device, or other devices including the functions of a network device, or a circuit, or a chip system (or chip) or other functional module, and the chip system or functional module can realize the functions of the network device, and the chip system or functional module is, for example, set in the network device. The network device includes, for example, a core network device and / or an access network device. The following introduction takes the network device as an example. The method includes: sending a first signal, the sending period of the first signal is less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; according to a first response signal, determining whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal, and the first response signal is a response to the first signal.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the response signal based on the response signal. For example, if the network device receives a response signal from a certain wave position, it can send the second signal to the wave position. If the network device does not receive a response signal from a certain wave position, it does not need to send the second signal to the wave position. This method reduces the number and sending direction of the second signal, which is beneficial to reducing the interference to the second signal. The second signal includes, for example, a reference signal. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application can reduce the interference of the reference signal. In addition, the network device can first send the first signal to receive the response signal. Since the first signal has a smaller sending period and / or occupies fewer frequency domain units, it can be sent by time division and / or frequency division, so that the first signal is less interfered with.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, determining whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal includes: receiving the first response signal; and sending a second signal to the wave position where the first terminal device is located in response to the first response signal.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, determining whether to send a second signal to the wavelength corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal includes: not receiving the first response signal; and not sending the second signal to the wavelength corresponding to the first response signal.

[0013] If the network device receives a response signal from a certain beam position, it can send a second signal to that beam position. If the network device does not receive a response signal from a certain beam position, it does not need to send a second signal to that beam position. This approach reduces the number and direction of second signals, thereby helping to reduce interference to the second signals.

[0014] In an optional implementation, the second signal includes an SSB, or includes an SSB and system information. Alternatively, the second signal may also include other signals, such as a CSI-RS, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the first period is the transmission period of the SSB. The transmission period of the first signal may be smaller than the transmission period of the SSB, which facilitates time-division transmission of the first signal by various network devices (and / or different cells provided by a network device) to reduce interference between the first signals.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold, which can shorten the duration of the first signal and enable more cells to participate in time division multiplexing of the first signal.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the transmission period of the first signal is less than the first period, wherein the first signal includes a PSS and / or an SSS. For example, the first signal includes one PSS and / or one SSS. Compared to an SSB, the first signal may not include a PBCH, thereby shortening the duration of the first signal. Alternatively, the first signal may include other information, which is not limited.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer. By repeatedly sending the first signal in the time domain, the coverage of the first signal can be improved.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, sending the second signal to the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located includes sending the second signal to the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located using a time division method. Since the first signal has a short transmission period, it can be sent using the time division method, thereby reducing interference to the first signal.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB. This shows that, compared to signals such as SSB, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is significantly reduced, thereby expanding the frequency division multiplexing range of the first signal, enabling the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application to be applied to larger-scale satellite systems.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal. In addition, the first signal may also be other types of signals, as long as the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold. Since the first signal is shorter in the frequency domain, the first signal can be lengthened in the time domain, thereby improving the coverage of the first signal and enabling the first signal to carry sufficient information.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the first signal carries an identifier of the network device, which enables a terminal device receiving the first signal to determine which network device the first signal comes from, and thus to synchronize with the network device according to the first signal.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, sending the second signal to the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located includes sending the second signal to the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located using a frequency division method. Because the first signal occupies fewer frequency domain units, it can be sent using the frequency division method, thereby reducing interference to the first signal.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, receiving the first response signal includes: when a first time offset arrives after sending the first signal, starting a first timer, the first timer being used to detect the response signal; during the operation of the first timer, receiving the first response signal, wherein the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences. Through the first timer, the network device can detect the response signal within a reasonable time range, which can not only realize the detection of the response signal, but also will not consume too much detection power. By associating the wave position with the orthogonal sequence, and associating different wave positions with different orthogonal sequences, code division of the orthogonal sequence is achieved to reduce interference between orthogonal sequences.

[0026] In an optional embodiment, receiving the first response signal includes: receiving the first response signal at a first timing, the first response signal being a first orthogonal sequence, wherein the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more timings, the first timing being one of the one or more timings, each of the one or more timings being associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wavelengths are associated with different timings, and the orthogonal sequences associated with different wavelengths are the same or different; or, the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wavelength at which the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence being one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, each of the one or more orthogonal sequences being associated with a timing, wherein different wavelengths are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the orthogonal sequences associated with different wavelengths are the same or different. Associating orthogonal sequences with timings and / or wavelengths enables the orthogonal sequences to achieve not only code division but also time division and / or space division, thereby further reducing interference between orthogonal sequences.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device. For example, the network device may support orthogonal sequences, and the terminal device may send the orthogonal sequence supported by the network device, so that the orthogonal sequence sent by the terminal device can be recognized by the network device.

[0028] In a second aspect, a second communication method is provided, which can be applied to the terminal side, for example, it can be executed by a terminal device. The terminal device is, for example, a terminal device, or other device including the functions of a terminal device, or a circuit, or a chip system (or, chip, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core) or other functional module. The chip system or functional module can realize the functions of the terminal device, and the chip system or functional module is, for example, set in the terminal device. The following description takes the terminal device as an example. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a network device, the transmission period of the first signal is less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; performing synchronization with the network device according to the first signal; sending a first response signal to the network device; and receiving a second signal from the network device.

[0029] In an optional implementation, the second signal includes SSB, or includes SSB and system information.

[0030] In an optional implementation, the first period is a sending period of SSB.

[0031] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the sending period of the first signal is smaller than the first period, wherein the first signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0033] In an optional implementation, the first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer.

[0034] In an optional implementation, the first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB.

[0035] In an optional implementation, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal.

[0036] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0037] In an optional implementation, the first signal carries an identifier of the network device.

[0038] In an optional implementation, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences.

[0039] In an optional embodiment, sending a first response signal to the network device includes: sending the first response signal to the network device at a first timing, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, wherein the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more timings, the first timing is one of the one or more timings, each of the one or more timings is associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wave positions are associated with different timings, and the orthogonal sequences associated with the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different; or, the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence is one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, each of the one or more orthogonal sequences is associated with a timing, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different.

[0040] In an optional implementation, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device.

[0041] Regarding the technical effects brought about by the second aspect or various optional implementations, reference may be made to the introduction to the technical effects of the first aspect or corresponding implementations.

[0042] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the network device described in any one of the first and second aspects. The communication device has the functions of the network device described above. For example, the communication device has the functions of implementing any one of the first and second aspects. For example, the communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to performing the operations described in any one of the first and second aspects. The module, unit, or means may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device may be, for example, a network device, or other device including the functions of a network device, or a chip system (or chip or circuit) or other functional module. The chip system or functional module can implement the functions of a network device. The chip system or functional module is, for example, provided in a network device. The network device may include, for example, a core network device and / or an access network device. In an optional implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module). A transceiver unit can perform both sending and receiving functions. When performing the sending function, it can be called a sending unit (sometimes also called a sending module). When performing the receiving function, it can be called a receiving unit (sometimes also called a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional module, which is called a transceiver unit and can perform both sending and receiving functions. Alternatively, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional modules, with the transceiver unit being the general term for these functional modules.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit) is used to send a first signal, the sending period of the first signal is less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit is used to determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal, and the first response signal is a response to the first signal.

