Communication methods, terminals, network devices and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to communication methods, terminals, network devices and a storage medium. A method comprises: receiving configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used for configuring a time domain offset, and the time domain offset being a time offset between different component carriers (CCs) in a carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In the method of the present disclosure, a terminal receives the configuration information and thus acquires the time domain offset configured by the network device for the CA in the NTN scenario, such that in scenarios with longer communication links in NTNs, the terminal can use more reasonable time domain offsets to process communications on different CCs, so as to better improve the data rate of NTNs.

Description

Communication method, terminal, network device and storage medium TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, and particularly relates to a communication method, a terminal, a network device and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), it is necessary to further improve the data rate to support video streaming services. For example, the data rate can be improved by means of carrier aggregation (CA).

[0003] SUMMARY

[0004] In an NTN, the link between the satellite and the ground is often long, and the signal transmission delays on different component carriers (CCs) from the CA are quite different.

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device and a storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method performed by a terminal, comprising: receiving configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different component carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0007] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method performed by a network device, comprising: sending configuration information to a terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different component carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0008] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different component carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0009] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network device, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to send configuration information to a terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different component carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0010] In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: one or more processors; and wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to implement the method in the second aspect.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method in the first aspect; and the network device is configured to implement the method in the second aspect.

[0013] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, which stores instructions, wherein when the instructions are run on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0014] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a program product, wherein when the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal learns the time domain offset configured by the network device for CA in the NTN scenario by receiving the configuration information, so that in the scenario where the communication link is longer in the NTN, the terminal can apply a more reasonable time domain offset to process the communication on different CCs, so as to better improve the data rate in the NTN. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following describes the drawings required for the embodiments, and the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not specifically limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 1a is an exemplary schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIGS. 1b to 1c are schematic diagrams of time slot boundary alignment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 2a is an exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIGS. 2b to 2c are schematic diagrams of scenarios according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIGS. 3a to 3d are an exemplary flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIGS. 4a to 4c are an exemplary flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 5a is a structural schematic diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 5b is a structural schematic diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device and a storage medium.

[0028] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0029] In the above embodiment, the terminal learns the time domain offset configured by the network device for the CA in the NTN scenario by receiving the configuration information, so that in the scenario where the communication link in the NTN is longer, the terminal can apply a more reasonable time domain offset to process the communication on different CCs, so as to better improve the data rate in the NTN.

[0030] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, a value range of the time domain offset is determined according to a positive or negative number of a first value, or a maximum value of the value range is less than or equal to the first value; wherein the first value is greater than a maximum offset value of the time domain offset between different CCs in a terrestrial network (TN) CA.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the time domain offset between different CCs in the NTN is greater than the time domain offset between different CCs in the TN, so as to meet the communication requirements in the NTN, for example, the longer communication link in the NTN results in a greater difference in signal transmission delay between different CCs, and the greater time domain offset is beneficial to staggering the transmission slots of different CCs in the NTN, thereby maximizing the transmission rate of the CA.

[0032] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the unit of the time domain offset is a slot, and different subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to different value ranges.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the network device can configure different time slot ranges for different SCS, so that the terminal can learn the number of time slots corresponding to the time domain offset in the scenario of different SCS, thereby correctly processing the communication on different CCs.

[0034] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the maximum value Y in the value range corresponding to each SCS is determined according to the following manner: wherein floor represents a floor operation, and X represents the first value.

[0035] In the above embodiments, the value ranges of different SCSs can be determined based on the above formula respectively.

[0036] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the configuration information is per cell, and the configuration information includes a time domain offset corresponding to each cell.

[0037] In the above embodiments, the terminal can learn the time domain offset per cell based on the configuration information, and thus can process according to the corresponding time domain offset for different cells or carriers.

[0038] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining a time domain position of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) according to the configuration information, wherein the PDSCH or the PUSCH corresponds to the first cell.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the time domain position of the scheduled PDSCH or PUSCH based on the configured time domain offset, and thus receive the PDSCH or transmit the PUSCH at the corresponding time domain position.

[0040] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a downlink control information (DCI) sent by the network device, wherein the DCI is transmitted in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the network device schedules the PDSCH or the PUSCH through the DCI, and the PDCCH corresponds to a second cell.

[0041] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to the time domain offset corresponding to the first cell, and / or is determined according to the time domain offset corresponding to the second cell.

[0042] In the above embodiments, when the cell performing scheduling by the network device is different from the scheduled cell, the terminal can determine the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH of the scheduled cell based on the time domain offset of at least one of them.

[0043] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the method further comprises: sending, to the network device, capability information, the capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN.

[0044] In the above embodiments, the terminal reports whether it supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN to the network device by sending the capability information, so that the network device can configure based on the capability of the terminal, such as configuring the time domain offset.

[0045] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the capability information includes a second value, the second value being a maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal between different CCs in the NTN.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the terminal can report the maximum time domain offset supported by the capability information, so that the network device can adapt to the terminal capability when configuring the time domain offset, such as not exceeding the maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal.

[0047] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the different CCs in the NTN are located in the same cell group. In the above embodiments, the terminal can report the maximum time domain offset supported in the same cell group through the capability information.

[0048] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the frame headers of different CCs in the NTN are misaligned, and the time slot boundaries of different CCs are aligned. In the above embodiments, the different CCs in the NTN CA can satisfy the configured time domain offset, and the time slot boundaries are aligned.

[0049] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the different CCs in the NTN include a special cell (SPcell) and a secondary cell (SCell), and the minimum SCS configured for the SPcell is less than or equal to the minimum SCS configured for the SCell.

[0050] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different satellites, or the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different ground base stations. In the above embodiments, in different scenarios of the NTN, the terminal can apply the corresponding time domain offset based on the configuration of the network.

