Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: determining BWP configuration information, the BWP configuration information comprising information of at least two subcarrier spacings, and the BWP configuration information being used for configuring a first BWP; and sending the BWP configuration information to a first communication apparatus. According to the method, by means of configuring the at least two subcarrier spacings in the BWP configuration information, a terminal device does not need to execute BWP switching when the subcarrier spacing changes, thereby reducing communication delay. In addition, since the size of a subcarrier spacing affects the length of a CP, more flexible switching of subcarrier spacings and / or CP lengths can be achieved according to the solution, thereby adapting to different scenarios and meeting various channel requirements.

Description

Method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202410430505.5, filed on April 9, 2024, and entitled "Method and communication device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a method and communication device for communication. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a communication system, a bandwidth part (BWP) is used to define an access bandwidth smaller than a cell system bandwidth and a terminal bandwidth capability, and all transceiving operations of a terminal device can be performed within the BWP, so that more flexible and efficient scheduling of terminal devices can be achieved in a large bandwidth system, and the power consumption of the terminal device can be reduced.

[0004] In the current BWP configuration process, each BWP corresponds to a subcarrier spacing, and when the subcarrier spacing of the communication changes, the terminal device needs to switch to the BWP corresponding to the subcarrier spacing to communicate, which will cause a communication delay. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a method and communication device for communication, which can flexibly use different subcarrier spacings to configure a BWP, thereby avoiding BWP switching of the terminal device and reducing the communication delay.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for communication is provided. The method can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core); or the method can also be applied to a network side, such as a network device on the network side or a component (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the network device.

[0007] In an implementation manner, the method includes determining BWP configuration information, the BWP configuration information including information of at least two subcarrier spacings, the BWP configuration information being used to configure a first BWP; and sending the BWP configuration information to a first communication device.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, at least two subcarrier spacings are configured in the BWP configuration information. When the subcarrier spacing changes, the terminal device does not need to perform BWP switching, thereby reducing the communication delay.

[0009] On the other hand, since the size of the subcarrier spacing affects the length of the cyclic prefix (CP), the scheme can realize more flexible switching of the subcarrier spacing and / or the CP length, adapt to different scenarios, and meet different channel requirements.

[0010] Exemplarily, the first communication device can be a terminal device, or a network device, or a functional module capable of invoking and executing a program in the terminal device or the network device, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system.

[0011] Exemplarily, the above method can be executed by a second communication device, which can be a terminal device, or a network device, or a functional module capable of invoking and executing a program in the terminal device or the network device, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system.

[0012] In some implementations, the at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 16·2 m kHz, and n and m are both integers greater than or equal to 0.

[0013] Based on the above scheme, the BWP can be configured based on the subcarrier spacings of 15·2 n kHz and 16·2 m kHz. In this way, more flexible switching of the subcarrier spacing and / or the CP length can be realized, thereby meeting the communication requirements of certain services and having a wider application scenario.

[0014] In some implementations, the BWP configuration information includes information of a BWP frequency domain position and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the information of the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0015] Exemplarily, n and m are equal.

[0016] In some implementations, the method further includes: transmitting, to the first communication device, a first information, the first information being used to indicate a validity time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0017] According to the above scheme, when n and m are the same, the second subcarrier spacing is always greater than the first subcarrier spacing. Since the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the control information is lower and the robustness is higher, the first subcarrier spacing can be smaller. Since the MCS of the data is higher, the second subcarrier spacing can be larger. This helps to improve the ability of the system to resist Doppler frequency offset and multipath delay, and thus improves the system performance.

[0018] In some implementations, the method further includes: transmitting, to the first communication device, a first information, the first information being used to indicate a validity time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0019] According to the above scheme, the second communication device can indicate the validity time of the second subcarrier spacing, so that the second communication device and the first communication device can communicate according to the second subcarrier spacing within the validity time. This can more flexibly indicate the use of the second subcarrier spacing, and can also avoid the overhead problem caused by frequent indication.

[0020] In some implementations, the method further includes: transmitting, to the first communication device, a second information, the second information being used to indicate that the first communication device transmits at least one of a PDCCH, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a PDSCH, a PUSCH, a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), and a sounding reference signal (SRS) according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0021] Exemplarily, the method further includes transmitting, according to the first subcarrier spacing, a PDCCH with the first communication device, the PDCCH including downlink control information, the downlink control information including second information, the second information being used to indicate that the first communication device transmits at least one of a PDSCH and a PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, the network device can flexibly indicate the subcarrier spacing of the transmission of the PDCCH, the PUCCH, the PDSCH, the PUSCH, the CSI-RS, the SRS, and the like in the second information, so that the subcarrier spacing can be indicated more flexibly, and the overhead problem caused by frequent indication can also be avoided.

[0023] In an implementation manner, the BWP configuration information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second subcarrier spacing is enabled.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementation manners, the method further includes receiving second indication information from the first communication device, the second indication information being used to indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, and the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device including information of at least two subcarrier spacings.

[0025] Exemplarily, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: a size of a discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device, and information of whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementation manners, the method further includes receiving third indication information from the first communication device, the third indication information being used to indicate the subcarrier spacing suggested by the first communication device.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, the first communication device can indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, the subcarrier spacing suggested by the first communication device, and the like to the second communication device, so that the second communication device can flexibly configure the subcarrier spacing based on the capability or the suggestion of the first communication device, and meet the transmission requirement.

[0028] The second aspect provides a communication method, which can be applied to a terminal side, for example, a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or a chip (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core) responsible for a communication function in the terminal; or the method can also be applied to a network side, for example, a network device on the network side or a component (such as a circuit, a chip, or a chip system, and the like) in the network device.

[0029] In an implementation manner, the method comprises: receiving BWP configuration information from the second communication device, the BWP configuration information comprising information of at least two subcarrier spacings, and the BWP configuration information being used for configuring the first BWP; and determining the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information.

[0030] Exemplarily, the second communication device can be a terminal device, or a network device, or a functional module capable of invoking and executing a program in the terminal device or the network device, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system.

[0031] Exemplarily, the method can be executed by the first communication device, which can be a terminal device, or a network device, or a functional module capable of invoking and executing a program in the terminal device or the network device, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system.