[0044] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit is used to determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal in the following manner: receiving the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit); in response to the first response signal, sending a second signal to the wave position where the first terminal device is located through the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit).

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit is used to determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal in the following manner: the first response signal is not received by the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit); the second signal is not sent to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit).

[0046] In an optional implementation, the second signal includes SSB, or includes SSB and system information.

[0047] In an optional implementation, the first period is a sending period of SSB.

[0048] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the sending period of the first signal is smaller than the first period, wherein the first signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0050] In an optional implementation, the first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the transceiver unit (or the sending unit) is used to send the second signal to the wave position where the first terminal device is located in the following manner: the second signal is sent to the wave position where the first terminal device is located in a time division manner.

[0052] In an optional implementation, the first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB.

[0053] In an optional implementation, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal.

[0054] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0055] In an optional implementation, the first signal carries an identifier of the network device.

[0056] In an optional embodiment, the transceiver unit (or the sending unit) is used to send the second signal to the wave position where the first terminal device is located in the following manner: using a frequency division method to send the second signal to the wave position where the first terminal device is located.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit is used to receive the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit) in the following manner: when the first time offset arrives after the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit) sends the first signal, the processing unit starts a first timer, and the first timer is used to detect the response signal; during the operation of the first timer, the processing unit receives the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit), wherein the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences.

[0058] In an optional embodiment, the processing unit is used to receive the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit) in the following manner: the processing unit receives the first response signal through the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit) at a first time, and the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, wherein the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first time, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more times, the first time is one of the one or more times, and each of the one or more times is associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wave positions are associated with different times, and the orthogonal sequences associated with different wave positions are the same or different; or, the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first time, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence is one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, and each of the one or more orthogonal sequences is associated with a time, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the times associated with different wave positions are the same or different.

[0059] In an optional implementation, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the communication device also includes a storage unit (sometimes also referred to as a storage module), and the processing unit is used to couple with the storage unit and execute the program or instructions in the storage unit, enabling the communication device to perform the functions of the network device described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0061] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the terminal device described in any one of the first and second aspects. The communication device has the functions of the terminal device described above. For example, the communication device has the functions of implementing any one of the first and second aspects. For example, the communication device includes a module, unit, or means corresponding to performing the operations described in any one of the first and second aspects. The module, unit, or means may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device may be, for example, a terminal device, or other device including the functions of a terminal device, or a chip system (or chip or circuit) or other functional module. The chip system or functional module can implement the functions of the terminal device, and the chip system or functional module is, for example, provided in the terminal device. In one optional implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module). For the implementation of the transceiver unit, please refer to the relevant description of the third aspect.

[0062] In an optional embodiment, the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit) is used to receive a first signal from the network device, the sending period of the first signal is less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; the processing unit is used to perform synchronization with the network device according to the first signal; the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit) is used to send a first response signal to the network device; the transceiver unit (or, the receiving unit) is also used to receive a second signal from the network device.

[0063] In an optional implementation, the second signal includes SSB, or includes SSB and system information.

[0064] In an optional implementation, the first period is a sending period of SSB.

[0065] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0066] In an optional implementation, the sending period of the first signal is smaller than the first period, wherein the first signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

[0067] In an optional implementation, the first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer.

[0068] In an optional implementation, the first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB.

[0069] In an optional implementation, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein the first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal.

[0070] In an optional implementation, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0071] In an optional implementation, the first signal carries an identifier of the network device.

[0072] In an optional implementation, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences.

[0073] In an optional embodiment, the transceiver unit (or, the sending unit) is used to send a first response signal to the network device in the following manner: sending the first response signal to the network device at a first timing, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, wherein the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more timings, the first timing is one of the one or more timings, each of the one or more timings is associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wave positions are associated with different timings, and the orthogonal sequences associated with the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different; or, the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence is one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, each of the one or more orthogonal sequences is associated with a timing, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different.

[0074] In an optional implementation, the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device.

[0075] In an optional embodiment, the communication device also includes a storage unit (sometimes also referred to as a storage module), and the processing unit is used to couple with the storage unit and execute the program or instructions in the storage unit, so as to enable the communication device to perform the functions of the terminal device described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0076] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store part or all of a computer program or instruction necessary to implement the functions described in the first aspect. The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer program or instruction. When executed, the computer program or instruction causes the communication device to implement the method described in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect.

[0077] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0078] In one possible design, the communication device may further include the memory.

[0079] The communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0080] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is configured to store part or all of a computer program or instruction necessary to implement the functions described in the second aspect. The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer program or instruction. When executed, the computer program or instruction causes the communication device to implement the method described in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect.

[0081] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0082] In one possible design, the communication device may further include the memory.

[0083] The communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0084] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal device and a network device, wherein the network device is configured to execute the method performed by the network device as described in any of the first and second aspects above, and the terminal device is configured to execute the method performed by the terminal device as described in any of the first and second aspects above. For example, the network device may be implemented by the communication device described in the third or fifth aspect, and the terminal device may be implemented by the communication device described in the fourth or sixth aspect. Optionally, the communication system may further include other devices, which are not limited thereto.

[0085] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method executed by the terminal device or network device in the above aspects is implemented.

[0086] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which enables the methods described in the above aspects to be implemented when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer.

[0087] In a tenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and an interface, wherein the processor is configured to call and execute instructions from the interface so that the chip system implements the methods in the above aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a first signal being repeated multiple times in the time domain in an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a network device detecting a response signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0092] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the wave position, the response signal, and the timing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a network device sending a second signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0095] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0096] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, means "singular noun or plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" means one or more, and "plural" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "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 means: 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.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to define the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. In addition, the numbering of steps in the various embodiments introduced in this application is only to distinguish different steps and is not used to define the order of the steps. For example, S201 can occur before S202, or after S202, or simultaneously with S202.

[0099] Below, some terms or concepts in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver function, which can be a fixed device, a mobile device, a handheld device (such as a mobile phone), a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, or a wireless device built into the above device (such as a communication module, a modem, or a chip system, etc.). The terminal device is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc., and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as but not limited to the following scenarios: perception scenarios, cellular communications, device-to-device communication (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, indoor commercial scenarios (such as mobile phone screen projection, file sharing, mobile phone to VR glasses video transmission) and other scenarios. When the terminal device is applied to V2X, it can also be called a V2X device, for example, a smart car (or intelligent car), a digital car, an unmanned car (or driverless car or pilotless car or automobile), a self-driving car (or autonomous car), a pure electric vehicle (or battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range-extended EV (REEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a new energy vehicle (new energy vehicle), or a roadside unit (RSU). The terminal device can also be a device used in D2D communication, such as an electricity meter or water meter.

[0101] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in the Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0102] The various terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed in or installed in a vehicle), can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminal devices, which are also referred to as on-board units (OBUs). The terminal device of the present application can also be an on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units, and the vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit.

[0103] The terminal device may sometimes be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, wireless communication device, or user equipment, etc.

[0104] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device for implementing the terminal device function may be a terminal device, or may be a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which may be installed in the terminal device. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the terminal device as an example in which the device for implementing the terminal device function is a terminal device. In addition, for ease of description, the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application is described by taking a UE as an example.