[0051] In the second aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, executed by a network device, the method comprising: sending configuration information to a terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in a carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0052] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the range of values of the time domain offset is determined according to a positive or negative of the first value, or a maximum value of the range of values is less than or equal to the first value, wherein the first value is greater than a maximum offset value of time domain offsets between different CCs in the CA of the terrestrial network TN.

[0053] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the time domain offset has a unit of time slot, and different subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to different ranges of values.

[0054] In some embodiments of the second aspect, a maximum value Y in the range of values corresponding to each SCS is determined according to the following manner: wherein floor represents a floor operation, and X represents the first value.

[0055] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the configuration information is in a unit of cell, and the configuration information includes a time domain offset corresponding to each cell.

[0056] In some embodiments of the second aspect, a time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to the configuration information, wherein the PDSCH or the PUSCH corresponds to the first cell.

[0057] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending, to the terminal, a downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI is transmitted in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the network device schedules the PDSCH or the PUSCH through the DCI, and the PDCCH corresponds to the second cell.

[0058] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to the time domain offset corresponding to the first cell and / or according to the time domain offset corresponding to the second cell.

[0059] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving capability information sent by the terminal, wherein the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN.

[0060] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the capability information includes a second value, and the second value is a maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal between different CCs in the NTN.

[0061] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the different CCs in the NTN are located in a same cell group.

[0062] In some embodiments of the second aspect, frame headers of the different CCs in the NTN are misaligned, and time slot boundaries between the different CCs are aligned.

[0063] In some embodiments, the different CCs in the NTN include a special cell (SPCell) and a secondary cell (SCell), and a minimum SCS configured for the SPCell is less than or equal to a minimum SCS configured for the SCell.

[0064] In some embodiments, the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different satellites, or the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different ground base stations.

[0065] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0066] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network device, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to send configuration information to a terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0067] In a fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication system, comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of the first aspect; and the network device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect.

[0070] In an eighth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a storage medium, which stores instructions, wherein when the instructions run on a communication device, the communication device executes the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0071] In a ninth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a program product, wherein when the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0072] In a tenth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a computer program, which when running on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation manners of the first aspect and the second aspect.

[0073] In an eleventh aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect and the second aspect.

[0074] It can be understood that the terminal, the network device, the communication system, the storage medium, the program product, the computer program, the chip or the chip system are all used to execute the method proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects achieved thereby can refer to the beneficial effects in the corresponding method, which will not be described here again.

[0075] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive, but only illustrate some embodiments, and are not specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure. In the case of no contradiction, each step in an embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be combined arbitrarily, for example, the scheme after removing some steps in an embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in an embodiment can be exchanged arbitrarily, in addition, the optional implementation in an embodiment can be combined arbitrarily; in addition, the embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, an embodiment can be combined with the optional implementation of other embodiments.

[0076] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0077] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments, and not as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0078] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the elements expressed in singular form, such as "one", "a", "the", "above", "said", "preceding", "this" and the like, can represent "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one" and the like. For example, in the case of using articles such as "a", "an", "the" and the like in English, the noun after the article can be understood as singular expression, or can be understood as plural expression.

[0079] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0080] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of,” “one or more of,” “a plurality of,” “multiple,” and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0081] In some embodiments, the recitations such as “at least one of A, B,” “A and / or B,” “in one case A, in another case B,” “in response to a case A, in response to a case B,” and the like can include the following technical solutions according to the case: in some embodiments, A (A is executed regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed regardless of A); in some embodiments, A and B are selectively executed (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (A and B are both executed). When there are more branches such as A, B, C, and the like, the above is similar.

[0082] In some embodiments, the recitations such as “A or B” and the like can include the following technical solutions according to the case: in some embodiments, A (A is executed regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed regardless of A); in some embodiments, A and B are selectively executed (A and B are selectively executed). When there are more branches such as A, B, C, and the like, the above is similar.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the prefix words “first,” “second,” and the like are merely used to distinguish different description objects, and do not constitute a limitation on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the description objects. The description of the description objects should refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and should not constitute an unnecessary limitation because of the use of the prefix words. For example, the description objects are “fields,” and the ordinal words before “fields” in “first field” and “second field” do not limit the position or order between “fields,” and “first” and “second” do not limit whether the “fields” modified thereby are in the same message or not, nor limit the order of “first field” and “second field.” For another example, the description objects are “levels,” and the ordinal words before “levels” in “first level” and “second level” do not limit the priority between “levels.” For another example, the quantity of the description objects is not limited by the ordinal words, and can be one or more. For example, “first device,” where the quantity of “devices” can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefix words can be the same or different, for example, the description objects are “devices,” and “first device” and “second device” can be the same device or different devices, and the types thereof can be the same or different; for another example, the description objects are “information,” and “first information” and “second information” can be the same information or different information, and the content thereof can be the same or different.

[0084] In some embodiments, "comprising", "including", "to indicate", "carrying", can be interpreted as directly carrying A, or indirectly indicating A.

[0085] In some embodiments, the terms "in response to", "in response to determining", "in the case of", "when", "when", "if", "if" and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terms "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not lower than", "above", and the like can be replaced with each other, and the terms "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", "below", and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0087] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and its name is not limited to the name described in the embodiments, and in some cases can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject" and the like.

[0088] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as an apparatus included in the network, such as an access network device, a core network device, and the like.

[0089] In some embodiments, an “access network device (AN device)” can also be referred to as a “radio access network device (RAN device),” a “base station (BS),” a “radio base station,” a “fixed station,” and in some embodiments can also be understood as a “node,” an “access point,” a “transmission point (TP),” a “reception point (RP),” a “transmission / reception point (TRP),” a “panel,” an “antenna panel,” an “antenna array,” a “cell,” a “macro cell,” a “small cell,” a “femto cell,” a “pico cell,” a “sector,” a “cell group,” a “serving cell,” a “carrier,” a “component carrier,” a “bandwidth part (BWP),” and the like.