[0032] In some implementation manners in combination with the second aspect, the at least two subcarrier spacings comprise a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 16·2 m kHz, and n and m are both integers greater than or equal to 0.

[0033] Exemplarily, n and m are equal.

[0034] In some implementation manners in combination with the second aspect, the BWP configuration information comprises information of a BWP frequency domain position and / or a BWP bandwidth, the information of the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing, wherein the determining the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information comprises: determining a frequency domain position and / or a bandwidth of the first BWP according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0035] In some implementation manners in combination with the second aspect, the method further comprises: transmitting, with the second communication device, a PDCCH according to the first subcarrier spacing; and transmitting, with the second communication device, a PDSCH and / or a PUSCH according to the second subcarrier spacing.

[0036] In some implementation manners in combination with the second aspect, the method further comprises: receiving first information from the second communication device, the first information being used for indicating a validity time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0037] In some implementation manners in combination with the second aspect, the method further comprises: receiving second information from the second communication device, the second information being used for indicating that at least one of a PDCCH, a PUCCH, a PDSCH, a PUSCH, a CSI-RS, and a SRS is transmitted according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0038] Exemplarily, the method also includes: transmitting PDCCH to the second communication device according to the first subcarrier spacing, the PDCCH includes downlink control information, the downlink control information includes second information, and the second information is used to indicate the transmission of at least one of PDSCH and PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0039] In some implementations, the BWP configuration information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to enable the second subcarrier spacing.

[0040] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending second indication information to the second communication device, the second indication information being used to indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device including information of at least two subcarrier spacings.

[0041] Exemplarily, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: the size of discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device, and information on whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

[0042] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending third indication information to the second communication device, where the third indication information is used to indicate a recommended subcarrier spacing.

[0043] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which has the functions of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to performing the operations involved in the above-mentioned first aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0044] Exemplarily, the communication device may be a terminal device, a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or the network device that can call and execute a program, such as a processor, a circuit, a chip, or a chip system.

[0045] In one implementation, the device includes: a processing unit, configured to determine BWP configuration information, the BWP configuration information including information of at least two subcarrier spacings, the BWP configuration information being used to configure a first BWP; and a transceiver unit, configured to send the BWP configuration information to a first communication device.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, and the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, the second subcarrier spacing is 16·2 mkHz, n and m are integers greater than or equal to 0.

[0047] In some implementations, the BWP configuration information includes information of a BWP frequency domain location and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the information of the BWP frequency domain location and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0048] For example, n and m are equal.

[0049] In some implementations, the processing unit is further configured to: transmit, with the first communication device, the PDCCH according to the first subcarrier spacing; and transmit, with the first communication device, the PDSCH and / or the PUSCH according to the second subcarrier spacing.

[0050] In some implementations, the transceiver is further configured to: transmit, to the first communication device, first information, the first information being used to indicate an effective time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0051] In some implementations, the transceiver is further configured to: transmit, to the first communication device, second information, the second information being used to indicate that the first communication device transmits at least one of the PDCCH, the PUCCH, the PDSCH, the PUSCH, the CSI-RS and the SRS according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0052] For example, the processing unit is further configured to: transmit, with the first communication device, the PDCCH according to the first subcarrier spacing, the PDCCH including downlink control information, the downlink control information including the second information, the second information being used to indicate that the first communication device transmits at least one of the PDSCH and the PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0053] In one implementation, the BWP configuration information includes first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether the second subcarrier spacing is enabled.

[0054] In some implementations, the transceiver is further configured to: receive, from the first communication device, second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate subcarrier spacings supported by the first communication device, the subcarrier spacings supported by the first communication device including information of at least two subcarrier spacings.

[0055] For example, the second indication information includes at least one of: a size of a discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device, and information of whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

[0056] In some implementations, the transceiver is further configured to receive third indication information from the first communication device, the third indication information being used to indicate a subcarrier spacing suggested by the first communication device.

[0057] In the fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which has the functions of the second aspect. For example, the communication device includes modules or units or means corresponding to the operations of the second aspect, which can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0058] In one implementation, the device includes a transceiver configured to receive BWP configuration information from a second communication device, the BWP configuration information including information of at least two subcarrier spacings, the BWP configuration information being used to configure a first BWP; and a processing unit configured to determine the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information.

[0059] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, the first subcarrier spacing being 15·2 n kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing being 16·2 m kHz, n and m are integers greater than or equal to 0.

[0060] For example, n and m are equal.

[0061] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the BWP configuration information includes information of a BWP frequency domain location and / or a BWP bandwidth, the information of the BWP frequency domain location and / or the BWP bandwidth being configured according to the first subcarrier spacing, and the processing unit is specifically configured to determine a frequency domain location of the first BWP and / or a bandwidth of the first BWP according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0062] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the processing unit is further configured to transmit a PDCCH according to the first subcarrier spacing with the second communication device, and transmit a PDSCH and / or a PUSCH according to the second subcarrier spacing with the second communication device.

[0063] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive first information from the second communication device, the first information being used to indicate a validity time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0064] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver is further configured to receive second information from the second communication device, the second information being used to indicate at least one of a PDCCH, a PUCCH, a PDSCH, a PUSCH, a CSI-RS and a SRS transmitted according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0065] Exemplarily, the processing unit is further configured to: transmit, according to the first subcarrier spacing, the PDCCH to the second communication device, the PDCCH comprising downlink control information, the downlink control information comprising second information, the second information being used to indicate that at least one of the PDSCH and the PUSCH is transmitted according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0066] In some implementations, the BWP configuration information comprises first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether the second subcarrier spacing is enabled.

[0067] In combination with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiving unit is further configured to: transmit, to the second communication device, second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device comprising information of at least two subcarrier spacings.

[0068] Exemplarily, the second indication information comprises at least one of the following: a size of a discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device, information of whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

[0069] In combination with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiving unit is further configured to: transmit, to the second communication device, third indication information, the third indication information being used to indicate the recommended subcarrier spacing.