[0105] The network devices in the embodiments of the present application include, for example, access network devices, and / or core network devices. The access network device is a device with wireless transceiver functions, which is used to communicate with the terminal device. The access network devices include but are not limited to base stations (base transceiver station (BTS), node B (Node B), evolved node B (eNodeB) / eNB, or the next generation node B (gNodeB) / gNB), transmission reception points (TRP), base stations subsequently evolved by the third generation partnership project (3GPP), access nodes in wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, etc. The base station can be: a macro base station, a micro base station, a pico base station, a small station, a relay station, etc. Multiple base stations can support networks with the same access technology, or they can support networks with different access technologies. The base station can include one or more co-station or non-co-station transmission and receiving points. The access network device may also be a wireless controller, a centralized unit (CU), and / or a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The access network device may also be a server, etc. For example, the network device in the V2X technology may be a road side unit (RSU). The following describes the access network device using a base station as an example. The base station can communicate with the terminal device, or it can communicate with the terminal device through a relay station. The terminal device can communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies. The core network device is used to implement functions such as mobility management, data processing, session management, policy and billing. The names of the devices that implement core network functions in systems with different access technologies may be different, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. Taking the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G) system as an example, the core network equipment includes, for example, access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), policy control function (PCF) or user plane function (UPF), etc.

[0106] In the CU-DU architecture, the access network equipment may include one or more logical network elements such as a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU may be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0107] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, CU may also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), DU may also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), CU-CP may also be called an open CU-CP (open CU-CP, O-CU-CP), CU-UP may also be called an open CU-UP (open CU-CP, O-CU-UP), and RU may also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). For convenience of description, the embodiments of the present application are described by taking CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0108] Optionally, in various embodiments of the present application, if the network device is a distributed architecture, for example, the network device includes a CU and a DU, or includes a CU-CP, a CU-UP and a DU, then the network device sends information to the UE, specifically, the DU included in the network device sends information to the UE; the network device receives information from the UE, specifically, the DU included in the network device receives information from the UE.

[0109] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device for implementing the function of the network device may be a network device, or may be a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which may be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described by taking the device for implementing the function of the network device as an example (for example, the device for implementing the function of the access network device is an access network device, and the device for implementing the function of the core network device is a core network device).

[0110] The following describes the technical features involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0111] Future satellite systems are evolving towards large-scale systems, in which multi-layer networking approaches are emerging. For example, the Starlink Gen2 system comprises approximately 30,000 satellites. Its orbit-maintaining capability boasts an inclination error of less than 0.5° and a lifespan of approximately five years. This system aims to provide high-speed, low-latency connections for remote users, while also offering efficient, high-throughput connections for users in diverse locations. The system is initially planned to consist of 30,000 satellites, with constellation parameters shown in Table 1.

[0112] Table 1

[0113] Later, the constellation configuration of the Starlink Gen2 system was modified. The modified system has two optional configurations: Configuration 1 includes 29,988 satellites, and Configuration 2 includes 29,996 satellites. The constellation parameters of these two configurations can be found in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively.

[0114] Table 2, Configuration 1

[0115] Table 3, Configuration 2

[0116] As can be seen, the modified Starlink Gen2 system has a higher orbital altitude and a wider inclination angle, which can achieve a more even distribution of satellite capacity in the dimensions, ensuring better and more continuous global coverage. However, as the satellite system scales up, the SSBs sent by the satellites will cause more serious interference.

[0117] Satellites can transmit SSBs to synchronize UEs with the satellite. Satellites can transmit SSBs using a scanning method. For example, one scanning algorithm is the baseline algorithm. The baseline algorithm is implemented by independently scanning each satellite at a minimum elevation angle, without coordination between satellites. This scanning algorithm may cause SSBs carried by multiple beams to point to the same beam position, resulting in significant interference between SSBs. To minimize interference, time division or frequency division can be considered.

[0118] In a time-division system, different cells (e.g., different satellites, or different cells covered by the same satellite) can transmit SSBs using a time-division approach. However, in the current New Radio (NR) standard, an SSB burst takes 5 milliseconds, and an SSB transmission cycle lasts 20 ms. Therefore, one SSB transmission cycle can only support time division for four cells, making it unsuitable for large-scale satellite systems.

[0119] In frequency division, different cells (e.g., different satellites, or different cells covered by the same satellite) can transmit SSB using frequency division. However, SSB occupies a large bandwidth of 20 resource blocks (RBs). For example, for a 15kHz subcarrier spacing, SSB occupies 3.6MHz of bandwidth; for a 120MHz subcarrier spacing, SSB occupies 28.8MHz of bandwidth. Therefore, implementing frequency division for SSB requires a very large bandwidth, making it difficult to implement.

[0120] As described above, how to reduce the interference to SSB is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0121] In view of this, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine whether to send a second signal to the beam position corresponding to the response signal based on the response signal. For example, if the network device receives a response signal from a certain beam position, the second signal can be sent to the beam position. If the network device does not receive a response signal from a certain beam position, the second signal does not need to be sent to the beam position. This approach reduces the number and transmission direction of the second signal, thereby helping to reduce the interference received by the second signal. The second signal includes, for example, a reference signal. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application can reduce the interference of the reference signal. In addition, the network device can first send the first signal to receive the response signal. Because the first signal has a shorter transmission period and / or occupies fewer frequency domain units, it can be sent through time division and / or frequency division, so that the first signal is less subject to interference. Among them, beam position is the abbreviation of beam position or beam center position, which is the position of the radio wave in space. It can also be understood as the signal strength and direction of the radio wave received by the signal receiving end. Wave position is a relatively important measurement indicator in radio communication.

[0122] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G) system, such as the long term evolution (LTE) system, or can be applied to the 5G system, such as the new radio (NR) system, or can also be applied to the next generation mobile communication system or other similar communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication technology (6G) system, or applied to the existing satellite mobile communication technology system, without specific limitation. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN), or can also be used for non-NTN, such as terrestrial cellular networks, for example, for scenarios where multiple cells need to send reference signals, the embodiments of the present application can be applied. In addition, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to D2D scenarios, such as NR-D2D scenarios, or to V2X scenarios, such as NR-V2X scenarios. For example, the embodiments of the present application can be used in factory manufacturing, whole-house intelligence, intelligent driving, assisted driving, intelligent connected vehicles, or indoor commercial scenarios and other fields.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 shows an NTN scenario. In Figure 1, the embodiment of the present application is applied to a 5G system as an example. Among them, the UE on the ground accesses the network through 5G NR, and the access network equipment (such as a 5G base station) can be deployed on a satellite, or the satellite can be regarded as an access network device, which can communicate with the core network equipment on the ground (for example, the AMF, SMF, UPF, etc. in Figure 1 are all core network devices) through a wireless link. In addition, if there are multiple satellites, there can be wireless links between the satellites, so that signaling interaction and / or user data transmission can be completed between the satellites. The network elements and other features involved in Figure 1 are introduced as follows.

[0124] The core network implements functions such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The core network may include multiple functional units, such as multiple core network devices, which can be divided into control plane devices and data plane devices. For example, one type of core network device is the AMF, responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. Another example is the UPF, responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions. Yet another example is the SMF, responsible for UE session management, allocating and releasing resources for UE sessions.

[0125] The ground station is responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite base station and the 5G core network.

[0126] 5G NR, the wireless link between the UE and access network equipment.