[0090] In some embodiments, a "terminal" or "terminal device" can be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE), a "user terminal," a "mobile station" (MS), a "mobile terminal" (MT), a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, and / or the like.

[0091] In some embodiments, data, information and / or the like can be obtained in compliance with laws and regulations of a country where a location is situated.

[0092] In some embodiments, data, information and / or the like can be obtained after a user's consent is obtained.

[0093] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in a table of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and a combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0094] FIG. 1a is an architecture schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 1a, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102. In a TN network, the network device 102 can include at least one of an access network device and a core network device. In an NTN network, the network device 102 can include one or more of a satellite, a base station (e.g., a gNB), and a core network device. Among them, one base station can include one or more ground base stations or earth base stations, the satellite can forward the information transmitted by the base station to the terminal 101, the communication link between the satellite and the base station is a feedback link, and the communication link between the satellite and the terminal 101 is a service link. In an NTN, one satellite can establish a communication link with multiple ground base stations, and one ground base station can establish a communication link with multiple satellites.

[0096] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes at least one of a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a communication-capable car, a smart car, a tablet computer (Pad), a wireless transceiver-enabled computer, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, a wireless terminal device in a smart home, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0097] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network, and the access network device can include at least one of an evolved NodeB (eNB) in a 5G communication system, a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved node B (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of the present disclosure can be applicable to an Open RAN architecture, at this time, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can become internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be realized through software or programs.

[0099] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), wherein the CU can also be referred to as a control unit. The CU-DU structure can split the protocol layers of the access network device, and the functions of part of the protocol layers are controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers are distributed in the DU and controlled by the CU, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0100] In some embodiments, the core network device can be one device including one or more network elements, or can be multiple devices or device groups including all or part of one or more network elements respectively. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes at least one of an evolved packet core (EPC), a 5G core network (5GCN), a next generation core (NGC), for example. Alternatively, the core network device refers to a network element with specific functions, such as an access management function (AMF), a service management function (SMF), and the like.

[0101] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiments of the present disclosure is for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. It can be known by those skilled in the art that, as the system architecture evolves and new business scenarios appear, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0102] The following embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1a or part of the subject, but are not limited thereto.

[0103] The subjects shown in FIG. 1a are examples. The communication system can include all or part of the subjects in FIG. 1a, or other subjects other than FIG. 1a. The number and form of each subject is arbitrary. The connection relationship between each subject is an example. Each subject can be connected or not connected. The connection can be in any way, can be direct connection or indirect connection, can be wired connection or wireless connection.

[0104] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (Bluetooth (registered trademark)), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, Device-to-Device (D2D) system, Machine to Machine (M2M) system, Internet of Things (IoT) system, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), system using other communication processing methods, next-generation system expanded based thereon, and the like. Further, a plurality of systems can be applied in combination (for example, combination of LTE or LTE-A and 5G, and the like).

[0105] There are different frame structures between different CCs of CA. In Release 15 (R15) of 3GPP, the system frame and slot boundary between different carriers of inter-band CA need to be aligned, which has a relatively strict requirement on network deployment. Referring to the example shown in FIG. 1b, the two CCs of CA are NR N41 frequency band and N79 frequency band, and it is assumed that the terminal 101 supports 2TX uplink transmission, and N41 and N79 can both support 2TX. Based on R15, the subframe time relationship of the two CCs is shown in FIG. 1b, and the frame header and slot boundary are aligned, and the last two slots are both uplink (UL) transmission slots. When the terminal 101 performs N41+N79 uplink CA, the terminal can only support 2TX at the same time, so in any of the last two slots, the terminal uses 1TX on N41 and N79 respectively for uplink transmission.

[0106] In R16, the function of non-alignment of NR inter-band CA frame header is introduced, the slot boundaries of different CCs are kept aligned, but the frame headers between CCs can be offset. Referring to the example shown in FIG. 1c, the two CCs of CA are NR N41 frequency band and N79 frequency band, and it is assumed that the terminal 101 supports 2TX uplink transmission, and N41 and N79 can both support 2TX. In the example of FIG. 1b, the terminal can only use 1TX on N41 and N79 respectively in the last two slots; in R16, the two CCs can be offset, for example, offset by 2 slots as shown in FIG. 1c, which can completely stagger the uplink slots of N79 from N41, and the terminal can use 2TX in the uplink slots of N41 and N79 respectively.

[0107] In R16 CA, the frame header between different CCs can be offset by at most 2.5 ms. In NTN, the satellite-ground link is longer, and the time difference of signal transmission on different CCs is larger, and the offset in the related technology cannot be well applied to the NTN scenario, and cannot cover the larger difference between different links in NTN.

[0108] FIG. 2a is an interaction schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, and the method comprises:

[0109] In step S2101, the terminal 101 sends capability information to the network device 102.

[0110] In some embodiments, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports CA in the NTN, and / or, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports performing cross-carrier scheduling on the same numerology carriers in the NTN; and / or, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports performing cross-carrier scheduling on different numerology carriers in the NTN; and / or, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports carrier aggregation of SPcell and SCell at non-aligned frame boundaries in the NTN. Wherein, the numerology can be a numerology set including parameters such as SCS and sampling frequency, and the frame structure can be different when the numerologies are different.

[0111] In some embodiments, the capability information is applicable to the CA scenario of the NTN, i.e., the scenario of aggregating multiple CCs.

