Communication method and system, apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and system, an apparatus, and a storage medium, which can be applied to a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In the method, a network device determines beam configuration information, and sends the beam configuration information to a terminal; the terminal receives the beam configuration information from the network device, the beam configuration information being used for a beam configuration; and in response to the beam configuration being activated, the terminal communicates with or measures the network device on the basis of a beam. In this way, an appropriate beam can be selectively / purposefully used for communication, thereby improving the utilization rate of a beam or a communication resource and the communication efficiency of a terminal using the beam for communication.

Description

Communication methods, systems, devices and storage media

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410866358.6, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on June 28, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and System, Apparatus and Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, system, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] Because traditional terrestrial networks cannot provide seamless coverage, especially in places where base stations cannot be deployed, such as the ocean, desert, and air, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) such as satellite communications have been introduced into terrestrial networks such as fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems. By deploying base stations or part of the base station functions on high-altitude platforms or satellites, NTNs provide seamless coverage for terminals (user equipment, UEs). Furthermore, high-altitude platforms or satellites are less affected by natural disasters, which can improve the reliability of 5G systems.

[0004] To support wide-area coverage, a single satellite is usually equipped with hundreds or even thousands of beams. However, communication based on existing beam configuration methods has technical problems such as high signaling overhead and low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, system, apparatus, and storage medium that can be applied to NTN, achieving the technical effect of saving signaling overhead and improving communication efficiency in NTN communication.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to NTN scenarios, such as satellite communication systems. This method can be executed by a terminal or by components of the terminal, such as the terminal's processor, chip, or chip system. This application uses the execution of the method by a terminal as an example for illustration. The method includes:

[0008] The network device can determine the beam configuration information and send the beam configuration information to the terminal; the terminal receives the beam configuration information from the network device; the beam configuration information is used for beam configuration.

[0009] In response to the activation of the beam configuration, the terminal communicates or takes measurements with network devices based on the beam.

[0010] In this way, the terminal can selectively or purposefully use the appropriate beam to communicate or measure with network equipment in the corresponding time and place, thereby improving the utilization rate of beam / communication resources and reducing the terminal's energy consumption.

[0011] In some possible designs, the beam configuration information includes at least a configuration identifier ID, which is related to the beam. The configuration identifier ID may include one or more of the following: the beam identifier ID of the beam, the cell identifier ID corresponding to the beam, and the area identifier ID corresponding to the beam.

[0012] In this way, the corresponding beam configuration can be indicated by the configuration ID in the beam configuration information, such as the beam identifier ID, the cell identifier ID corresponding to the beam, and the area identifier ID corresponding to the beam.

[0013] In some possible designs, beam configuration information may also include configuration parameters; configuration parameters may include one or more of the following: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration.

[0014] In this way, beam configuration information can include other information that corresponds to the beam, such as beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration.

[0015] In some possible designs, beam configuration information may also include beam power information and / or quasi-co-located QCL information.

[0016] By including beam power information in the beam configuration information, the terminal can perform signal detection and channel quality measurement, which is crucial for ensuring communication reliability and efficiency. By including QCL information in the beam configuration information to indicate the quasi-co-location relationship between the reference signal and the beam, the terminal can determine the spatial filter corresponding to the beam based on this quasi-co-location relationship, thereby improving communication quality.

[0017] In some possible designs, all the information included in the beam configuration information is carried in the same message or signaling; or, different information included in the beam configuration information is carried in different messages or signaling.

[0018] In this way, by carrying all the information included in the beam configuration information in the same message or signaling, or carrying different information in different messages or signaling, the flexibility of sending beam configuration information can be improved.

[0019] In some possible designs, beam configuration information is carried in System Message Block (SIB) messages, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or MAC CE signaling.

[0020] In this way, beam configuration information is carried through SIB messages, RRC messages, or MAC CE signaling, reducing beam management overhead and latency, improving beam management efficiency, and ensuring normal communication between the terminal and network equipment.

[0021] In some possible designs, beam configuration information corresponds to at least one of multiple configuration modes; different configuration modes correspond to different beam configuration information.

[0022] In this way, the configuration mode can be indicated indirectly. For example, the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information are different in different configuration modes. Therefore, the correspondence between the configuration parameters and the configuration mode can be designed in advance. When the terminal receives the beam configuration information, it obtains the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information, and then determines the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the obtained beam configuration parameters and the pre-designed correspondence.

[0023] In some possible designs, multiple configuration modes include the first configuration mode, the second configuration mode, the third configuration mode, or the fourth configuration mode;

[0024] The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, and activation duration within the beam activation period.

[0025] The beam configuration information corresponding to the second configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration.

[0026] The beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID;

[0027] The beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID and the configuration validity period.