[0127] Xn interface, an interface between access network devices, can be used for signaling interaction between access network devices.

[0128] The next generation (NG) interface is an interface between access network equipment and core network equipment. It can be used to exchange signaling such as the non-access stratum (NAS) of the core network and user service data.

[0129] The following describes the method provided by the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the various embodiments of the present application, the time domain unit is, for example, a subframe, a slot, a mini-slot, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol group or an OFDM symbol, etc. In the various embodiments of the present application, the frequency domain unit is, for example, a carrier, a subcarrier, an RB set or an RB, etc. In the accompanying drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of the present application, all steps represented by dotted lines are optional steps. The various embodiments of this document can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1. For example, the UE described in the various embodiments of this document can be UE1 or UE2 shown in Figure 1, and the network device described in the various embodiments of this document can be access network device 1 or access network device 2 shown in Figure 1.

[0130] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. Please refer to FIG2 , which is a flowchart of the method.

[0131] S201: A network device sends a first signal, and correspondingly, a first UE receives the first signal.

[0132] The network device may send the first signal via broadcasting, and multiple UEs may be able to receive the first signal, and the first UE is one of them. In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may provide one or more cells. If the network device provides multiple cells, the network device may optionally send the first signal in these multiple cells. Alternatively, in addition to the network device, there may be other network devices (for example, in a satellite system, there may be multiple satellites), and the other network devices may also send the first signal.

[0133] The sending period of the first signal may be less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal may be less than or equal to the first threshold. In an embodiment of the present application, "period" may also be understood as "the duration of the period", or as "the number of time domain units occupied by the period". For example, the sending period of the first signal is less than the first period, which may be understood as the duration of a sending period of the first signal being less than the duration of the first period, or as the number of time domain units occupied by a sending period of the first signal being less than the number of time domain units occupied by the first period. Optionally, the first period is, for example, the sending period of SSB, for example, the first period (or the duration of the first period) is 20ms, and the sending period of the first signal may be less than 20ms.

[0134] It can be seen that the transmission period of the first signal can be relatively small, which is beneficial for each network device (and / or different cells provided by a network device) to realize time division transmission of the first signal, so as to reduce interference between the first signals. The duration of the transmission period of the first signal can be greater than or equal to the duration of the first signal, or the number of time domain units occupied by the transmission period of the first signal can be greater than or equal to the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal. For example, the duration of the transmission period of the first signal is equal to the duration of the first signal (or the number of time domain units occupied by the transmission period of the first signal is equal to the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal). For example, the first signal occupies 2 time domain units, and the transmission period of the first signal can also be 2 time domain units. In this way, the transmission period of the first signal can be minimized to improve the success rate of time division multiplexing.

[0135] Optionally, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal may be less than or equal to the second threshold, which can shorten the duration of the first signal and enable more cells to participate in the time division multiplexing of the first signal. Optionally, the second threshold is, for example, the number of time domain units occupied by SSB, such as 4 OFDM symbols. That is, the first signal can occupy fewer time domain units than SSB, so that the first signal can be sent in a time division manner.

[0136] For example, the first signal may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and / or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). For example, the first signal is one or more PSSs, or one or more SSSs, or one or more PSSs and one or more SSSs. Among them, one PSS can occupy one time domain unit, and one SSS can occupy one time domain unit. Taking the example of the first signal consisting of a PSS and an SSS, for example, the time domain unit is an OFDM symbol, at a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz, the duration of the first signal can be 142.7 microseconds (μs), then the time division of 140 cells can be supported within 20ms (these 140 cells can be provided by the same network device or different network devices).

[0137] Optionally, the first signal can be repeated N times in the time domain. For example, the network device provides a cell, and when the network device sends the first signal in the cell, the first signal can be repeated N times in the time domain; for another example, the network device provides multiple cells, and the network device can send the first signal in the multiple cells, and when the network device sends the first signal in any of the cells, the first signal can be repeated N times in the time domain; for another example, different network devices can send the first signal in the corresponding cells, and when any of the network devices sends the first signal in the corresponding cell, the first signal can be repeated N times in the time domain. Wherein, N is a positive integer. By repeatedly sending the first signal in the time domain, the coverage of the first signal can be improved. For example, if N=10, the coverage can be improved by approximately 10dB.

[0138] Taking the example of a first signal including a PSS and an SSS, a transmission period of the first signal being shorter than the first period, and repeated transmission of the first signal in the time domain, reference is made to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the time domain distribution of the first signal. As shown in Figure 3, the first signal is repeated multiple times in the time domain, thereby improving the coverage of the first signal.

[0139] If multiple network devices need to transmit the first signal, they can negotiate with each other (for example, if the multiple network devices are satellites, the satellites can exchange information via inter-satellite links) to determine the time or times at which each network device transmits the first signal, thereby implementing time division multiplexing when each network device transmits the first signal. Alternatively, the times used by each network device can be predefined by the protocol, eliminating the need for negotiation between the network devices.

[0140] As previously described, the transmission period of the first signal can be less than the first period, and / or the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal can be less than or equal to the first threshold. While the preceding paragraphs primarily describe the transmission period of the first signal, the following describes the frequency domain units occupied by the first signal.

[0141] In an embodiment of the present application, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal may be small, for example, less than or equal to the first threshold value, which is beneficial for each network device (and / or different cells provided by a network device) to implement frequency division transmission for the first signal to reduce interference between the first signals. For example, the first signal is a narrowband signal; for another example, the first signal is a single-tone signal, and the single-tone signal may occupy one frequency domain unit (for example, one subcarrier), which is a signal with a single frequency. Optionally, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the narrowband signal is small. Taking the frequency domain unit as a subcarrier as an example, for example, the first threshold corresponding to the narrowband signal is 10, that is, the number of subcarriers occupied by the narrowband signal may be less than or equal to 10. Optionally, the single-tone signal may also be a type of narrowband signal, or the two may also be regarded as different types of signals. The first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal, which can minimize the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal, so that more cells can implement frequency division multiplexing for the first signal.

[0142] Optionally, the first threshold is, for example, the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB, or the number of frequency domain units occupied by PSS or SSS. Taking the frequency domain unit as a subcarrier as an example, SSB may occupy 240 subcarriers, and the number of subcarriers occupied by the first signal may be less than 240; or, PSS may occupy 127 subcarriers, and the number of subcarriers occupied by the first signal may be less than 127. For example, if the first signal is a single-tone signal, the number of subcarriers occupied by the first signal is 1. It can be seen that compared with signals such as SSB or PSS, the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal has been greatly reduced to expand the frequency division multiplexing range of the first signal, so that the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to larger-scale satellite systems.

[0143] Furthermore, the network device can use the same transmit power when sending the first signal as when sending SSB. SSB occupies 240 subcarriers, while the first signal occupies fewer subcarriers. Therefore, the transmit power originally allocated across 240 subcarriers is allocated across fewer subcarriers, achieving power aggregation and improving the coverage of the first signal. For example, if the first signal is a single-tone signal, power aggregation can improve coverage by approximately 21 dB.