[0070] The fifth aspect provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled with a memory. The memory is configured to store computer programs or instructions necessary for implementing the functions related to the above-mentioned first aspect or the second aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the method in any possible design or implementation manner of the above-mentioned first aspect or the second aspect. The interface circuit is configured to implement the communication function within the communication device and / or the communication function of the communication device with other devices or components.

[0071] In a possible design, the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0072] In a possible design, the communication device can further include the memory.

[0073] The sixth aspect provides a processor configured to execute the method provided by the above-mentioned aspects.

[0074] For the sending and obtaining / receiving operations involved by the processor, if no special description is made, or if it does not conflict with the actual role or internal logic in the related description, it can be understood as the processor output and receive, input and other operations, and can also be understood as the sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and the antenna, and the present application does not limit this.

[0075] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium stores program codes for execution by a device, the program codes comprise codes for executing the method provided by any one of the above aspects or implementation manners thereof.

[0076] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided by any one of the above aspects or implementation manners thereof.

[0077] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a chip, the chip comprising a processor and a communication interface, the processor reads instructions stored on a memory through the communication interface, and executes the method provided by any one of the above aspects or implementation manners thereof.

[0078] Optionally, the processor can be a processing circuit or a logic circuit, and the communication interface can be an input or an output interface. The processing circuit or logic circuit is used for information processing, and the input or output interface is used for transmitting or receiving information or data.

[0079] Optionally, as an implementation manner, the chip further comprises a memory, the memory stores a computer program or instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor is configured to execute the method provided by any one of the above aspects or implementation manners thereof.

[0080] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of the second aspect to the ninth aspect and any implementation manner thereof can refer to the first aspect and any implementation manner thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0081] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system 1000 to which embodiments of the present application are applied.

[0082] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic diagrams of a communication system suitable for embodiments of the present application.

[0083] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams of application scenarios suitable for embodiments of the present application.

[0084] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 provided by the present application.

[0085] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are schematic block diagrams of a communication apparatus provided by embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] The technical solutions in the application will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0087] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system 1000 to which embodiments of the present application are applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. Optionally, the communication system 1000 can also include a core network 200 and an Internet 300.

[0088] The RAN 100 can include at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1). The terminals 120 are connected to the RAN nodes 110 in a wireless manner. Terminals and terminals and RAN nodes and RAN nodes can be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. The RAN nodes 110 are connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or can be the same physical device integrated with part or all of the logical functions of the core network devices and part or all of the logical functions of the RAN nodes.

[0089] The RAN 100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, and a future wireless access system defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also include two or more different wireless access systems described above. The RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0090] A RAN node, also referred to as a network device, a radio access network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, is configured to help a terminal to access to a communication system through wireless means. In one application scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (e.g., 110a in FIG. 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (e.g., 110b in FIG. 1), a relay node, or a donor node.

[0091] In another application scenario, a terminal can access to a communication system through wireless means by cooperation of multiple RAN nodes, and each of the RAN nodes implements part of functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU implements functions of a radio resource control (RRC) protocol and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of a base station, and can further implement a function of a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU implements functions of a radio link control (RLC) layer and a medium access control (MAC) layer of a base station, and can further implement part of functions or all functions of a physical layer. For details of the protocol layers, refer to relevant technical specifications of 3GPP. The RU can be configured to implement functions of transceiving radio frequency signals. The CU and the DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or can be integrated in a same RAN node, e.g., in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device, e.g., a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes, i.e., a CU-control plane and a CU-user plane.

[0092] The RAN node can have different names in different systems. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be referred to as an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be referred to as an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with a corresponding software module. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the RAN node. For ease of description, the network device or base station is taken as an example of the RAN node below.

[0093] The terminal is a device with wireless transceiver function, which can send signals to the base station or receive signals from the base station. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, mechanical arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the terminal.

[0094] The base station and the terminal can be fixed in position or movable. The base station and the terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water surface; can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal.

[0095] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative. For example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for the terminal 120j that accesses the wireless access network 100 through the 120i, the terminal 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the 120i is a terminal, that is, the 110a and the 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, the 110a and the 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, and in this case, the 120i is also a base station relative to the 110a. Therefore, the base station and the terminal can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and the 110a and the 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and the 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a terminal function.

[0096] The base station and the terminal, the base station and the base station, and the terminal and the terminal can communicate through a licensed frequency spectrum, can communicate through an unlicensed frequency spectrum, or can simultaneously communicate through the licensed frequency spectrum and the unlicensed frequency spectrum; can communicate through a frequency spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), can communicate through a frequency spectrum above 6 GHz, or can simultaneously use the frequency spectrum below 6 GHz and the frequency spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the frequency spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or can be performed by a control subsystem containing a base station function. The control subsystem containing a base station function herein can be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. The functions of the terminal can also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal, or can be performed by a device containing a terminal function.

[0098] In the present application, the base station sends a downlink signal or downlink information to the terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends an uplink signal or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection with a cell controlled by the base station. The cell that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal is called a service cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the service cell, it will also be interfered by signals from neighboring cells.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present application, the PDSCH, the PDCCH, the PUSCH, and the PUCCH are only examples of a downlink data channel, a downlink control channel, an uplink data channel, and an uplink control channel, respectively. In different systems and different scenarios, data channels and control channels can have different names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present application, the time domain symbol can be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol. If not specified, the symbol in the embodiments of the present application refers to a time domain symbol.

[0101] As an example, the RAN node can be a satellite base station or a satellite, which is described below in connection with FIG. 2 to FIG. 3. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are schematic diagrams of a communication system suitable for use in the embodiments of the present application.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 2(a) and (b), the satellite base station provides communication services for terminals. For example, the satellite base station transmits downlink data to the terminal, where the data is encoded using channel coding, and the channel-coded data is transmitted to the terminal after constellation modulation. For another example, the terminal transmits uplink data to the satellite base station, where the uplink data can also be encoded using channel coding, and the encoded data is transmitted to the satellite base station after constellation modulation. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the satellite base station can also communicate with a ground base station, i.e., the satellite can act as a base station or a terminal.

[0103] In the present application, the satellite can refer to a drone, a hot air balloon, a low-orbit satellite, a medium-orbit satellite, a high-orbit satellite, etc. The satellite can also refer to a non-ground base station or a non-ground device, etc.