[0028] In this way, by using multiple beam configuration modes and corresponding configuration parameters, radio frequency resources can be flexibly and fully utilized. By continuously activating the beam or setting different beam activation durations in different activation cycle lengths, the signal coverage and transmission quality of network devices can be improved, providing terminals with wider coverage, faster speeds, and lower latency communication services.

[0029] In some possible designs, the configuration mode identifier is carried in the beam configuration information, and the configuration mode identifier is used to identify the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information.

[0030] In this way, different configuration mode identifiers correspond to different beam configuration information configuration modes. That is, a configuration mode is uniquely identified by the configuration mode identifier. The configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information is indicated by the identifier carried in the configuration mode, so that the beam configuration information can be accurately parsed based on the configuration mode to obtain the information included in the beam configuration information under the configuration mode.

[0031] In some possible designs, the approach also includes:

[0032] Receive a list of configuration parameters and determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the type and / or number of configuration parameters.

[0033] In this way, the configuration mode identifier corresponds one-to-one with the configuration mode of the beam configuration information, and different configuration modes correspond to different configuration parameters. Therefore, based on the configuration parameter list and the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information, the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information can be determined. The terminal can communicate or measure with network devices based on different configuration modes.

[0034] In some possible designs, beam configuration is activated, including: beam configuration is activated in response to receiving beam configuration information.

[0035] In this way, after receiving the beam configuration information, the terminal considers the beam configuration information to be active and performs communication or measurement in the mode corresponding to the beam configuration information, saving signaling overhead and increasing the probability of normal communication for the terminal in scenarios where only some of the satellite beams are active.

[0036] In some possible designs, the approach also includes:

[0037] Receive control information, which is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration;

[0038] When the control information indicates that the beam configuration is to be activated, the beam configuration is activated.

[0039] In this way, the network device determines the beam configuration information and the corresponding activation / deactivation indication information based on the beam activation status, and sends the beam configuration information and the corresponding activation / deactivation indication information to the terminal. The terminal then performs communication or measurement in the mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the beam configuration information and the corresponding activation / deactivation indication information, which increases the probability of the terminal communicating normally in scenarios where only some of the satellite beams are activated.

[0040] In some possible designs, when the control information indicates that the beam configuration should be activated, the beam configuration is activated in response to the activation information, including:

[0041] The beam configuration information is activated at a preset offset time after receiving the control information.

[0042] In this way, the preset offset time can be adjusted according to the satellite's mobility and signal propagation characteristics, thereby optimizing beam configuration, reducing unnecessary resource waste, and improving communication efficiency.

[0043] In some possible designs, the control information includes a bit map, which consists of multiple bits; one bit corresponds to one beam configuration, or one bit corresponds to a set of beam configurations.

[0044] The value of a bit is used to indicate whether the beam configuration corresponding to the bit is activated or deactivated, or to maintain the state of the beam configuration corresponding to the bit. The state of the beam configuration includes an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0045] In this way, by indicating the activation and deactivation of the corresponding beam configuration in the form of a bitmap, the technical effect of saving signaling overhead can be achieved by using fewer fields.

[0046] In some possible designs, when the bit value of a bit is the first value, the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to the bit is activated;

[0047] If the bit value is the second value, either activate the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit, or maintain the state of the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit.

[0048] In this way, by indicating the activation and deactivation of the corresponding beam configuration in the form of a bitmap, the technical effect of saving signaling overhead can be achieved by using fewer fields.

[0049] In some possible designs, the control information includes multiple fields; these multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple sets of beam configurations; these multiple fields include first-type fields and / or second-type fields;

[0050] The first type of field is used to indicate the beam configuration corresponding to the activated first type of field;

[0051] The second type of field is used to indicate whether to activate the beam configuration corresponding to the second type of field.

[0052] In this way, multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple beam configuration sets. The first field indicates the activation of the corresponding beam configuration, and the second field indicates the deactivation of the corresponding beam configuration, which can save signaling overhead.

[0053] In some possible designs, multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations, including: one field in the multiple fields corresponds to one beam configuration; or, one field in the multiple fields corresponds to a set of beam configurations, the set of beam configurations including two or more beam configurations from the multiple beam configurations.

[0054] In this way, one field can correspond to one beam configuration or a set of beam configurations, which can increase the flexibility of beam configuration and reduce signaling overhead.

[0055] In some possible designs, the control information may also include a flag field; the field type of the fields included in the control information is indicated by the flag field; or,

[0056] The field types of the control information are determined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

[0057] The field type is either a first-class field or a second-class field.

[0058] In some possible designs, the indication capabilities of the first and second type fields are specified by the protocol or configured by the network device; the indication capabilities include indicating whether the beam configuration is active or deactivated.