[0112] In some embodiments, in the CCs of CA, the CCs can also be referred to as carriers, and the carriers or CCs can correspond to cells, or the carriers or CCs can be replaced by cells. For example, the CA includes carriers corresponding to the SPcell and SCell, i.e., the terminal 101 communicates based on the CA of the SPcell and SCell; wherein, the SPcell includes the primary cell (PCell) and the primary secondary cell (PSCell).

[0113] In some embodiments, the CA scenario of the NTN can refer to FIGS. 2b-2c, different CCs in the NTN correspond to different satellites, or different CCs in the NTN correspond to different ground base stations.

[0114] Referring to scenario one shown in FIG. 2b, the CA of the NTN includes CC#1 and CC#2, wherein CC#1 and CC#2 come from different satellites, such as CC#1 comes from a satellite with a low earth orbit (LEO) of 1200km, and CC#2 comes from a satellite with a LEO of 600km, and CC#1 and CC#2 correspond to the same gNB.

[0115] Referring to scenario two shown in FIG. 2c, the CA of the NTN includes CC#1 and CC#2, wherein CC#1 and CC#2 come from the same satellite, such as a satellite with a LEO of 1200km, but come from different ground base stations, wherein one gNB can correspond to one or more ground base stations, and CC#1 and CC#2 correspond to different ground base stations, and in this scenario, there are multiple ground base stations adjacent to the same satellite.

[0116] In the above two scenarios, the transmission paths of signals from different CCs are quite different, and the transmission delays are quite different, so the NTN CA can be considered as asynchronous CA.

[0117] In some embodiments, the capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in NTN CA. Wherein, the terminal 101 supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in NTN, for example, it can support that there is a frame offset between different CCs in NTN.

[0118] In some embodiments, the time domain misalignment reported by the terminal 101 can be that the frame headers or frame boundaries of different CCs are misaligned, and the slot boundaries of different CCs are aligned.

[0119] Optionally, the CA involved in the capability information can be inter-band CA or intra-band CA, that is, the terminal 101 reports whether it supports the frame misalignment capability of inter-band or intra-band CA through the capability information.

[0120] Optionally, different CCs in NTN are located in the same cell group. For example, the capability information of the terminal 101 is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 supports inter-band or intra-band CA in the case that the frame boundaries of SPcell and SCell are misaligned in the same cell group.

[0121] In an example, the frame boundaries of SPcell and SCell are misaligned, but the slot boundaries of SPcell and SCell are aligned.

[0122] In another example, the frame boundaries of SPcell and SCell are misaligned, but the slot boundaries of SPcell and SCell are aligned, and the minimum SCS configured for SPcell is less than or equal to the minimum SCS configured for SCell. Wherein, the SCS list configured for SPcell can refer to the configuration of scsSpecificCarrierlist of SPcell, and the SCS list configured for SCell can refer to the configuration of scsSpecificCarrierlist of SCell.

[0123] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 can indicate whether it supports the above capability through 1 bit in the capability information.

[0124] In some embodiments, the capability information includes a second value, which is a maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal 101 between different CCs in the NTN. In this embodiment, the terminal 101 can report the maximum time domain offset, such as the maximum slotoffset, that it can support through the capability information, and the terminal 101 does not want the network device 102 to configure a time domain offset greater than the maximum time domain offset.

[0125] In some embodiments, the capability information includes: an information field for indicating whether the above capability is supported, and an information field for indicating the second value.

[0126] In some embodiments, the network device 102 receives the above capability information, and can perform corresponding configuration or scheduling based on the capability information. For example, the network device 102 configures a time domain offset for the terminal 101 supporting time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN, which is described with reference to step S2102.

[0127] In some embodiments, step S2101 can be omitted, for example, the network device 102 can default that the terminal 101 supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN.

[0128] In step S2102, the network device 102 sends configuration information to the terminal 101.

[0129] In some embodiments, the configuration information is used to configure a time domain offset, which is a time offset between different member carriers CCs in a carrier aggregation CA of the NTN.

[0130] Optionally, the time domain offset can be a frame offset, such as a frame boundary or a frame header offset. For example, the time domain offset is used to indicate a frame header offset between different CCs, while the slot boundaries between different CCs are aligned.

[0131] Optionally, the time domain offset is applicable to at least an NTN band, and can also be applicable to some TN bands, such as a scenario with a large transmission path. The related description of the CA scenario of the NTN or the CC can be referred to the description of step S2101, for example, the terminal 101 connects two satellites, but the ground base stations are the same; or the terminal 101 connects one satellite, and the satellite is connected to two ground base stations at the same time.

[0132] In some embodiments, the network device 102 can configure the time domain offset by itself, or configure the time domain offset based on the capability information, such as configuring a time domain offset less than or equal to the second value indicated by the capability information.

[0133] In some embodiments, the configuration information is in units of cells, and the configuration information includes a time domain offset corresponding to each cell, i.e., the network device 102 can configure a corresponding time domain offset for each cell. The cell can be a serving cell, such as a Scell or a Spcell.

[0134] In some embodiments, the time domain offset configured in the configuration information can be a time length offset or a slot offset (slotoffset or ca-Slotoffset), and the embodiment takes the time domain offset as X ms as an example. The maximum value or the value range of the time domain offset can be indicated in the configuration information.

[0135] In some embodiments, the value range of the time domain offset is determined according to the positive or negative of the first value, or the maximum value of the value range is less than or equal to the first value; wherein the first value is greater than the maximum offset value of the time domain offset between different CCs in the CA of the TN.

[0136] In an example, the first value can be denoted as X ms, wherein X is greater than 0. The value range of the time domain offset can be between [-X, +X], or the maximum value of the time domain offset is X ms or the absolute value of X, that is, the value of the time domain offset is less than or equal to X ms.