[0104] As an implementation manner, the present application can be applied to a satellite interlink communication system. For example, the communication between satellite #1 and satellite #2 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 3, the satellite interlink communication system can be divided into two parts: an acquisition pointing tracking (APT) subsystem (including an APT module and an APT transmitter / receiver) and a communication subsystem (including a communication module and a transceiving antenna). The communication subsystem is mainly responsible for the transmission of inter-satellite information, and is the main body of the inter-satellite communication system; the APT system is mainly responsible for the acquisition, alignment and tracking between satellites. The incident signal can be determined to determine the direction of arrival, which is responsible for acquisition and adjustment of the transmission wave aiming at the receiving direction, which is responsible for alignment. In the whole communication process, the APT is constantly adjusted to align and acquire, which is responsible for tracking. In order to minimize the influence of attenuation and interference in the channel, while requiring high confidentiality and transmission rate, the APT must be adjusted in real time to constantly adapt to changes.

[0106] It should be understood that the current APT system is an optical system, which has the disadvantage of difficult optical alignment and the need for mechanical adjustment of the pointing direction. The current communication subsystem is mostly an optical communication system, and there are also some microwave band systems, which mostly use a single high-gain antenna. The current APT system and communication subsystem are independent systems. The disadvantage is that optical communication is easily affected by vibration and the like, and the rate is unstable; the millimeter wave frequency is low, the communication capacity is low, and the antenna needs mechanical adjustment of the pointing direction.

[0107] As another implementation manner, the present application can be applied to a scenario of terminal device-to-terminal device communication, for example, an Internet of Things communication system.

[0108] FIG. 4 is an application scenario of a typical Internet of Things wireless screen projection. A terminal device (for example, a smart phone) establishes a network connection with a television, the smart phone transmits content that needs to be projected and displayed on the television to the television device, and the television device displays the content on the display screen after receiving the content transmitted by the smart phone. This scenario can also be regarded as an example of terminal device-to-terminal device communication, in which the smart phone and the television can both be regarded as a terminal device.

[0109] As another implementation manner, the present application can be applied to an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system.

[0110] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an IAB system. As shown in FIG. 5, the IAB can include an IAB donor, an IAB node, and a terminal device. The link between the IAB donor and the IAB node is a backhaul link, and the link between the terminal device and the IAB node is an access link. The present application can be applied to both parties of communication in the backhaul link or both parties of communication in the access link. In this scenario, the communication in the backhaul link can be regarded as network device-to-network device communication, and the communication in the access link can be regarded as network device-to-terminal device communication.

[0111] It should be understood that the above system application scenarios are only examples, and the present application can also be applied to other scenarios, which are not listed one by one here.

[0112] In a communication system, a BWP is used to define an access bandwidth smaller than a cell system bandwidth and a terminal bandwidth capability, and all receiving and transmitting operations of a terminal device can be performed in the BWP, so that more flexible and efficient scheduling of terminal devices can be realized in a large bandwidth system, and the power consumption of the terminal device can also be reduced.

[0113] The network device can configure one or more BWPs for the terminal device. For example, one or more uplink BWPs and / or one or more downlink BWPs can be configured. At the same time, the terminal device can have one active BWP (active BWP) or multiple active BWPs. The working bandwidth of the terminal device is within the active BWP, that is, the terminal device transmits and receives signals within the frequency domain range of the active BWP. In addition to the active BWP, other BWPs configured for the terminal device are in a deactivated state.

[0114] In the current BWP configuration process, each BWP corresponds to a subcarrier spacing (SCS). The network device can first configure one or more BWPs for the terminal device, and then indicate the active BWP in the communication process, so that the terminal device can determine the subcarrier spacing of the communication according to the active BWP.

[0115] However, when the subcarrier spacing of the communication changes, the terminal device needs to switch to the BWP corresponding to the subcarrier spacing for communication, that is, perform a BWP switching process, which will cause a communication delay.

[0116] Specifically, the BWP switching can include dynamic activation and semi-static activation. The semi-static activation needs to be reconfigured through RRC signaling. The dynamic activation needs to activate the BWP based on the downlink control information (DCI) or activate the downlink BWP based on the timer, which will consume a lot of time.

[0117] Therefore, the present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can flexibly use different subcarrier spacings to configure a BWP, avoid BWP switching of the terminal device, and reduce the communication delay.

[0118] It should be understood that the embodiments shown below do not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, as long as the execution subject can communicate according to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application by running the program in which the code of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application is recorded. For example, the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be a terminal device or a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device or the network device that can call and execute the program.

[0119] It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be applicable to the communication between a network device and a terminal device, the communication between a terminal device and a terminal device, and the communication between a network device and a network device, and the present application does not limit the same. The communication between a network device and a terminal device is taken as an example for illustration.

[0120] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method 400 of communication provided by the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, the method 400 includes the following steps.

[0121] S410, the network device determines BWP configuration information.

[0122] The BWP configuration information includes information of at least two subcarrier spacings, and the BWP configuration information is used for configuring a first BWP. In other words, the present application can indicate at least two subcarrier spacings in the configuration information of one BWP.

[0123] Exemplarily, the at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and / or a second subcarrier spacing, the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0124] In the present application, the second subcarrier spacing can be (15+x)·2 m kHz, m is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and x is a number greater than 0 and less than 15.

[0125] Exemplarily, x can be 5, (15+x) is equal to 20; x can be 9, (15+x) is equal to 24; or x can be 1, (15+x) is equal to 16.

[0126] For the convenience of illustration, the second subcarrier spacing is taken as 16·2 m kHz as an example in the following.

[0127] In the present application, “·” represents multiplication, which can be replaced by “×” or “*”.

[0128] As an example, Table 1 shows the value of n and the value of the first subcarrier spacing. The first subcarrier spacing can be one or more of the following rows, i.e., the first subcarrier spacing can refer to one or more.

[0129] Table 1

[0130] As an example, Table 2 shows the value of m and the value of the second subcarrier spacing. The second subcarrier spacing can be one or more of the following rows, i.e., the second subcarrier spacing can refer to one or more.