[0144] Optionally, in addition to the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal being less than or equal to the first threshold, the number of time domain units occupied by the first signal may be greater than or equal to a third threshold. Optionally, taking the time domain unit as an OFDM symbol as an example, the third threshold may be 4. Among them, SSB may occupy 4 OFDM symbols. In the embodiment of the present application, since the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is relatively small (for example, less than the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB), the time domain length of the first signal may be equal to or greater than the time domain length of SSB, so that the first signal can carry more information, for example, the information carried by the first signal may be equal to or more than the information carried by SSB. It can be understood that since the first signal is shorter in the frequency domain, the first signal can be lengthened in the time domain, thereby improving the coverage of the first signal and enabling the first signal to carry sufficient information.

[0145] If multiple network devices need to transmit the first signal, the multiple network devices can negotiate with each other (for example, if the multiple network devices are satellites, the satellites can exchange information via inter-satellite links) to determine the frequency or frequencies at which each network device transmits the first signal, thereby achieving frequency division multiplexing when each network device transmits the first signal. Alternatively, the frequencies used by each network device can be predefined by the protocol, eliminating the need for negotiation between the network devices.

[0146] Optionally, the first signal may carry the identifier of the network device, or the identifier of the cell where the first signal is located (for example, the cell that transmits the first signal). For example, if the first signal includes PSS and / or SSS, the first signal may carry a physical cell identifier (PCI); or, if the number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first signal may carry the identifier of the network device and / or include the identifier of the cell where the first signal is located. This enables the UE receiving the first signal to determine which network device the first signal comes from, so that it can perform synchronization with the network device based on the first signal, etc.

[0147] Regardless of whether the network device transmits the first signal using the aforementioned time division method or frequency division method, the network device may optionally transmit the first signal using a wide beam. For example, the network device may transmit the first signal using a wide beam in any cell where the first signal is transmitted, so that the first signal can cover the cell without having to transmit the first signal again using a scanning method within the cell.

[0148] S202. The first UE performs synchronization with the network device according to the first signal.

[0149] For example, the first UE may receive first signals from multiple cells, and the multiple cells may include cells provided by the same network device and / or cells provided by different network devices. The first UE may measure the received first signal and determine which cell to reside in based on the measurement result. For example, the first UE may choose to reside in the cell with the best measurement result. The measurement result includes, for example, reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and / or reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), etc., without limitation.

[0150] For example, if the first UE determines to reside in the first cell according to the measurement result, the first UE may be synchronized with the first cell. If the first cell is, for example, a cell provided by the network device, it may also be considered that the first UE is synchronized with the network device.

[0151] For a network device, after sending a first signal, it can determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the first response signal based on the first response signal, and the first response signal is a response to the first signal. The first response signal comes from the first UE, for example. For example, if the network device receives a response signal from the first UE (referred to as the first response signal), the network device can send a second signal to the wave position where the first response signal is located; and if the network device does not receive the first response signal, it is not necessary to send the second signal to the wave position where the first response signal is located. This is equivalent to the network device implementing an on-demand sending mechanism for the second signal (for example, if the UE of a certain wave position sends a response signal, the wave position is regarded as a wave position that has a demand for the second signal; and if the UE of a certain wave position does not send a response signal, the wave position is regarded as a wave position that has no demand for the second signal), which can reduce the number of second signals, thereby reducing the interference of the second signal. This part is introduced through the following steps.

[0152] S203: The first UE sends a first response signal to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first response signal.

[0153] The response signal may also have other names, such as search signal response, etc., and the name is not limited. In the embodiment of the present application, the response signal is used as an example. The first response signal may indicate a first waveband, such as the waveband where the first UE is located. Thus, the network device can determine the waveband where the first UE is located based on the first response signal.

[0154] There may be one or more UEs that are synchronized with the network device, and the one or more UEs may send a response signal to the network device, and the first UE is one of the one or more UEs.

[0155] As a first optional implementation of the first response signal, the first response signal can be an orthogonal sequence, for example, a first orthogonal sequence, which can be associated with the first wave position. For example, a wave position can be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and different wave positions can be associated with different orthogonal sequences. Thus, upon receiving an orthogonal sequence, a network device can also determine the wave position associated with the orthogonal sequence, eliminating the need to carry information indicating the wave position in the orthogonal sequence, thereby reducing orthogonal sequence overhead. By associating wave positions with orthogonal sequences, with different wave positions being associated with different orthogonal sequences, code division of orthogonal sequences is achieved, thereby reducing interference between orthogonal sequences.

[0156] In a first implementation of the first response signal, the network device may start a first timer when a first time offset after sending the first signal arrives or after the first time offset arrives. During the operation of the first timer, the network device may detect the response signal; when the first timer times out, the network device may stop detecting the response signal. That is, the network device may detect the response signal within a reasonable time range, which can not only detect the response signal but also consume excessive detection power. The first time offset is also called a search time offset, for example, and the first time offset is determined based on factors such as the transmission delay of the first signal and / or the processing delay of the UE for the first signal. The first timer can be used to detect the response signal, for example, it is also called a response signal reception timer or a response signal detection timer, or a search response timer, etc., and there is no limitation on the name. Optionally, if the first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, the first time offset after the network device sends the first signal arrives, for example, the first time offset after the network device sends the first of N times arrives, or it may be the first time offset after the network device sends the last of N times arrives, or it may be the first time offset after the network device sends any of N times arrives.

[0157] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of how a network device detects a response signal. Figure 4 uses a satellite as an example. As shown in Figure 4, after the network device transmits a first signal, it starts a first timer when a first time offset arrives. During the first timer's duration, the network device detects a response signal, such as receiving the first response signal during the first timer's duration.

[0158] In the first embodiment of the first response signal, the network device may optionally be associated with an orthogonal sequence. One network device may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and different network devices may be associated with the same or different orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, the association of a network device with an orthogonal sequence may be understood as the network device supporting an orthogonal sequence. Optionally, an orthogonal sequence, a wave position, and a satellite may have an association relationship. For example, an orthogonal sequence may be associated with a wave position, and may be associated with one or more satellites; a wave position may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and may also be associated with one or more satellites; a satellite may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and may also be associated with one or more wave positions.

[0159] If the first UE sends a response signal to a certain network device, it can send a response signal associated with both the network device and the first wave position. For example, the first wave position is associated with orthogonal sequence 1 and orthogonal sequence 2, and the network device is associated with orthogonal sequence 2, orthogonal sequence 3, and orthogonal sequence 4. Then the first UE can send orthogonal sequence 2 to the network device, and the orthogonal sequence 2 is both an orthogonal sequence associated with the first wave position and an orthogonal sequence associated with the network device. There may be a special case where the orthogonal sequence associated with the network device has no intersection with the orthogonal sequence associated with the first wave position. Optionally, the first UE can send the orthogonal sequence associated with the network device to the network device. The orthogonal sequence can explicitly carry the first information, and the first information can indicate the first wave position. Therefore, even if there is no association between the wave position and the orthogonal sequence, the network device can determine the wave position where the first UE is located based on the first information.

[0160] Reference may be made to Table 4, which is an example of an association relationship between a wave position, a satellite (taking the network device as an example) and an orthogonal sequence.

[0161] Table 4

[0162] In Table 4, orthogonal sequence 1, beam position 1, satellite a, and satellite b are related. For example, if a UE on beam position 1 wants to send an orthogonal sequence to satellite a or satellite b, it can send orthogonal sequence 1. Other items in Table 4 are not described in detail.