[0137] Optionally, the maximum offset value of the time domain offset between different CCs in the CA of the TN can be denoted as X', for example, X' = 2.5 ms, that is, the time domain offset between different CCs of the TN is between [-2.5, +2.5] or less than or equal to 2.5 ms. In this embodiment, X is greater than 2.5 ms, such as 5 ms.

[0138] In another example, X is the maximum value of the value range of the time domain offset, and Z is the minimum value of the value range, wherein Z can be determined by X or indicated by the network device 102 in the configuration information.

[0139] Optionally, the network device 102 can indirectly indicate the time domain offset by configuring the first value through the configuration information, or directly configure the value of the time domain offset.

[0140] In some embodiments, when the unit of the time domain offset is a slot, the value range corresponding to different subcarrier spacings (SCSs) is different. Taking the first value as X ms as an example, the first value can be the same for different SCSs. Since the correspondence between the slot and ms is different under different SCSs, the slot range corresponding to the time domain offset is different under different SCSs.

[0141] Optionally, the maximum value Y corresponding to each SCS in the value range is determined according to the following formula: wherein floor represents the floor operation, and X represents the first value.

[0142] For example, taking the first value X = 5 ms as an example for description, the range of the slot offset corresponding to different SCSs can refer to the following configuration:

[0143] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the configuration information described above, and can perform steps S2103 and / or S2104.

[0144] At step S2103, the network device 102 sends the DCI to the terminal 101.

[0145] In some embodiments, the DCI is transmitted in a PDCCH, and the network device 102 schedules a PDSCH or a PUSCH through the DCI, and the PDCCH corresponds to the second cell. Wherein, the PDSCH or the PUSCH corresponds to the first cell, and the network device 102 sends the DCI on the second cell, and the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH or the PUSCH of the first cell.

[0146] Optionally, the DCI can include a time domain resource allocation (TDRA) field, and the TDRA field is used to indicate time domain resource information, such as an index corresponding to a specific time domain information table is configured in advance.

[0147] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the DCI, and can determine the time domain position of the scheduled PDSCH or PUSCH based on the DCI and the configuration information.

[0148] At step S2104, the terminal 101 determines the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH according to the configuration information.

[0149] In some embodiments, the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH can refer to a slot, a symbol, or a duration, etc. Wherein, the duration can be represented by the number of symbols.

[0150] In some embodiments, in combination with the description of the foregoing embodiments, the network device 102 schedules the PDSCH or the PUSCH of the first cell through the PDCCH of the second cell.

[0151] In some embodiments, the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to the time domain offset corresponding to the first cell, and / or is determined according to the time domain offset corresponding to the second cell.

[0152] In combination with the description of the foregoing embodiments, the network device 102 can configure the time domain offset in a per cell manner, that is, the first cell and the second cell can be configured with different time domain offsets. The terminal 101 applies the time domain offset of the first cell and / or the second cell.

[0153] Optionally, the network device 102 schedules PDSCH or PUSCH of which cell, the terminal 101 determines the time domain position of the PDSCH or PUSCH by applying the time domain offset of the cell, in this example, the time domain offset corresponding to the first cell can be applied.

[0154] In combination with the foregoing description of the embodiments, the index indicated by the TDRA field can be associated with a table of time domain positions, and the terminal 101 can determine at least one of the starting slot, symbol or duration of the scheduled PDSCH or PUSCH based on the time domain offset and the index.

[0155] In an example, the example is applicable to downlink scheduling, such as the network device 102 scheduling PDSCH of the first cell through DCI of the second cell; wherein the second cell can be referred to as a scheduling cell, i.e. the cell in which the terminal 101 receives the DCI or PDCCH, and the first cell can be referred to as a scheduled cell, i.e. the cell in which the terminal 101 receives the PDSCH. Wherein the first cell can be a Scell, and the second cell can be an SPcell; or the first cell can be an SPcell, and the second cell can be a Scell. The terminal 101 can determine the time domain position or time domain allocation position of the PDSCH in the following manner:

[0156] Given the parameter values of the indexed row:

[0157] The time slot allocated for the PDSCH is K s If the UE is configured with a time domain offset (such as a time slot offset ca-SlotOffset) for at least one scheduled cell and scheduling cell, Wherein, Indicates the floor operation; otherwise Wherein, n is the time slot in which the scheduling DCI is located, K0 is a constant based on the numerology of the PDSCH, μ PDSCH is the SCS configured for the PDSCH, μ PDCCH is the SCS configured for the PDCCH. is μoffset,PDCCHis μ offset , And μoffset,PDCCHis determined by the higher layer configured ca-SlotOffset for the cell receiving the PDCCH. is μoffset,PDSCHis μ offset , and μoffset,PDSCHis determined by ca-SlotOffset configured by higher layer for the cell receiving the PDSCH.

[0158] In another example, which is applicable to uplink scheduling, the network device 102 schedules PUSCH of the first cell through DCI of the second cell; wherein the second cell can be referred to as a scheduling cell, i.e. the cell in which the terminal 101 receives the DCI or PDCCH, and the first cell can be referred to as a scheduled cell, i.e. the cell in which the terminal 101 receives the PUSCH. Wherein the first cell can be a Scell, and the second cell can be a spcell; or the first cell can be a spcell, and the second cell can be a Scell. The terminal 101 can determine the time domain position or time domain allocation position of the PUSCH in the following manner:

[0159] The time slot K s is determined by K2, if the UE is configured with ca-SlotOffset for at least one scheduled cell and scheduling cell, Otherwise, Wherein K offset is a parameter configured by higher layer, is the SCS configuration of K offset in frequency range 1 (Frequency Range 1, FR1), K offset is 0 is 0, n is the time slot in which the scheduling DCI is located, K2 is a constant based on the numerology of PUSCH, μ PUSCH is the SCS configured for PUSCH, μ PDCCH is the SCS configured for PDCCH. The scheduling DCI is different from DCI format 0_0 with cyclic redundancy check (Cyclic Redundancy Check, CRC) scrambled with non-temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (Temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier, TC-RNTI). is μoffset,PDCCHis μ offset , and μoffset, PDCCH is determined by ca-SlotOffset configured by a higher layer for a cell receiving the PDCCH. is μoffset, PUSCH is μ offset , and μoffset, PUSCH is determined by ca-SlotOffset configured by a higher layer for a cell receiving the PDSCH.