[0131] Table 2

[0132] It should be understood that the first subcarrier spacing can be referred to as a 15 kHz family subcarrier spacing. Similarly, the second subcarrier spacing can be referred to as a 16 kHz family subcarrier spacing.

[0133] Therefore, at least one 15 kHz family subcarrier spacing and at least one 16 kHz family subcarrier spacing can be included in the BWP configuration information, or at least two 15 kHz family subcarrier spacings can be included in the BWP configuration information, or at least two 16 kHz family subcarrier spacings can be included in the BWP configuration information.

[0134] S420, the network device sends the BWP configuration information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the BWP configuration information.

[0135] Exemplarily, the network device can send the BWP configuration information to the terminal device through high layer signaling, such as RRC signaling or medium access control (MAC CE).

[0136] Based on the above scheme, by configuring at least two subcarrier spacings in the BWP configuration information, when the subcarrier spacing changes, the terminal device does not need to perform BWP switching, thereby reducing the communication delay.

[0137] On the other hand, since the size of the subcarrier spacing will affect the length of the CP, this scheme can realize more flexible switching of the subcarrier spacing and / or the length of the CP, adapt to different scenarios, and meet different channel requirements.

[0138] Exemplarily, the lengths of the CPs corresponding to the 15 kHz family and 16 kHz family subcarrier spacings are shown in Table 3, where the length of the CP can also be referred to as CP duration, time length of the CP, time domain length of the CP, etc. The length of the CP mainly has two types, normal CP (NCP) and extended CP (ECP). For the scenario of a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz, the NR protocol configures normal CP and extended CP to meet different latency requirements.

[0139] Table 3

[0140] For ease of illustration, the present application takes an example that the BWP configuration information includes information of two subcarrier spacings.

[0141] wherein the two subcarrier spacings can be referred to as a primary subcarrier spacing and a secondary subcarrier spacing, respectively. As an example, the BWP configuration information can include a primary subcarrier spacing (psubcarrierSpacing) and a secondary subcarrier spacing (ssubcarrierSpacing), e.g., the BWP configuration information can include the following: psubcarrierSpacing PSubcarrierSpacing, ssubcarrierSpacing SSubcarrierSpacing,

[0142] wherein the primary subcarrier spacing can be a subcarrier spacing of the 15 kHz family or the 16 kHz family, and similarly, the secondary subcarrier spacing can also be a subcarrier spacing of the 15 kHz family or the 16 kHz family.

[0143] As an example, the primary subcarrier spacing is of the 15 kHz family, and the secondary subcarrier spacing is of the 16 kHz family. For example, the BWP configuration information can further include the following: PSubcarrierSpacing ::= ENUMERATED { kHz15, kHz30, kHz60, kHz120, kHz240, kHz480, kHz960, sparel} SSubcarrierSpacing ::= ENUMERATED { kHz16, kHz32, kHz64, kHz128, kHz256, kHz512, kHz1024, sparel}

[0144] wherein kHz480 represents 480 kHz, kHz960 represents 960 kHz, and so on, and sparel represents reserved or spare.

[0145] As another example, both the primary subcarrier spacing and the secondary subcarrier spacing are selected from a set of subcarrier spacings, which includes subcarrier spacings of the 15 kHz family and the 16 kHz family, e.g., the BWP configuration information can further include the following: SubcarrierSpacing ::= ENUMERATED { kHz15, kHz30, kHz60, kHz120, kHz240, kHz480, kHz960, kHz16, kHz32, kHz64, kHz128, kHz256, kHz512, kHz1024, sparel} PSubcarrierSpacing ::= SubcarrierSpacing; SSubcarrierSpacing ::= SubcarrierSpacing;

[0146] spare1 indicates reserved or spare.

[0147] In an implementation, the primary subcarrier spacing in the present application refers to a subcarrier spacing of the 15 kHz family, and the secondary subcarrier spacing refers to a subcarrier spacing of the 16 kHz family.

[0148] Optionally, the method 400 includes: S430, determining, by the terminal device, the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information.

[0149] For example, the terminal device can determine, according to the information of at least two subcarrier spacings, that the first BWP corresponds to two subcarrier spacings, so that different subcarrier spacings can be switched when communicating using the first BWP, avoiding BWP switching.

[0150] Optionally, the BWP configuration information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second subcarrier spacing is enabled.

[0151] For example, in a case where the first indication information indicates that the second subcarrier spacing is enabled, the BWP configuration information includes information of two subcarrier spacings. In a case where the first indication information indicates that the second subcarrier spacing is not enabled, the BWP configuration information includes information of one subcarrier spacing.

[0152] Optionally, the BWP configuration information includes information of a BWP frequency domain location and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the information of the BWP frequency domain location and / or the BWP bandwidth includes information of the first subcarrier spacing, indicating that the BWP frequency domain location and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0153] For example, the BWP configuration information includes a location and bandwidth (locationAndBandwidth) information element, as follows: BWP ::= SEQUENCE{ locationAndBandwidth INTEGER (0..37949), PsubcarrierSpacing SubcarrierSpacing, SsubcarrierSpacing SubcarrierSpacing, cyclicPrefix ENUMERATED{extended} OPTIONAL--

[0154] In the information element, the configuration of the subcarrier spacing is the primary subcarrier spacing, that is, the information of the BWP frequency domain location and / or the BWP bandwidth includes information of the first subcarrier spacing, indicating that the frequency domain location of the BWP and the BWP bandwidth are determined according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0155] S430, the terminal device determines the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information, specifically including: the terminal device determines the frequency domain position of the first BWP and / or the bandwidth of the first BWP according to the first subcarrier spacing.

[0156] Optionally, the BWP configuration information includes information of a BWP frequency domain position and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the protocol predefines that the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing. Illustratively, the information of the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth does not include information of the first subcarrier spacing.

[0157] As an implementation scenario of the method 400, n and m are equal.

[0158] For example, the first subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 16 kHz. For another example, the first subcarrier spacing is 30 kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 32 kHz. For another example, the first subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 64 kHz. For another example, the first subcarrier spacing is 120 kHz, and the second subcarrier spacing is 128 kHz.