[0163] As a second optional implementation of the first response signal, the first response signal may be an orthogonal sequence, for example, called a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence may be associated with a first occasion. The occasion may also be called a response occasion, or a search signal response occasion (SRO), etc., and there is no limitation on the name. The occasion may include time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources. A wave position may be associated with one or more occasions, for example, the first wave position is associated with one or more occasions, and the first occasion is an occasion associated with the first wave position. Each occasion may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences. Different wave positions are associated with different occasions, and the orthogonal sequences associated with different wave positions (orthogonal sequences associated by occasions) may be the same or different. It can be understood that in the second optional implementation, the wave position, the response signal, and the occasion may have an associated relationship. For example, waveband 1 is associated with opportunity 1 and opportunity 2, waveband 2 is associated with opportunity 3, opportunity 1 is associated with orthogonal sequence 1, opportunity 2 is associated with orthogonal sequence 2, and opportunity 3 is associated with orthogonal sequence 1. The orthogonal sequences associated with waveband 1 and waveband 2 may be the same (orthogonal sequence 1) or different (orthogonal sequence 2). Alternatively, if different wavebands are associated with different orthogonal sequences, then opportunity 3 cannot be associated with orthogonal sequence 1, but should be associated with an orthogonal sequence other than orthogonal sequences 1 and 2, such as orthogonal sequence 3.

[0164] If different wavebands are associated with different orthogonal sequences, this is equivalent to the orthogonal sequences achieving both code division (different orthogonal sequences are different), time division (different orthogonal sequences are associated with different timings), and space division (different wavebands are associated with different orthogonal sequences), further reducing interference between orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, if different wavebands are associated with the same orthogonal sequence, this is equivalent to the orthogonal sequences achieving both time division (different orthogonal sequences are associated with different timings) and space division (the same orthogonal sequence is associated with different wavebands), reducing interference between orthogonal sequences and improving orthogonal sequence utilization, eliminating the need for excessive orthogonal sequences.

[0165] In the second optional implementation of the first response signal, because the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the first UE can send the first response signal at the first timing, and the network device can detect the first response signal at the first timing. This means that the network device can clearly detect the response signal, eliminating the need to detect the response signal at excessive times, thereby reducing power consumption of the network device.

[0166] Please refer to Figure 5, which shows an example of the association between wave positions, response signals, and timings. In Figure 5, SRO0 to SRO4 represent four timings, and wave positions 1 to 4 represent four wave positions. Different wave positions are associated with different timings, for example, wave position 1 is associated with SRO0, wave position 2 is associated with SRO1, wave position 3 is associated with SRO2, and wave position 4 is associated with SRO3. The orthogonal sequences associated with the timings associated with different wave positions can be the same or different. For example, if a UE at wave position 1 (e.g., UE a) wants to send a response signal to a network device, it can send an orthogonal sequence associated with SRO0, such as orthogonal sequence 2, at SRO0. If a UE at wave position 4 (e.g., UE b or UE c) wants to send a response signal to the network device, it can send an orthogonal sequence associated with SRO1, such as orthogonal sequence 2, at SRO1. Orthogonal sequence 1 and orthogonal sequence 2 can be the same orthogonal sequence, or they can be different orthogonal sequences.

[0167] In the second embodiment of the first response signal, optionally, the network device may also be associated with an orthogonal sequence, one network device may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and different network devices may be associated with the same or different orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, the association of a network device with an orthogonal sequence may also be understood as the network device supporting an orthogonal sequence. Optionally, an orthogonal sequence, a wave position, a satellite, and an opportunity may have an association relationship. For example, an orthogonal sequence may be associated with an opportunity, one or more wave positions, and one or more satellites; a wave position may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, one or more opportunities, and one or more satellites; a satellite may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, one or more opportunities, and one or more wave positions. If a network device is associated with an opportunity, the network device may detect the response signal at the opportunity to which the network device is associated.

[0168] In order to enable UEs on each waveband to transmit orthogonal sequences to each network device, each network device may optionally be associated with all wavebands covered by the network device, and / or each network device may be associated with all opportunities for transmitting orthogonal sequences. For example, if the wavebands covered by network device 1 include wavebands 1 to 24, the network device may be associated with all wavebands 1 to 24; or if the opportunities for transmitting orthogonal sequences include opportunities 1 to 12, each network device may be associated with all opportunities 1 to 12.

[0169] If the first UE sends a response signal to a network device, it may send a response signal associated with the network device, the first waveband, and a timing associated with the first waveband. For example, the first waveband is associated with timing 1 and timing 2, timing 1 is associated with orthogonal sequence 1, timing 2 is associated with orthogonal sequence 2, and the network device is associated with orthogonal sequence 2, orthogonal sequence 3, and orthogonal sequence 4. Then, the first UE may send orthogonal sequence 2 to the network device at timing 2. Orthogonal sequence 2 is both the orthogonal sequence associated with the first waveband, the orthogonal sequence associated with the network device, and the orthogonal sequence associated with timing 2.

[0170] As a third optional implementation of the first response signal, the first response signal may be an orthogonal sequence, for example, a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence may be associated with a first opportunity. Among them, one wave position may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, for example, the first wave position is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and the first orthogonal sequence is an orthogonal sequence associated with the first wave position. Each orthogonal sequence may be associated with one or more opportunities. Different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the opportunities associated with different wave positions (the opportunities associated with the orthogonal sequences) may be the same or different. It can be understood that in the third optional implementation, the wave position, the response signal, and the opportunity may have an associated relationship. For example, wave position 1 is associated with orthogonal sequence 1 and orthogonal sequence 2, wave position 2 is associated with orthogonal sequence 3, orthogonal sequence 1 is associated with opportunity 1, orthogonal sequence 2 is associated with opportunity 2, and orthogonal sequence 3 is associated with opportunity 1, wherein the opportunities associated with wave position 1 and wave position 2 include both the same opportunity (opportunity 1) and different opportunities (opportunity 2). Alternatively, if different wave positions are specified to be associated with different timings, then the above-mentioned orthogonal sequence 3 cannot be associated with timing 1, but should be associated with other timings except timings 1 and 2, such as timing 3.

[0171] If different wavebands are associated at different times, the orthogonal sequence achieves both code division (different orthogonal sequences are different), space division (different orthogonal sequences are associated with different wavebands), and time division (different wavebands are associated with different times), further reducing interference between orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, if different wavebands are associated at the same time, the orthogonal sequence achieves both code division and space division (different wavebands are associated with different orthogonal sequences), reducing interference between orthogonal sequences and improving their utilization, eliminating the need for excessive orthogonal sequences.

[0172] In a third optional implementation of the first response signal, because the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the first UE can send the first response signal at the first timing, and the network device can detect the first response signal at the first timing. This means that the network device can clearly determine the timing for detecting the response signal, eliminating the need to detect the response signal at excessive times, thereby reducing power consumption of the network device.

[0173] In the third embodiment of the first response signal, optionally, the network device may also be associated with an orthogonal sequence, one network device may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, and different network devices may be associated with the same or different orthogonal sequences. Alternatively, the association of a network device with an orthogonal sequence may also be understood as the network device supporting an orthogonal sequence. Optionally, an orthogonal sequence, a wave position, a satellite, and an opportunity may have an association relationship. For example, an orthogonal sequence may be associated with one or more opportunities, a wave position, and one or more satellites; a wave position may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, one or more opportunities, and one or more satellites; a satellite may be associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, one or more opportunities, and one or more wave positions. If a network device is associated with an opportunity, the network device may detect the response signal at the opportunity to which the network device is associated.