[0059] In some possible designs, control information is carried in the Media Access Control Unit (MAC) CE message and / or the Downlink Control Message (DCI).

[0060] By including control information in MAC CE messages, more efficient data transmission and network resource management can be supported, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and reliability. Alternatively, control information can be included in DCI messages to achieve dynamic and efficient activation / deactivation operations, improving system resource utilization. Or, control information can be carried partly in MAC CE messages and partly in DCI messages, leveraging the strong carrying capacity of MAC CE messages and the dynamic efficiency of DCI messages to further improve system resource utilization.

[0061] In some possible designs, DCI includes terminal-specific DCI, or DCI includes group DCI.

[0062] In this way, only specific terminals can correctly decode and identify their dedicated DCI, thereby obtaining control information, making the transmission of control information more flexible and accurate. Alternatively, only a specific group of terminals can correctly decode and identify the DCI, making the transmission of control information more efficient and improving the utilization of system resources.

[0063] In some possible designs, in response to beam configuration deactivation, communication or measurement based on the corresponding beam is stopped.

[0064] In some possible designs, the beam configuration is deactivated after the validity period of the beam configuration information corresponding to the beam configuration expires; or, the beam configuration is deactivated when the received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated.

[0065] In some possible designs, beam configuration deactivation occurs when the received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated, including: the beam configuration is deactivated at a preset offset time after the control information is received.

[0066] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to NTN scenarios, such as satellite communication systems. This method can be executed by a network device or by components of the network device, such as the network device's processor, chip, or chip system. This application uses the execution of the method by a network device as an example for illustration. The method includes:

[0067] The network device sends beam configuration information to the terminal; the beam configuration information is used to configure the beam; in response to the beam configuration being activated, beam communication or measurement is performed.

[0068] In some possible designs, the beam configuration information includes at least a configuration identifier ID, which is used to indicate the beam.

[0069] In some possible designs, the configuration identifier ID includes one or more of the following: beam identifier ID, cell identifier ID corresponding to the beam, and area identifier ID corresponding to the beam.

[0070] In some possible designs, beam configuration information may also include configuration parameters;

[0071] Configuration parameters include one or more of the following: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration effective duration.

[0072] In some possible designs, beam configuration information may also include beam power information and / or quasi-co-located QCL information.

[0073] In some possible designs, all the information included in the beam configuration is carried in the same message or signaling; or,

[0074] The beam configuration information includes different information carried in different messages or signaling.

[0075] In some possible designs, beam configuration information is carried in System Message Block (SIB) messages, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or MAC CE signaling.

[0076] In some possible designs, the beam configuration information corresponds to at least one of multiple configuration modes;

[0077] The beam configuration information varies depending on the configuration mode.

[0078] In some possible designs, multiple configuration modes include the first configuration mode, the second configuration mode, the third configuration mode, and the fourth configuration mode;

[0079] The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, and activation duration within the beam activation period.

[0080] The beam configuration information corresponding to the second configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration.

[0081] The beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID;

[0082] The beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID and the configuration validity period.

[0083] In some possible designs, the configuration mode identifier is carried in the beam configuration information, and the configuration mode identifier is used to identify the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information.

[0084] In some possible designs, the approach also includes:

[0085] The network device sends a configuration parameter list to the terminal. The configuration parameter list is used to indicate the correspondence between the configuration parameters and the identifiers of the configuration modes, so that the terminal can determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the configuration parameter list and the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information.

[0086] In some possible designs, beam configuration is activated, including: beam configuration is activated in response to the terminal receiving beam configuration information sent by the network device.

[0087] In some possible designs, the network device sends control information to the terminal, which indicates whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration; when the control information indicates that the beam configuration should be activated, the beam configuration is activated.

[0088] In some possible designs, when the control information indicates that the beam configuration is to be activated, the beam configuration is activated in response to the activation information, including:

[0089] The beam configuration is activated at a preset offset time after receiving control information.

[0090] In some possible designs, the control information includes a bit map, which consists of multiple bits; one bit corresponds to one beam configuration, or one bit corresponds to a set of beam configurations.

[0091] The value of a bit is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration corresponding to the bit, or to maintain the state of the beam configuration corresponding to the bit. The state of the beam configuration includes activation or deactivation.

[0092] In some possible designs, when the bit value of a bit is the first value, the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to the bit is activated;

[0093] If the bit value is the second value, either activate the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit, or maintain the state of the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit.

[0094] In some possible designs, the control information includes multiple fields; these multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple sets of beam configurations; these multiple fields include first-type fields and / or second-type fields;

[0095] The first type of field is used to indicate the beam configuration corresponding to the activated first type of field;

[0096] The second type of field is used to indicate whether to activate the beam configuration corresponding to the second type of field.