[0160] In some embodiments, the names of information and the like are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and the terms of "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0161] In some embodiments, "acquire", "obtain", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive", and the like can be replaced with each other, and can be interpreted as receiving from other subjects, acquiring from a protocol, acquiring from a higher layer, obtaining by processing oneself, autonomously implementing, and the like.

[0162] In some embodiments, the terms of "send", "transmit", "report", "issue", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive", and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terms of "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based", and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0164] In some embodiments, the terms of "time", "time point", "time", "time position", and the like can be replaced with each other, and the terms of "time length", "time period", "time window", "window", "time", and the like can be replaced with each other.

[0165] In some embodiments, the terms “component carrier (CC)”, “cell”, “frequency carrier”, “carrier frequency”, and the like can be replaced by each other.

[0166] In some embodiments, the terms “certain”, “preseted”, “pre-set”, “set”, “indicated”, “certain”, “arbitrary”, “first”, and the like can be replaced by each other. “Certain A”, “preseted A”, “pre-set A”, “set A”, “indicated A”, “certain A”, “arbitrary A”, “first A” can be interpreted as A specified in advance in a protocol, etc., can be interpreted as A obtained by setting, configuring, or indicating, etc., can be interpreted as certain A, certain A, arbitrary A, or first A, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0167] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values (for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0168] In some embodiments, “not expected to receive” can be interpreted as not receiving in time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or can be interpreted as, after receiving data, etc., not performing subsequent processing on the data, etc.; “not expected to send” can be interpreted as not sending, or can be interpreted as sending but not expecting the receiving party to respond to the content of the sending.

[0169] The method related to the embodiments of the present disclosure can include at least one of steps S2101-S2104.

[0170] In some embodiments, step S2101 can be omitted, for example, the method includes step S2102; or the method includes steps S2102-S2104.

[0171] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the corresponding description of FIG. 2a can be referred to.

[0172] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a more reasonable time domain offset can be configured for the CA case of the NTN to cover a longer space-ground link scenario in the NTN, so as to better stagger the same uplink transmission slots in the scenario where there is a larger frame header offset between the space-ground links of different CCs, bring great convenience and flexibility to the deployment of NTN inter-band CA, and provide a prerequisite for staggering the transmission slots of the two frequency bands of inter-band CA and maximizing the transmission rate of uplink CA, thereby better improving the uplink throughput in the NTN.

[0173] FIG. 3a is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3a, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by a terminal 101, and the above method comprises:

[0174] In step S3101, capability information is transmitted.

[0175] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3101 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 in FIG. 2a, and details are not repeated here.

[0176] In step S3102, configuration information is received.

[0177] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3102 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, and details are not repeated here.

[0178] In step S3103, DCI is received.

[0179] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3103 can refer to the implementation of step S2103 in FIG. 2a, and details are not repeated here.

[0180] In step S3104, the time domain position of PDSCH or PUSCH is determined according to the configuration information.

[0181] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3104 can refer to the implementation of step S2104 in FIG. 2a, and details are not repeated here.

[0182] The method related to the embodiments of the present disclosure can include at least one of steps S3101-S3104.

[0183] In some embodiments, step S3101 can be omitted, for example, the method includes step S3102; or the method includes steps S3102-S3104.

[0184] In some embodiments, other optional implementations can be described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3a.

[0185] FIG. 3b is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the terminal 101, and the above method comprises the following steps.

[0186] In step S3201, capability information is sent.

[0187] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3201 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0188] In step S3202, configuration information is received.

[0189] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3202 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0190] In some embodiments, other optional implementations can be referred to before or after the description of the corresponding specification of FIG. 3b.

[0191] FIG. 3c is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3c, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the terminal 101, and the above method comprises the following steps.

[0192] In step S3301, configuration information is received.

[0193] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3301 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0194] In step S3302, the time domain position of PDSCH or PUSCH is determined according to the configuration information.

[0195] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3302 can refer to the implementation of step S2104 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0196] In some embodiments, other optional implementations can be referred to before or after the description of the corresponding specification of FIG. 3c.

[0197] FIG. 3d is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3d, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the terminal 101, and the above method comprises the following steps.

[0198] In step S3401, configuration information is received.

[0199] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3401 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0200] In some embodiments, other optional implementation manners described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3d can be referred to.

[0201] FIG. 4a is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4a, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the network device 102, and the above method comprises:

[0202] In step S4101, capability information is received.

[0203] In some embodiments, the implementation manner of step S4101 can be referred to the implementation manner of step S2101 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0204] In step S4102, configuration information is sent.

[0205] In some embodiments, the implementation manner of step S4102 can be referred to the implementation manner of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0206] In step S4103, DCI is sent.

[0207] In some embodiments, the implementation manner of step S4103 can be referred to the implementation manner of step S2103 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0208] The method related to an embodiment of the present disclosure can comprise at least one of steps S4101-S4103.

[0209] In some embodiments, step S4101 can be omitted, for example, the method comprises step S4102; or the method comprises steps S4102-S4103.

[0210] In some embodiments, other optional implementation manners described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4a can be referred to.

[0211] FIG. 4b is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4b, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the network device 102, and the above method comprises:

[0212] In step S4201, capability information is received.