[0174] In order to enable UEs on each waveband to transmit orthogonal sequences to each network device, each network device may optionally be associated with all wavebands covered by the network device, and / or each network device may be associated with all opportunities for transmitting orthogonal sequences. For example, if the wavebands covered by network device 1 include wavebands 1 to 24, the network device may be associated with all wavebands 1 to 24; or if the opportunities for transmitting orthogonal sequences include opportunities 1 to 12, each network device may be associated with all opportunities 1 to 12.

[0175] If a first UE sends a response signal to a network device, it should send a response signal associated with the network device, the first waveband, and a timing associated with the first waveband. For example, the first waveband is associated with orthogonal sequence 1 and orthogonal sequence 2, orthogonal sequence 1 is associated with timing 1, orthogonal sequence 2 is associated with timing 2, and the network device is associated with orthogonal sequence 2, orthogonal sequence 3, and orthogonal sequence 4. In this case, the first UE can send orthogonal sequence 2 to the network device at timing 2. Orthogonal sequence 2 is both the orthogonal sequence associated with the first waveband, the orthogonal sequence associated with the network device, and the orthogonal sequence associated with timing 2.

[0176] Table 5 is an example of an association between wave position, timing, satellite (taking the network device as a satellite as an example), and orthogonal sequence. Table 5 can be considered as an example of a second optional implementation of the first response signal or a third optional implementation of the first response signal.

[0177] Table 5

[0178] In Table 5, orthogonal sequence 1, waveband 1, timing 1, satellite a, and satellite b are related. For example, if a UE on waveband 1 wants to send an orthogonal sequence to satellite a, it can send orthogonal sequence 1 at timing 1. Other items in Table 5 are not described in detail.

[0179] In the above example, the association relationship is implemented in a table form. In addition, the association relationship can also be implemented in other forms, such as a list or a tree diagram, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0180] In the embodiments of the present application, interference between response signals can be reduced through time division, code division, and space division. Furthermore, if the beam position is associated with an orthogonal sequence, the orthogonal sequence can implicitly indicate the beam position, eliminating the need to carry other information in the orthogonal sequence to indicate the beam position, thereby reducing the overhead of the orthogonal sequence.

[0181] S204: The network device sends a second signal to the first waveband in response to the first response signal. Correspondingly, the first UE receives the second signal. The second signal may be sent via broadcast or dedicated signaling (or unicast).

[0182] Based on the first acknowledgement signal, the network device can determine that the first UE's wavelength is the first wavelength, and thus send the second signal to the first wavelength. The network device "responding" to the first acknowledgement signal may include the network device determining the first wavelength based on the first acknowledgement signal, and / or determining, based on the first acknowledgement signal, to send the second signal to the wavelength where the first acknowledgement signal is located (if the network device does not receive an acknowledgement signal from a particular wavelength, it may not send the second signal to that wavelength. Therefore, if the network device sends the second signal to a particular wavelength, it may be considered a response to the acknowledgement signal from that wavelength). Optionally, if other UEs have sent acknowledgement signals to the network device, the network device may also send the second signal to the wavelengths where the UEs that sent these acknowledgement signals are located. However, if some UEs on some wavelengths may not send acknowledgement signals to the network device, the network device may not send the second signal to these wavelengths. In this way, the network device can send the second signal only in certain directions (the directions of the wavelengths corresponding to the acknowledgement signal), rather than in all directions. This ensures a certain degree of spatial isolation between the second signals, reduces the number of second signals, and helps reduce interference between second signals.

[0183] Optionally, the second signal may include a reference signal; or, the second signal may include a reference signal and system information, or the second signal may also include other signals, such as data and / or control information other than system information carried by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). For example, the second signal includes one or more of the following signals: a reference signal, system information, information carried by the PDCCH, or other information other than system information carried by the PDSCH. The reference signal may include, for example, an SSB and / or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or may also include other downlink reference signals. The system information may include, for example, a system information block (SIB) 1, and may also include other system information.

[0184] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of two network devices sending a second signal. Figure 6 takes the example of two network devices being satellites, namely Satellite 1 and Satellite 2 in Figure 6. Both satellites send the second signal to the wave position corresponding to the response signal, and do not send the second signal to other wave positions. For example, Satellite 1 sends the second signal to wave position 10 and wave position 24, and Satellite 2 sends the second signal to wave position 11, wave position 18, and wave position 29. In fact, Satellite 1 and Satellite 2 also cover other wave positions respectively (the dotted lines in Figure 6 represent the coverage range of the satellites), but these two satellites do not send the second signal to other wave positions. It can be seen that the network device in the embodiment of the present application can send the second signal to the wave position with demand (that is, the response signal of the UE on the wave position is received) without having to send the second signal to other wave positions, thereby reducing the number and direction of the second signal sent, reducing the interference received by the second signal, and saving the power consumption caused by the network device sending the second signal.

[0185] Optionally, after receiving the second signal, the first UE may perform random access with the network device to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the network device. For example, the first UE may perform a 4-step random access channel (RACH) or a 2-step RACH, etc., without limitation.

[0186] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine whether to send a second signal to the wave position corresponding to the response signal based on the response signal. For example, if the network device receives a response signal from a certain wave position, it can send the second signal to the wave position. If the network device does not receive a response signal from a certain wave position, it does not need to send the second signal to the wave position. This method reduces the number and sending direction of the second signal, which is beneficial to reducing the interference to the second signal. The second signal includes, for example, a reference signal. It can be seen that the embodiment of the present application can reduce the interference of the reference signal. In addition, the network device can first send the first signal to receive the response signal. Since the first signal has a smaller sending period and / or occupies fewer frequency domain units, it can be sent by time division and / or frequency division, so that the first signal is less interfered with.

[0187] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 may be the first UE or the circuit system of the first UE described in the embodiment shown in FIG2 , and is used to implement the method corresponding to the first UE in the above method embodiment. Alternatively, the communication device 700 may be the network device or the circuit system of the network device described in the embodiment shown in FIG2 , and is used to implement the method corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiment. For example, one circuit system is a chip system.

[0188] The communication device 700 includes at least one processor 701. Processor 701 can be used for internal processing of the device to implement certain control processing functions. Optionally, processor 701 includes instructions. Optionally, processor 701 can store data. Optionally, different processors can be independent devices, located in different physical locations, or on different integrated circuits. Optionally, different processors can be integrated into one or more processors, for example, on one or more integrated circuits.

[0189] Optionally, the communication device 700 includes one or more memories 703 for storing instructions. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memories 703. The processor and memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0190] Optionally, the communication device 700 includes a communication line 702 and at least one communication interface 704. Since the memory 703, the communication line 702 and the communication interface 704 are all optional, they are indicated by dotted lines in FIG7 .

[0191] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver and / or an antenna. The transceiver may be used to send information to or receive information from other devices. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, an input / output interface, etc., and is used to implement the transceiver function of the communication device 700 via an antenna. Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver. For example, the transmitter may be used to generate a radio frequency signal from a baseband signal, and the receiver may be used to convert the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal.