[0097] In some possible designs, multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations, including:

[0098] One beam configuration corresponds to one of multiple fields;

[0099] Alternatively, one of the multiple fields may correspond to a beam configuration set, which may include two or more beam configurations from the multiple beam configurations.

[0100] In some possible designs, the control information may also include a flag field; the field type of the fields included in the control information is indicated by the flag field; or,

[0101] The field types of the control information are determined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

[0102] The field type is either a first-class field or a second-class field.

[0103] In some possible designs, the indicative capabilities of the first and second type fields are specified by the protocol or configured by the network device;

[0104] The indication capability includes indicating whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration.

[0105] In some possible designs, control information is carried in the Media Access Control Unit (MAC) CE message and / or the Downlink Control Message (DCI).

[0106] In some possible designs, DCI includes terminal-specific DCI, or DCI includes group DCI. In some possible designs, communication or measurement based on the corresponding beam is stopped in response to beam configuration deactivation.

[0107] In some possible designs, the beam configuration information corresponding to the beam configuration will be deactivated after its validity period expires;

[0108] Alternatively, the beam configuration may be deactivated if the terminal receives control information from the network device instructing the beam configuration to be deactivated.

[0109] In some possible designs, beam configuration deactivation occurs when the terminal receives control information from the network device instructing beam configuration deactivation, including:

[0110] The beam configuration is deactivated at a preset offset time after the terminal receives control information sent by the network device.

[0111] Thirdly, a communication system is provided, which includes a terminal and network equipment.

[0112] Network devices are used to send beam configuration information to terminals; beam configuration information is used to configure beams.

[0113] The terminal is used to receive beam configuration information and respond to the activation of the beam configuration information by beam communication or measurement.

[0114] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including at least a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first or second aspects above.

[0115] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in either the first or second aspect above to be performed.

[0116] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, the method of any one of the first or second aspects above is performed. Attached Figure Description

[0117] Figure 1 shows an example diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0118] Figure 2 illustrates an application scenario applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0119] Figure 3 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0120] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a beam configuration provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0121] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0122] Figure 6 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0123] Figure 7 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0124] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0125] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0126] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given below.

[0127] 1. Antenna Port:

[0128] An antenna port is a logical concept; one antenna port can correspond to one physical transmit antenna or multiple physical transmit antennas. In both cases, the terminal's receiver will not decompose signals from the same antenna port. From the terminal's perspective, regardless of whether the channel is formed by a single physical transmit antenna or by combining multiple physical transmit antennas, the reference signal (RS) corresponding to that antenna port defines it. For example, the antenna port corresponding to the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is the DMRS port, and the terminal can obtain the channel estimate for that antenna port based on this reference signal. Each antenna port corresponds to a time / frequency resource grid (identified by an ID) and has its own unique reference signal. One antenna port is one channel, and the terminal can perform channel estimation and data demodulation based on the reference signal corresponding to that antenna port.

[0129] One or more antenna ports can form a beam for transmitting data channels, control channels, and probe signals.

[0130] 2. Beam:

[0131] A beam is a communication resource. A beam can be wide, narrow, or other types. The technology used to form a beam can be beamforming or other techniques. Beamforming technology can specifically be digital beamforming, analog beamforming, or hybrid digital / analog beamforming. Different beams can be considered different resources. The same information or different information can be transmitted through different beams.

[0132] Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as a single beam. A beam can be formed by one or more antenna ports and is used to transmit data channels, control channels, and detection signals, etc. One or more antenna ports forming a beam can be considered as a set of antenna ports.

[0133] A beam consists of a transmit beam and a receive beam. The transmit beam refers to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna, while the receive beam refers to the distribution of wireless signal strength received by an antenna array in different directions in space, either strengthening or weakening the signal.

[0134] Beam pairs are based on the concept of beams. A beam pair typically includes a transmit beam from a transmitting device and a receive beam from a receiving device. In the downlink direction, the transmitting device can be a network device, and the receiving device can be a terminal. In the uplink direction, the transmitting device can be a terminal, and the receiving device can be a network device.

[0135] In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol, beams can be specifically represented by indexes of various signals (or resources), such as resource indexes of channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), sounding reference signals (SRSs), and tracking reference signals (TRSs).

[0136] Furthermore, in the 3GPP protocol, beams can also be represented as spatial domain filters, spatial parameters, spatial parameters, spatial domain settings, spatial settings, or quasi-co-location (QCL) information, QCL assumptions, QCL indications, etc. Beams can be indicated through transmission configuration indication (TCI) state parameters or spatial relation parameters. Therefore, in this application, beams can also be replaced by spatial domain filters, spatial filters, spatial parameters, spatial parameters, spatial settings, spatial settings, QCL information, QCL assumptions, QCL indications, TCI-state, or spatial relations, etc. These terms are also equivalent to each other. The term "beam" in this application can also be replaced with other beam-related terms without limitation. 3. QCL: QCL relationship is used to indicate that multiple antenna ports correspond to beams (or resources) that have one or more identical or similar communication characteristics. For multiple resources with QCL relationship, the same or similar communication configuration can be used.