[0159] Optionally, in an implementation, the method 400 further includes: the network device transmits the PDCCH to the terminal device according to the first subcarrier spacing, and transmits the PDSCH and / or the PUSCH to the terminal device according to the second subcarrier spacing. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the PDCCH using the first subcarrier spacing, and transmit the PDSCH and / or the PUSCH to the terminal device using the second subcarrier spacing.

[0160] Specifically, whether the control information and the data specifically use the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing can be pre-defined by the protocol. For example, the protocol predefines that, within the first BWP, when transmitting control information or information on a control channel, such as the PDCCH or the PUCCH, the first subcarrier spacing can be used by default, for example, the subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz is used, and when transmitting data or information on a data channel, such as the network device transmitting the PDSCH to the terminal device or the terminal device transmitting the PUSCH to the network device, the second subcarrier spacing can be used, for example, the subcarrier spacing of 64 kHz is used.

[0161] It should be understood that the above implementation can be regarded as a pre-defined manner.

[0162] It should also be understood that, in this application, transmission includes sending and / or receiving. In uplink (UL) transmission, the terminal device is the sending end and the network device is the receiving end, for example, transmission of PUCCH, PUSCH, uplink control information (UCI), etc. is UL transmission. In downlink (DL) transmission, the network device is the sending end and the terminal device is the receiving end. For example, transmission of PDCCH, PDSCH, DCI, etc. is DL transmission.

[0163] Based on the above scheme, when n and m are the same, the second subcarrier spacing is always greater than the first subcarrier spacing. Since the MCS of the control information is lower, the robustness is higher, and therefore a smaller first subcarrier spacing can be used. The MCS of the data is higher, and a larger second subcarrier spacing can be used, which helps to improve the ability of the system to resist Doppler frequency offset and multipath time delay, and therefore the system performance can be improved.

[0164] Optionally, in yet another implementation, the method 400 further includes: the network device sending first information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receiving the first information, the first information being used to indicate the validity time of the second subcarrier spacing.

[0165] In this application, the validity time can refer to a time period, which includes a starting time, an ending time and a validity duration. According to the first information, the terminal device can determine the time period. The validity time of the second subcarrier spacing indicates that the second subcarrier spacing can be used to transmit information within the time period, for example, within the validity time, the transmission of control information and data in the first BWP both use the second subcarrier spacing, and outside the validity time, the transmission of control information and data both use the first subcarrier spacing.

[0166] The validity duration can be a period of time, such as 1 ms, 5 ms, etc., which can be pre-defined by a protocol or indicated by the network device to the terminal device through signaling.

[0167] For example, the first information can be carried in MAC CE or RRC signaling.

[0168] For example, the first information is the starting time of the validity time of the second subcarrier spacing. The terminal device can determine the validity time of the second subcarrier spacing according to the first information and the validity duration.

[0169] As an example, the starting time can be at least one of a starting subframe number, a slot number, a symbol.

[0170] As a further example, the starting moment can be a sending moment of the signaling carrying the first information, or a t0 moment after the sending moment of the signaling carrying the first information, or a receiving moment of the signaling carrying the first information, or a t1 moment after the receiving moment of the signaling carrying the first information. The t0 and t1 can be a specific absolute time, such as 1 ms, 20 us, etc., or a number of time units, such as a number of subframes, a number of slots, a number of symbols, etc.

[0171] Based on the above scheme, the network device can indicate the effective time of the second subcarrier spacing, so that the network device and the terminal device can communicate according to the second subcarrier spacing within the effective time. In this way, the use of the second subcarrier spacing can be more flexible, and the overhead problem caused by frequent indication can also be avoided.

[0172] Optionally, in yet another implementation manner, the method 400 further includes: the network device sends second information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information. The second information is used to indicate the terminal device to transmit at least one of PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS and SRS according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

[0173] The second information can be high-layer signaling, such as RRC signaling, or MAC CE, etc. Alternatively, the second information can be physical-layer signaling, such as DCI, etc.

[0174] The CSI-RS is mainly used for downlink, and is sent by the network device to the terminal device. The SRS is mainly used for uplink, and is sent by the terminal device to the network device.

[0175] As an example of this implementation manner, the second information is used to indicate the terminal device to transmit PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH and PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing. In other words, the subcarrier spacing indicated by the network device to the terminal device is applicable to all channels, i.e., in the first BWP, all channels use the same subcarrier spacing. For example, when the second information indicates the second subcarrier spacing, in the first BWP, the transmission of PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH and PUCCH channels between the terminal device and the network device all use the second subcarrier spacing.

[0176] Specifically, in this example, the second information can be carried in RRC signaling or MAC CE.

[0177] As another example of this implementation, the second information is used to indicate that the terminal device transmits the PDSCH and the PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing. In other words, the subcarrier spacing indicated by the network device to the terminal device is applicable to the data channels, such as the PDSCH and the PUSCH, i.e., within the first BWP, the data channels between the terminal device and the network device adopt the same subcarrier spacing, for example, when the second information indicates the second subcarrier spacing, within the first BWP, the transmission of the data channels, such as the PUSCH and the PUCCH, between the terminal device and the network device adopts the second subcarrier spacing. The subcarrier spacing used for transmitting the control channels, such as the PDCCH and the PUCCH, can adopt a predefined manner, for example, the protocol predefines that the control channels use the first subcarrier spacing, or is indicated by other indication information.

[0178] Specifically, in this example, the second information can be carried in the DCI.

[0179] For example, the protocol can predefine that the control information, such as the PDCCH and the PUCCH, is transmitted using the first subcarrier spacing, the network device transmits the PDCCH to the terminal device according to the first subcarrier spacing, the PDCCH includes the above-mentioned DCI, and the indication information (i.e., an example of the second information) in the DCI is used to indicate that the terminal device transmits at least one of the PDSCH and the PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing. For example, the indication information indicates the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the PDCCH according to the first subcarrier spacing, and transmits at least one of the PDSCH and the PUSCH according to the subcarrier spacing indicated in the DCI. In other words, the indication information included in the DCI in the PDCCH can be used to dynamically indicate the subcarrier spacing adopted by the data. For example, the indication information can be 1 bit of information in the DCI.