[0213] In some embodiments, the implementation manner of step S4101 can be referred to the implementation manner of step S2101 in FIG. 2a, and details are not described herein.

[0214] In step S4102, configuration information is sent.

[0215] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4102 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 in FIG. 2a, which will not be repeated here.

[0216] In some embodiments, other optional implementations can be referred to before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4b.

[0217] FIG. 4c is a flow diagram illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4c, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is performed by the network device 102, and the above method comprises:

[0218] Step S4301: transmitting configuration information.

[0219] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4101 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 in FIG. 2a, which will not be repeated here.

[0220] In some embodiments, other optional implementations can be referred to before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4c.

[0221] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the maximum offset value of the frame header of different cells in the CA technology can be improved to cover a larger gap between different links in the NTN. In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiment of the present disclosure, some examples are listed as follows:

[0222] Example one:

[0223] The base station configures the Slotoffset for the UE, and the UE uses the value to determine at least the time domain resource position of the secondary cell in the CA case. The maximum range of the value is X, and the absolute value of X is greater than the value of ca-Slotoffset in the related protocol, such as X being greater than 2.5 ms.

[0224] Optionally, if X is in ms, there are different ca-Slotoffset values for different SCS, floor represents the down rounding, and the following takes X=5 ms as an example:

[0225] Example two:

[0226] Based on example one, the slotoffset value is per cell, that is, for each cell. The UE applies the offset of which cell according to the PDSCH / PUSCH of which cell that the base station schedules.

[0227] Example three:

[0228] Based on example one or example two, Slotoffset is configured in NTN scenario, i.e. the value is applicable at least for NTN band.

[0229] In one embodiment, the UE connects two satellites, but the ground base stations are the same.

[0230] In one embodiment, the UE connects one satellite, but the satellite is connected to two ground base stations at the same time.

[0231] Example four:

[0232] Based on any one of examples one to three, the UE reports whether it supports inter-band or intra band unaligned frame (frame header misalignment between bands or within bands) in NTN.

[0233] The UE capability information is used to indicate whether the UE supports band-to-band or band-to-band CA in the case of frame boundary misalignment between spcell and scell within the same cell group.

[0234] More refined cases also include: frame boundary misalignment, but the slot boundaries of spcell and scell are aligned;

[0235] More refined cases also include: frame boundary misalignment, but the slot boundaries of spcell and scell are aligned, and the minimum scs configured in the scs-SpecificCarrierList of spcell is less than or equal to the minimum scs configured in the scs-SpecificCarrierList of scell.

[0236] Example five:

[0237] Based on example four, the UE reports the maximum slotoffset value that it can support, and if the UE reports this value, the UE does not want the base station to configure a slotoffset value greater than this value.

[0238] The embodiments of the present disclosure also propose a device for implementing any one of the above methods, for example, a device is proposed, which includes units or modules for implementing each step performed by the terminal in any one of the above methods. For another example, another device is proposed, which includes units or modules for implementing each step performed by the network equipment (such as access network equipment, core network function node, core network equipment, etc.) in any one of the above methods.

[0239] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0240] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and running capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like. In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through a logical relationship of hardware circuits, and the logical relationship of the hardware circuits is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In the reconfigurable hardware circuit, the processor loads a configuration document to implement the configuration of the hardware circuit. It can be understood that the processor loads instructions to implement the functions of the above part or all units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), or the like.

[0241] FIG. 5a is a structural schematic diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5a, the terminal 5100 can include at least one of a transceiver module 5101, a processing module 5102, and the like. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used for configuring a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0242] Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to perform at least one of the communication steps, such as receiving and / or sending, performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be described herein again. Optionally, the processing module 5102 is configured to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be described herein again.

[0243] FIG. 5b is a structural diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5b, the network device 5200 can include at least one of a transceiver module 5201, a processing module 5202, and the like. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is configured to send configuration information to the terminal, where the configuration information is used to configure a time domain offset, and the time domain offset is a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0244] In some embodiments, the transceiver module can include a sending module and / or a receiving module, which can be separate or integrated together. Optionally, the transceiver module can be mutually replaced with a transceiver.

[0245] In some embodiments, the processing module can be one module, or can include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules perform all or part of the steps required to be performed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be mutually replaced with a processor.

[0246] FIG. 6a is a structural diagram of a communication device 6100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a network device (such as an access network device, a core network device, and the like), or a terminal (such as a user equipment, and the like), or a chip, a chip system, or a processor supporting the network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor supporting the terminal to implement any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and details can be referred to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0247] As shown in FIG. 6a, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, and the like), execute programs, and process data of the programs. Optionally, the communication device 6100 is configured to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, the one or more processors 6101 are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0248] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving in the above-described methods, and the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps. In alternative embodiments, the transceiver can include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which can be separate or integrated together. Alternatively, the terms transceiver, transceiving unit, transceiver, transceiving circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc. can be replaced by each other, the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc. can be replaced by each other, and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc. can be replaced by each other.

[0249] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memory 6103 can also be outside the communication device 6100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 6100 can include one or more interface circuits 6104. Alternatively, the interface circuit 6104 is connected with the memory 6103, and the interface circuit 6104 can be used to receive data from the memory 6103 or other devices, and can be used to send data to the memory 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6104 can read the data stored in the memory 6103 and send the data to the processor 6101.

[0250] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments can be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 can not be limited by Figure 6a. The communication device can be a standalone device or can be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device can be: 1) a standalone integrated circuit (IC), or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a set of one or more ICs, which can optionally include storage components for storing data, programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a Modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, a smart terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handset, a mobile unit, a vehicle-mounted device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0251] Figure 6b is a structural schematic diagram of a chip 6200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the case where the communication device 6100 is a chip or a chip system, the structural schematic diagram of the chip 6200 shown in Figure 6b can be referred to, but is not limited thereto.