[0137] Specifically, antenna ports with a QCL relationship have the same parameters; or, the parameters of one antenna port (also called QCL parameters) can be used to determine the parameters of another antenna port with a QCL relationship with that antenna port; or, two antenna ports have the same parameters; or, the parameter difference between two antenna ports is less than a certain threshold. These parameters can include one or more of the following: delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average delay, average gain, and spatial rx parameters. Spatial rx parameters can include one or more of the following: angle of arrival (AOA), average AOA, AOA spread, angle of departure (AOD), average AOD, AOD spread, receive antenna spatial correlation parameters, transmit antenna spatial correlation parameters, transmit beam, receive beam, and resource identifier.

[0138] 4. TCI:

[0139] TCI can be used to indicate the QCL information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Specifically, up to M TCI-states can be configured by the higher-layer signaling parameter PDSCH-config. These M TCI-states indicate reference signals that satisfy the QCL relationship with the modulation and demodulation reference signal (DMRS) of the PDCCH / PDSCH. The value of M depends on the terminal capability. Each TCI-state defines one or more reference signals that satisfy the QCL relationship with the DMRS of the PDCCH / PDSCH.

[0140] In the TCI-state, the reference signal that satisfies the QCL relationship with the DMRS of the PDCCH / PDSCH can be indicated by the reference signal index.

[0141] 5. Non-terrestrial network (NTN):

[0142] NTN communication can include satellite communication, which refers to deploying base stations or part of the base station functions on satellites to provide coverage for terminals. Satellite communication has significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, convenient deployment, and no geographical limitations, and has been widely used in many fields such as maritime communication, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation.

[0143] Based on their altitude, or orbital altitude, satellite systems can be categorized into highly elliptical orbit (HEO), geostationary earth orbit (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. GEO satellites, also known as geostationary satellites, move at the same speed as the Earth's rotation, thus remaining stationary relative to the ground. Correspondingly, GEO satellite cells are also stationary. GEO satellite cells have relatively large coverage areas, typically with a cell diameter of 500 kilometers (km). LEO satellites move relatively quickly relative to the ground, approximately 7 km per second, therefore the service coverage area provided by LEO satellites also shifts accordingly. Generally speaking, the higher the satellite's orbit, the larger its coverage area, but the longer its communication latency.

[0144] In addition, NTN communication can also include high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, which refers to deploying base stations or part of the base station functions on high altitude platforms to provide coverage for terminals.

[0145] Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, network devices, such as network device 1 and network device 2, employ multiple beams to cover areas or cells, providing communication services to terminals within those areas or cells. The areas or cells covered by different beams may overlap or not, and different beams can communicate via one or more of time division, frequency division, and space division. The network devices are not limited to satellite base stations or ground base stations. The network devices can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites. The satellite can be a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellite or a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite. The satellite mentioned in the embodiments of this application can also be a satellite base station or network-side equipment mounted on a satellite.

[0146] Network equipment can be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE; or a base station in a 5G network or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), a broadband network gateway (BNG), an aggregation switch, or a non-3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access device, etc. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this. Optionally, the base station in this application embodiment can include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, next-generation base stations (gNodeB, gNB), transmitting and receiving points (TRP), transmitting points (TP), mobile switching centers, and equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, etc. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0147] Network devices can communicate and interact with core network devices to provide communication services to terminals. Core network devices, for example, are those in the 5G network core network (CN). As a bearer network, the core network provides the interface to the data network, offering communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and data service delivery to user equipment (UE). The CN can further include: access and mobility management functions (AMF), session management functions (SMF), authentication server functions (AUSF), policy control functions (PCF), and user plane functions (UPF), among other network elements.