[0180] Specifically, in this example, the second information can also be carried in the RRC signaling or the MAC CE.

[0181] As another example of this implementation, the second information is used to indicate that the terminal device transmits the CSI-RS and the SRS according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing. In other words, the subcarrier spacing indicated by the network device to the terminal device is applicable to the CSI-RS and the SRS, and the subcarrier spacing used for transmitting the data channels and / or the control channels can adopt a predefined manner or the subcarrier spacing indicated by other indication information.

[0182] Specifically, in this example, the second information can be carried in the RRC signaling or the MAC CE.

[0183] It should be understood that in this implementation, the second information can include indication information of the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing, but not the channel or signal to which the subcarrier spacing is applicable, such as PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS, SRS, and the like, which can be indicated in a protocol predefined manner. Alternatively, the second information includes both the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing and the channel or signal to which the subcarrier spacing is applicable.

[0184] Based on the above scheme, the network device can flexibly indicate the subcarrier spacing of the transmission of PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS, SRS, and the like in the second information, so that the subcarrier spacing can be indicated more flexibly, and the overhead problem caused by frequent indication can be avoided.

[0185] It should be understood that the transmission of PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS, SRS, and the like according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing mentioned in the present application refers to when communicating in the first BWP, that is, when transmitting PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS, SRS, and the like in the first BWP, whether the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing of the first BWP is used.

[0186] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: the terminal device sends second indication information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the second indication information.

[0187] The second indication information is used to indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the terminal device.

[0188] For example, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: the size of the DFT supported by the terminal device, whether the terminal device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP, and the capability of the subcarrier spacing supported by the terminal device.

[0189] For example, the capability of the subcarrier spacing supported by the terminal device can be represented as whether the terminal device supports the second subcarrier spacing.

[0190] For example, the size of the DFT supported by the terminal device can be represented as whether the terminal device supports the DFT size of 2, 3, and 5. In the present application, the DFT size can also be referred to as the fast Fourier transform (FFT) size.

[0191] It should be understood that the DFT size corresponding to the subcarrier spacing of the 15 kHz family is 4096, 2048, 1024, and the like, which can all be represented as 2 p, p is a positive integer, and the DFT size corresponding to the subcarrier spacing of the 16 kHz family is 3840, 1920, 960, etc., which can all be expressed as powers of 2, 3, and 5, for example, 1920 = 3 * 5 * 2 7 Whether the terminal device supports the DFT sizes of 2, 3, and 5, that is, the sizes of the DFTs that the terminal device supports.

[0192] In an implementation, the subcarrier spacing supported by the terminal device includes information of at least two subcarrier spacings included in the BWP configuration information, so that the network device can configure at least two subcarrier spacings for the first BWP of the terminal device.

[0193] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device indicates the subcarrier spacing it supports to the network device, so that the network device can flexibly configure the subcarrier spacing based on the capability of the terminal device to meet the transmission requirements.

[0194] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: the terminal device sends third indication information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the third indication information.

[0195] The third indication information is used to indicate the subcarrier spacing suggested by the terminal device.

[0196] For example, the terminal device can determine the delay spread range based on artificial intelligence (AI), a channel map, its location, etc., and then determine the suggested subcarrier spacing and feed back the subcarrier spacing to the network device.

[0197] This helps the network device to flexibly configure the subcarrier spacing to meet the transmission requirements.

[0198] Optionally, the method 400 further includes: the network device sends third information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information.

[0199] The third information indicates the subcarrier spacing used by the reference signal to be transmitted between the other network device and the terminal device. Optionally, the reference signal is used for cell measurement. For example, the reference signal can be a synchronization signal (SS), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), a position reference signal (PRS), etc.

[0200] The subcarrier spacing used by the reference signal to be transmitted between the other network device and the terminal device can be sent by the other network device to the network device.

[0201] For example, in the neighbor cell measurement, the base stations (an example of network devices) can interact the reference signal configuration, such as whether the subcarrier spacing of the to-be-transmitted reference signal is the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing, which can be informed to the measurement UE by the serving base station, so that the UE can use the corresponding subcarrier spacing to transmit the reference signal and complete the cell measurement.

[0202] In this way, the flexible configuration of the subcarrier spacing of the neighbor cell measurement reference signal can be realized, the transmission requirements can be met, and the performance can be improved.

[0203] It should be understood that in some of the above embodiments, the devices in the existing network architecture are mainly exemplarily illustrated (such as network devices, terminal devices, and the like), and it should be understood that the specific form of the devices is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, devices that can realize the same functions in the future are also applicable to the embodiments of the present application. In the above various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the devices (such as network devices, terminal devices) can also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) of the devices.

[0204] The above, in combination with FIGS. 1 to 6, details the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. The above communication method is mainly introduced from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the network device. It can be understood that the terminal device and the network device contain the corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for executing each function in order to realize the above functions.

[0205] It can be understood that in order to realize the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device and the network device include the corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that the units and method steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be realized in the form of hardware or hardware and computer software combination. Whether a certain function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0206] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic block diagrams of communication apparatuses provided by the embodiments of the present application. These communication apparatuses can be used to realize the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also realize the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication apparatus can be the terminal 120 as shown in FIG. 1, can be the RAN node 110 as shown in FIG. 1, can be the IAB parent node or the IAB node as shown in FIG. 5, or can be a module (such as a chip or a chip system) applied to a terminal, a RAN node, an IAB parent node, or an IAB node.

[0207] As shown in FIG. 7, the communication apparatus 2000 includes a processing unit 2010 and a transceiver unit 2020. The communication apparatus 2000 is configured to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 6.

[0208] When the communication apparatus 2000 is configured to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 6, the processing unit 2010 is configured to determine BWP configuration information, the BWP configuration information including information of at least two subcarrier spacings, the BWP configuration information being used for configuring a first BWP; and the transceiver unit 2020 is configured to transmit the BWP configuration information.

[0209] When the communication apparatus 2000 is configured to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 6, the transceiver unit 2020 is configured to receive the BWP configuration information; and the processing unit 2010 is configured to determine the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information.

[0210] For more details of the processing unit 2010 and the transceiver unit 2020 and more functions, please refer to the method embodiments shown in FIG. 6.