[0192] The processor 701 may include a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0193] Communication link 702 may include a pathway for transmitting information between the aforementioned components.

[0194] The communication interface 704 uses any transceiver or other device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wired access network, etc.

[0195] The memory 703 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store 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 703 may exist independently and be connected to the processor 701 via the communication line 702. Alternatively, the memory 703 may be integrated with the processor 701.

[0196] The memory 703 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 701. The processor 701 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703, thereby implementing the steps performed by the first UE or network device in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0197] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0198] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 701 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 7 .

[0199] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 700 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 701 and the processor 705 in FIG7 . Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0200] When the apparatus shown in FIG7 is a chip, such as a chip of a first UE or a chip of a network device, the chip includes a processor 701 (and may also include a processor 705), a communication circuit 702, and a communication interface 704. Optionally, the chip may include a memory 703. Specifically, the communication interface 704 may be an input interface, a pin, or a circuit. The memory 703 may be a register, a cache, or the like. The processor 701 and the processor 705 may be a general-purpose CPU, a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program of the communication method of any of the above embodiments.

[0201] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the device can be divided according to the above-mentioned 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-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, in the case of dividing each functional module according to each function, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a device, and the device 800 can be the first UE or network device involved in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, or a chip in the first UE or a chip in the network device. The device 800 includes a processing unit 802 and a transceiver unit 801.

[0202] It should be understood that the device 800 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first UE or network device in the communication method of the embodiment of the present application. The relevant features can refer to the embodiment shown in Figure 2 above and will not be repeated here.

[0203] Optionally, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 801 and the processing unit 802 in FIG8 may be implemented by the processor 701 in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 802 in FIG8 may be implemented by the processor 701 in FIG7 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 703, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 801 in FIG8 may be implemented by the communication interface 704 in FIG7.

[0204] Optionally, when the device 800 is a chip or circuit, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 801 may also be implemented via pins or circuits. Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit, where the transmitting unit is configured to implement the transmitting function and the receiving unit is configured to implement the receiving function. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 801 may be an integral module capable of implementing the transmitting function and / or the receiving function. Optionally, the transceiver unit 801 may be implemented via a transceiver.

[0205] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method performed by the first UE or network device in the aforementioned method embodiment is implemented. In this way, the functions described in the above embodiments can be implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be essentially or in other words, the part that contributes or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. Storage media include: various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0206] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the first UE or the network device in any of the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0207] An embodiment of the present application further provides a processing device, including a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the method executed by the first UE or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments.

[0208] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0209] The various illustrative logic units and circuits described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or operated by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, and optionally, the general-purpose processor can also be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor can also be implemented by a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration.

[0210] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embedded in hardware, software units executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. The software unit can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or other storage media in any form known in the art. Exemplarily, the storage medium can be connected to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can also be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can be provided in an ASIC, which can be provided in a terminal device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can also be provided in different components in the terminal device.

[0211] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0212] The contents of the various embodiments of this application can refer to each other. If there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0213] It is understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the first UE and / or the network device may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application. These steps or operations are merely examples. In the embodiments of the present application, other operations or variations of various operations may also be performed. In addition, the various steps may be performed in a different order than those presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all operations in the embodiments of the present application need to be performed.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending a first signal, where a sending period of the first signal is less than a first period, and / or a number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; According to a first response signal, it is determined whether to send a second signal to a beam position corresponding to the first response signal, wherein the first response signal is a response to the first signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining, according to the first response signal, whether to send a second signal to a beam position corresponding to the first response signal includes: receiving the first response signal; In response to the first response signal, a second signal is sent to the wavelength where the first terminal device is located.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Determining, according to the first response signal, whether to send a second signal to a beam position corresponding to the first response signal includes: not receiving the first response signal; The second signal is not sent to the beam position corresponding to the first response signal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The second signal includes SSB, or includes SSB and system information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first period is the SSB sending period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The sending period of the first signal is shorter than the first period, wherein, The first signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that Sending a second signal to the wavelength where the first terminal device is located includes: The second signal is sent to the wavelength where the first terminal device is located in a time division manner.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB.

11. The method according to claim 1 to 4 or 10, characterized in that: The number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein, The first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 10 to 11, characterized in that: The number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 10 to 12, characterized in that: The first signal carries an identifier of the network device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 and 10 to 13, characterized in that Sending a second signal to the wavelength where the first terminal device is located includes: The second signal is sent to the wavelength where the first terminal device is located using a frequency division method.

15. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that: Receiving the first response signal includes: When a first time offset after sending the first signal arrives, starting a first timer, the first timer being used to detect a response signal; During the operation of the first timer, the first response signal is received, wherein the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences.

16. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 15, characterized in that: Receiving the first response signal includes: The first response signal is received at a first timing, where the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, wherein: The first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first opportunity, the waveband where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more opportunities, the first opportunity is one of the one or more opportunities, each of the one or more opportunities is associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wavebands are associated with different opportunities, and the orthogonal sequences associated with the opportunities associated with different wavebands are the same or different; or The first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence is one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, and each orthogonal sequence in the one or more orthogonal sequences is associated with a timing, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that: The first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device.

18. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving a first signal from a network device, where a sending period of the first signal is less than a first period, and / or a number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a first threshold; performing synchronization with the network device according to the first signal; Sending a first response signal to the network device; A second signal is received from the network device.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The second signal includes SSB, or includes SSB and system information.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The first period is the SSB sending period.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to a second threshold.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that The sending period of the first signal is shorter than the first period, wherein, The first signal includes PSS and / or SSS.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The first signal is repeated N times in the time domain, where N is a positive integer.

24. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The first threshold is the number of frequency domain units occupied by SSB.

25. The method according to claim 18, 19 or 24, characterized in that The number of frequency domain units occupied by the first signal is less than or equal to the first threshold, wherein, The first signal is a narrowband signal or a single-tone signal.

26. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 19, 24 to 25, characterized in that The number of time domain units occupied by the first signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

27. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 19 and 24 to 26, characterized in that The first signal carries the identification of the network device.

28. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 27, characterized in that The first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the wave position where the first terminal device is located, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences.

29. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 27, characterized in that Sending a first response signal to the network device includes: The first response signal is sent to the network device at a first opportunity, where the first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, wherein: The first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first opportunity, the waveband where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more opportunities, the first opportunity is one of the one or more opportunities, each of the one or more opportunities is associated with an orthogonal sequence, wherein different wavebands are associated with different opportunities, and the orthogonal sequences associated with the opportunities associated with different wavebands are the same or different; or The first orthogonal sequence is associated with the first timing, the wave position where the first terminal device is located is associated with one or more orthogonal sequences, the first orthogonal sequence is one of the one or more orthogonal sequences, and each orthogonal sequence in the one or more orthogonal sequences is associated with a timing, wherein different wave positions are associated with different orthogonal sequences, and the timings associated with different wave positions are the same or different.

30. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 29, characterized in that: The first response signal is a first orthogonal sequence, and the first orthogonal sequence is associated with the network device.

31. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 18 to 30.

32. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a processor, and the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, or execute the method according to any one of claims 18 to 30.

33. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 18 to 30 is executed.

34. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is run on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, or the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 18 to 30.

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