[0148] The terminal mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a terminal, including various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication functions. Specifically, it can refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, terminal equipment, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal can also be a satellite phone, cellular phone, smartphone, wireless data card, wireless modem, machine-type communication device, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device or wearable device, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical care, wireless terminal in smart grid (smart grid ID), wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, terminal in 5G network or future communication network, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0149] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to cellular communication systems (i.e., terrestrial communication systems) that support beamforming communication, and also to scenarios where other terrestrial communication systems are integrated with satellite communication. The terrestrial mobile terminal accesses the network through a 5G New Radio interface, and the satellite acts as a 5G base station, connected to the terrestrial core network via a wireless link. Simultaneously, a wireless link exists between satellites to complete signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations. Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 illustrates an application scenario applicable to this application embodiment, specifically a network application architecture integrating satellite communication and 5G technology among 3GPP members. It should be noted that this application architecture is not intended to limit this application. The various network elements in Figure 2 and their interfaces are described below: Terminal: A mobile device supporting a 5G New Radio interface, capable of accessing the satellite network and initiating calls, internet access, and other services via the air interface. For example, the terminal can be any of the terminals described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] 5G base stations primarily provide wireless access services, allocate wireless resources to access terminals, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0151] 5G Core Network: Handles user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, billing, and other services. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into 5G control plane and data plane functional entities, such as AMF, SMF, and UPF. AMF is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. SMF is responsible for UPF discovery and management, as well as session management. UPF is responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and security interception functions.

[0152] Ground station: Responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and the 5G core network.

[0153] 5G New Radio: The wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0154] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover.

[0155] NG interface: The interface between 5G base stations and 5G core networks, mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data.

[0156] A single satellite can cover an area of ​​thousands or even tens of thousands of kilometers, while a single beam can cover an area of ​​tens or even thousands of meters. To support wide-area coverage, a single satellite typically needs to be configured with tens, hundreds, or even more beams. To alleviate the contradiction between a small payload and a wide coverage area for a single satellite, a method can be used where a single satellite is equipped with a small number of beams, serving a wider coverage area through time-division multiplexing. Only a small number of beams are used for area coverage within the same time unit, while multiple beams used in different time units cover a wider area. However, communication or measurement based on existing beam configuration methods suffers from high signaling overhead and low efficiency.

[0157] This application provides a communication method that includes a beam activation / deactivation mechanism. When beams are configured for a terminal, communication or measurement is performed using the activated beams, and not on the deactivated beams. This allows for selective / purposeful use of appropriate beams for communication, rather than communicating on all configured beams, improving beam / communication resource utilization and communication efficiency for the terminal.

[0158] In one example, the network device determines beam configuration information and corresponding activation / deactivation indication information based on beam activation status, and sends the beam configuration information and corresponding activation / deactivation indication information to the terminal. The terminal then performs communication or measurement in the mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the beam configuration information and corresponding activation / deactivation indication information, thereby increasing the probability of normal communication for the terminal in scenarios where only some satellite beams are activated.

[0159] In another example, the protocol stipulates that network devices determine configuration information based on beam activation status and send the beam configuration information to the terminal. After receiving the beam configuration information, the terminal defaults to activating the beam configuration information and performs communication or measurement in the mode corresponding to the beam configuration information. This saves signaling overhead and increases the probability of normal communication for the terminal in scenarios where only some beams of the satellite are activated.

[0160] In this application, activation can be replaced by descriptions such as effective or enabled, and deactivation can be described as ineffective or disabled. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. The terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply differences.

[0161] It should be noted that, in this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0162] "Used for indication" can include direct and indirect indication, as well as explicit and implicit indication. When describing "indication information used to indicate A" or "indication information of A," it can include whether the indication information directly or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the indication information carries A. The information indicated by a certain piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In specific implementation, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the beam configured for the terminal, such as the beam itself or the index of the beam configured for the terminal. It can also indirectly indicate the beam configured for the terminal by indicating other information, where there is a correlation between the other information and the beam configured for the terminal. It can also indicate only a part of the beam configured for the terminal, while the other parts of the beam configured for the terminal are known or pre-agreed. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information. Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. As can be seen from the above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method. Thus, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to know the beam configured for the terminal. The beam configured for the terminal can be transmitted as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and transmitted separately. Moreover, the transmission period and / or transmission timing of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific transmission method. The transmission period and / or transmission timing of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. The configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or at least a combination of two of radio resource control signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. The signaling includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling, MAC layer signaling including MAC control elements (CE), and physical layer signaling including downlink control information (DCI). The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking the interaction between a network device and any terminal as an example.

[0163] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the terminal and / or network device may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to perform all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0164] It should be noted that the message names or parameter names in the messages between the devices in the embodiments of this application are just examples, and other names may be used in the specific implementation. For example, "determine" in the embodiments of this application can also be understood as "create" or "generate", "include" in the embodiments of this application can also be understood as "carry", etc., and "indicate" in the embodiments of this application can also be understood as "trigger", "notify", or "request", etc., and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this. This application provides a communication method that can be applied to NTN scenarios. Of course, the method can also be applied to other scenarios, such as scenarios where network devices are mobile and move at a high speed. This application does not specifically limit the applicable scenarios of the method, and the above exemplary scenarios do not constitute any limitation on the method. Figure 3 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application includes:

[0165] 301: The network device sends beam configuration information to the terminal; correspondingly, the terminal receives the beam configuration information.