[0252] The chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. The chip 6200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0253] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and the like can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of memory 6203 can be external to chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected with memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data stored in memory 6203 and send the data to processor 6201.

[0254] In some embodiments, interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above methods. The performance of interface circuit 6202 in the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above methods means that interface circuit 6202 performs data interaction between processor 6201, chip 6200, memory 6203, or transceiver devices. In some embodiments, processor 6201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0255] The modules and / or devices described in each of the embodiments of virtual devices, physical devices, chips, and the like can be combined or separated as appropriate. Optionally, part or all of the steps can also be performed by multiple modules and / or devices in cooperation, which is not limited here.

[0256] The disclosure also proposes a storage medium, and the above storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed on communication device 6100, causes communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the above storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the above storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited to this, and it can also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the above storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited to this, and it can also be a transitory storage medium.

[0257] The disclosure also proposes a program product, and the above program product is executed by communication device 6100, so that communication device 6100 performs any of the above methods. Optionally, the above program product is a computer program product.

[0258] The disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods. Industrial applicability

[0259] The terminal knows the time domain offset configured by the network device for the CA in the NTN scene through receiving the configuration information, so that in the scene where the communication link in the NTN is longer, the terminal can apply more reasonable time domain offset processing to the communication on different CCs, so as to better improve the data rate in the NTN.

Claims

1. A communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving configuration information transmitted by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, A value range of the time domain offset is determined according to a positive or negative number of a first value, or a maximum value of the value range is less than or equal to the first value; wherein the first value is greater than a maximum offset value of a time domain offset between different CCs in CA of a terrestrial network (TN).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, When the unit of the time domain offset is a slot, the value range corresponding to different sub-carrier spacings (SCSs) is different.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The maximum value Y in the value range corresponding to each SCS is determined according to the following manner: wherein floor denotes a floor operation and X denotes the first value.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The configuration information is in units of cells, and the configuration information includes a time domain offset corresponding to each cell.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The method further comprises: determining a time domain position of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) according to the configuration information, wherein the PDSCH or the PUSCH corresponds to a first cell.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving downlink control information (DCI) transmitted by the network device, wherein the DCI is transmitted in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the network device schedules the PDSCH or the PUSCH through the DCI, and the PDCCH corresponds to a second cell.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to a time domain offset corresponding to the first cell, and / or is determined according to a time domain offset corresponding to the second cell.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The method further comprises: transmitting capability information to the network device, the capability information being used to indicate whether the terminal supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The capability information includes a second value, the second value being a maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal between different CCs in the NTN.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein, The different CCs in the NTN are located in a same cell group.

12. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein, Frame headers of the different CCs in the NTN are misaligned, and slot boundaries between the different CCs are aligned.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The different CCs in the NTN include a special cell (SPcell) and a secondary cell (SCell), and a minimum SCS configured for the SPcell is less than or equal to a minimum SCS configured for the SCell.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The different CCs in the NTN correspond to different satellites, or the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different ground base stations. 15.A communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising: transmitting, to a terminal, configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure a time domain offset, the time domain offset being a time offset between different member carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, A value range of the time domain offset is determined according to a positive or negative number of a first value, or a maximum value of the value range is less than or equal to the first value; wherein the first value is greater than a maximum offset value of a time domain offset between different CCs in CA of a terrestrial network (TN).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, When the unit of the time domain offset is a slot, the value range corresponding to different sub-carrier spacings (SCSs) is different.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The maximum value Y in the value range corresponding to each SCS is determined according to the following manner: wherein floor denotes a floor operation and X denotes the first value.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, The configuration information is in units of cells, and the configuration information includes a time domain offset corresponding to each cell.

20. The method of any of claims 15-19, wherein, a time domain position of a scheduled PDSCH or PUSCH is determined according to the configuration information, wherein the PDSCH or the PUSCH corresponds to a first cell.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, the method further comprises: sending, to the terminal, a downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI is transmitted in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the network device schedules the PDSCH or the PUSCH through the DCI, and the PDCCH corresponds to a second cell.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, the time domain position of the PDSCH or the PUSCH is determined according to a time domain offset corresponding to the first cell and / or according to a time domain offset corresponding to the second cell.

23. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein, the method further comprises: receiving, from the terminal, capability information indicating whether the terminal supports time domain misalignment between different CCs in the NTN.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, the capability information comprises a second value indicating a maximum time domain offset supported by the terminal between different CCs in the NTN.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein, the different CCs in the NTN are located in a same cell group.

26. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein, frame headers of the different CCs in the NTN are misaligned, and slot boundaries between the different CCs are aligned.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, the different CCs in the NTN comprise a special cell (SPcell) and a secondary cell (SCell), and a minimum SCS configured for the SPcell is less than or equal to a minimum SCS configured for the SCell.

28. The method of any one of claims 15 to 27, wherein, the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different satellites, or the different CCs in the NTN correspond to different ground base stations.

29. A terminal comprising: a transceiver configured to receive, from a network device, configuration information for configuring a time domain offset between different member carriers (CCs) in a carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

30. A network device comprising: a transceiver configured to send, to a terminal, configuration information for configuring a time domain offset between different member carriers (CCs) in a carrier aggregation (CA) of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

31. A terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of any of claims 1-14.

32. A network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to implement the method of any of claims 15-28.

33. A communication system comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein, the terminal is configured to implement the method of any of claims 1-14; the network device is configured to implement the method of any of claims 15-28.

34. A storage medium having stored instructions, wherein, when the instructions are run on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method of any of claims 1-14 or any of claims 15-28.

35. A program product, wherein, When the program product is executed by the communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, or any one of claims 15 to 28.

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