[0211] As shown in FIG. 8, the communication apparatus 3000 includes a processor 3010 and an interface circuit 3020. The processor 3010 and the interface circuit 3020 are coupled with each other. It can be understood that the interface circuit 3020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication apparatus 3000 can further include a memory 3030, configured to store instructions executed by the processor 3010 or store input data required by the processor 3010 to execute instructions or store data generated after the processor 3010 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 3020 can also be understood as a part of the processor 3010, and at this time, the communication apparatus 3000 includes the processor 3010.

[0212] When the communication apparatus 3000 is configured to implement the method shown in FIG. 6, the processor 3010 is configured to implement the functions of the processing unit 2010, and the interface circuit 3020 is configured to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 2020.

[0213] When the above communication apparatus is a terminal chip, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from a base station, which can be understood as that the information is first received by other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and then transmitted to the terminal chip by the modules. The terminal chip transmits information to the base station, which can be understood as that the information is first transmitted to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal, and then transmitted to the base station by the modules.

[0214] When the communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the method embodiments. The base station chip receives information from a terminal, which can be understood as the information being received by other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the base station first, and then being sent to the base station chip by the modules. The base station chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the base station first, and then being sent to the terminal by the modules.

[0215] In this application, entity A sending information to entity B can be A sending directly to B, or A sending indirectly to B through other entities. Similarly, entity B receiving information from entity A can be entity B receiving the information sent by entity A directly, or entity B receiving the information sent by entity A indirectly through other entities. Here, entity A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules inside RAN nodes or terminals. The sending and receiving of information can be the information interaction between RAN nodes and terminals, for example, the information interaction between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information interaction between two RAN nodes, for example, the information interaction between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information interaction between different modules inside one device, for example, the information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or the information interaction between a base station chip and other modules in the base station.

[0216] It can be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be a central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0217] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, so that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the base station or the terminal.

[0218] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments are performed. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center through a wired or wireless manner. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disc; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state disk. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile storage media.

[0219] In the above various embodiments, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referred to if there is no special description and no logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0220] "At least one" in this document means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. 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. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0221] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the first, second, and various numerical numbers are merely distinctions for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0222] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0223] It will be understood that the “embodiment” mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It will be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiment of the present application.

[0224] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may, in certain scenarios, be implemented independently of other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects. They may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios as needed. Accordingly, the devices provided in the embodiments of the present application may also implement these features or functions accordingly, which will not be described in detail here.

[0225] In this application, the same or similar parts among various embodiments can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified. In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent, and can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified and in conflict with logic, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship. The implementation manners of the present application described below do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0226] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are realized in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0227] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, device and unit can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0228] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0229] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, i.e., they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0230] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0231] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application essentially or the parts that contribute to the prior art or parts of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0232] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Determine BWP configuration information, where the BWP configuration information includes information about at least two subcarrier spacings, and the BWP configuration information is used to configure a first BWP; The BWP configuration information is sent to the first communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, the second subcarrier spacing is 16·2 m kHz, n and m are all integers greater than or equal to 0.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The BWP configuration information includes information about a BWP frequency domain position and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the information about the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that n and m are equal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: transmitting a PDCCH to the first communication device according to the first subcarrier spacing; The PDSCH and / or PUSCH are transmitted to the first communication device according to the second subcarrier spacing.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: First information is sent to the first communication device, where the first information is used to indicate an effective time of the second subcarrier spacing.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second information is sent to the first communication device, where the second information is used to instruct the first communication device to transmit at least one of PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS and SRS according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Transmitting a PDCCH to the first communication device according to the first subcarrier spacing, the PDCCH including the downlink control information, the downlink control information including the second information, and the second information being used to instruct the first communication device to transmit at least one of a PDSCH and a PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that The BWP configuration information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to enable the second subcarrier spacing.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second indication information is received from the first communication device, where the second indication information is used to indicate subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, where the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device includes information about the at least two subcarrier spacings.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one of the following: The size of the discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device and information on whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive third indication information from the first communication apparatus, where the third indication information is used to indicate a subcarrier spacing recommended by the first communication apparatus.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving BWP configuration information from a second communication device, the BWP configuration information including information of at least two subcarrier spacings, the BWP configuration information being used to configure a first BWP; The first BWP is determined according to the BWP configuration information.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The at least two subcarrier spacings include a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is 15·2 n kHz, the second subcarrier spacing is 16·2 m kHz, n and m are all integers greater than or equal to 0.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that n and m are equal.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The BWP configuration information includes information about a BWP frequency domain position and / or a BWP bandwidth, and the information about the BWP frequency domain position and / or the BWP bandwidth is configured according to the first subcarrier spacing. The determining the first BWP according to the BWP configuration information includes: The frequency domain position of the first BWP and / or the bandwidth of the first BWP are determined according to the first subcarrier spacing.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: transmitting a PDCCH with the second communication device according to the first subcarrier spacing; The PDSCH and / or PUSCH are transmitted to the second communication device according to the second subcarrier spacing.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: First information is received from the second communication device, where the first information is used to indicate an effective time of the second subcarrier spacing.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second information is received from the second communication device, where the second information is used to indicate that at least one of the PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, CSI-RS and SRS is transmitted according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: The PDCCH is transmitted to the second communication device according to the first subcarrier spacing, where the PDCCH includes downlink control information, the downlink control information includes the second information, and the second information is used to instruct the first communication device to transmit at least one of the PDSCH and the PUSCH according to the first subcarrier spacing or the second subcarrier spacing.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that The BWP configuration information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether to enable the second subcarrier spacing.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: Second indication information is sent to the second communication device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device, and the subcarrier spacing supported by the first communication device includes information about the at least two subcarrier spacings.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one of the following: The size of the discrete Fourier transform supported by the first communication device and information on whether the first communication device supports configuring two subcarrier spacings in one BWP.

24. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 23, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending third indication information to the second communication device, where the third indication information is used to indicate a recommended subcarrier spacing.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module or unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or a module or unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises one or more processors configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory, so that the device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the device performs the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that The invention comprises a computer program, which, when being executed, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or implements the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

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