[0166] In this application, beam configuration information can be used for beam configuration, and the beam can be one or more, without limitation. For example, beam configuration information may include a configuration identifier (ID), which indicates the beam. Alternatively, beam configuration information can indirectly configure / indicate the beam. For instance, if there is a correspondence between the beam and other information, the beam configuration information may include other information that corresponds to the beam, which indirectly configures / indicates the beam. For example, this other information may be, for example, the beam power information of the beam, and / or, the QCL information of the beam, etc.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the beam configuration information may also include beam power information and / or QCL information.

[0168] The beam power information can be uplink beam power, downlink beam power, or both. Different beams correspond to different power values. Including beam power information in the beam configuration information helps the terminal perform signal detection and channel quality measurement, which is crucial for ensuring communication reliability and efficiency.

[0169] Understandably, QCL (Qualitative Channel Context) is used to represent multiple beam resources having one or more identical or similar communication characteristics. Generally, the channel scale information differs between different network devices. For multiple resources with a QCL relationship, the same or similar communication configurations can be used. For example, if two antenna ports have a QCL relationship, the channel scale characteristics of one port transmitting one symbol can be inferred from the channel scale characteristics of the other port transmitting one symbol.

[0170] Specifically, QCL information may include, but is not limited to, QCL type, reference signal index associated with the data channel, and / or TCI state information. The QCL type includes type A, type B, type C, or type D. The reference signal index associated with the data channel may include, but is not limited to, the synchronization signal block (SSB) index, the non-zero power channel state information reference signal resource ID (i.e., NZP CSI-RS resource ID), and TCI state information. In this way, by carrying QCL information in the beam configuration information to indicate the quasi-co-location relationship between the reference signal and the beam, the terminal can determine the spatial filter corresponding to the beam based on this quasi-co-location relationship, thereby improving communication quality.

[0171] In this application, the configuration ID may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: beam ID, cell ID corresponding to the beam, and area ID corresponding to the beam. It is understood that the correspondence between beams and cells can be one-to-one, multiple beams corresponding to one cell, or one beam corresponding to multiple cells. Similarly, the correspondence between beams and areas can be one-to-one, multiple beams corresponding to one area, or one beam corresponding to multiple areas. Further optionally, the beam configuration information can also be used to indicate / configure beam-related parameters (which may be called configuration parameters). For example, the beam configuration information may include one or more of the following configuration parameters: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration.

[0172] In this application, the beam activation period can also be described as a beam activation cycle, which indicates the frequency or time interval at which the beam is activated. The beam activation period in this application can be periodic or non-periodic, and this application does not specifically limit it.

[0173] In this application, the activation duration within a beam activation period refers to the length of time the beam is activated within the beam activation period. The activation duration within a beam activation period is less than or equal to the beam activation period. For example, the beam activation period is 1 to 5 time units and 6 to 10 time units, and the activation duration within the beam activation period is 1 to 2 time units and 6 to 7 time units.

[0174] In this application, the configuration validity period refers to the length of time that the beam configuration information remains valid. After the configuration validity period expires, the beam configuration information becomes invalid. Valid beam configuration information can mean that the beam configured in the configuration information, or the configured beam and its related configuration parameters, are valid. When the beam configured in the configuration information is activated, communication or measurement with network devices can be performed based on the beam and its related configuration parameters when the beam activation period arrives. Conversely, invalid beam configuration information can mean that the beam configured in the configuration information, or the configured beam and its related configuration parameters, are invalid. When the beam configured in the configuration information is deactivated or the configuration validity period expires, communication or measurement with network devices is no longer performed based on that beam.

[0175] In one possible implementation, the beam configuration information also includes configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include one or more of the following: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration effective duration.

[0176] In a specific implementation, the beam activation period offset value is the offset of the beam activation period start position relative to a specific time domain position, and the beam activation period offset value is the offset of the beam activation time start position relative to the beam activation period start position. Here, the beam activation period start position represents the time domain position at the beginning of each period.

[0177] It should be understood that the time unit in this application can be a subframe, a time slot, or an OFDM symbol, and this application does not further limit it.

[0178] 302: In response to the beam configuration being activated, the terminal communicates with network devices based on the beam.

[0179] In this application, beam configuration may include configuring beams and related parameters for configuring beams, such as configuration parameters.

[0180] In one possible implementation, all the information included in the beam configuration information is carried in the same message or signaling; or, different information included in the beam configuration information is carried in different messages or signaling.

[0181] The flexibility of transmitting beam configuration information can be improved by carrying all the information included in the beam configuration information in the same message or signaling, or by carrying different information in different messages or signaling.

[0182] In one possible implementation, beam configuration information is carried in a system information block (SIB) message, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0183] SIB messages carrying beam configuration information can be broadcast by network devices. In satellite communication, network devices are mobile, and terminals may receive beams transmitted by different network devices at different times. Furthermore, satellite beams may split or combine. By carrying beam configuration information through SIB or RRC messages, the overhead and latency of beam management are reduced, and beam management efficiency is improved, ensuring normal communication between the terminal and network devices.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the beam configuration information corresponds to one of multiple configuration modes. This configuration beam can be any of the multiple configuration modes, without restriction. The beam configuration information differs for different configuration modes.

[0185] In this application, the network device can configure / indicate one or more beams for the terminal using one beam configuration information; or, it can configure / indicate multiple beams for the terminal using multiple beam configuration information, with one beam configuration information corresponding to one beam, without limitation. When configuring / indicating multiple beams for the terminal using multiple beam configuration information, the configuration modes of each beam configuration information can be different or the same, without limitation.

[0186] It is understandable that the configuration mode can be replaced by descriptions such as beam configuration mode, configuration type, beam configuration type, information type of beam configuration information, or format of beam configuration information.

[0187] The beam configuration information is different for different configuration modes. In other words, different configuration modes correspond to different beam configuration information.

[0188] In one possible implementation, multiple configuration modes include a first configuration mode, a second configuration mode, a third configuration mode, or a fourth configuration mode. It should be understood that this application uses four configuration modes as examples to describe the specific content included in the beam configuration information under each configuration mode. In actual applications, more or fewer configuration modes than four may be used, without limitation.

[0189] The following is an introduction to each beam configuration:

[0190] I. First Configuration Mode

[0191] The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes the configuration ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, and activation duration within the beam activation period. Explanations of each piece of information included in the beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode are provided in S301 and will not be repeated here.

[0192] In the first configuration mode, the time unit where the beam activation period begins is the starting unit that satisfies the following formula: (N s ·n f +n s -T offset )modT=0

[0193] Where Ns is the number of time units in the system frame, ns is the time unit number in the system frame, nf is the time unit number of the time unit where the beam activation period takes effect, Toffset is the starting offset value of the beam activation period, T is the length of the beam activation period, and mod indicates modulo.

[0194] In this way, the terminal can determine the starting position of the beam activation period based on the length of the beam activation period and the starting offset value of the beam activation period. Each period starts from its own starting position and lasts for a duration of T.

[0195] For example, Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a beam configuration provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the beam configuration corresponding to the beam includes: the beam activation period of the beam is T, the starting offset of the beam activation period is offset_0, the activation time of the beam within the period, i.e., the activation duration within the beam activation period, is t1. After receiving the beam configuration at a specific time-frequency domain position, the starting position of the beam activation period is as shown in Figure 4.

[0196] It should be noted that the beam activation period, the start offset of the beam activation period, and the activation duration within the beam activation period can also be agreed upon through the protocol, and are not limited here.

[0197] II. Second Configuration Mode

[0198] The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes the configuration ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration validity duration. Explanations of each piece of information included in the beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode are provided in S301 and will not be repeated here.

[0199] The longest validity period for the second configuration mode is until the configuration validity period expires, at which point a reconfiguration message or a deactivation indication message takes effect.

[0200] III. Third Configuration Mode

[0201] The beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration beam includes the configuration ID. For an explanation of the configuration ID included in the beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration mode, please refer to section S301; it will not be repeated here.

[0202] The third configuration mode is continuously valid, with the longest validity period being until the reconfiguration message takes effect or the deactivation instruction message takes effect.

[0203] IV. Fourth Configuration Mode

[0204] The beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode includes the configuration ID and the configuration validity period. For explanations of the configuration ID and configuration validity period included in the beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode, please refer to section S301, and will not be repeated here.

[0205] The maximum validity period for the fourth configuration mode is until the configuration validity period expires, at which point a reconfiguration message or a deactivation indication message takes effect.

[0206] Based on the above scheme, the beam can flexibly and fully utilize radio frequency resources through various configuration modes and corresponding configuration parameters. By continuously activating the beam or setting different beam activation durations in different activation cycle lengths, it can provide terminals with wider coverage, faster speed and lower latency communication services, while improving the signal coverage and transmission quality of network equipment.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the configuration mode identifier is carried within the beam configuration information. This identifier identifies the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information. Different configuration mode identifiers correspond to different configuration modes of the beam configuration information. In other words, each configuration mode is uniquely identified by its identifier. By using the identifier carried within the configuration mode to indicate the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information, the information included in the beam configuration information under that configuration mode can be accurately parsed based on that configuration mode.

[0208] In this application, the identifier of the configuration mode can be the index number of the configuration mode, such as 00, 01, 02, 03, or it can be identified in other ways, such as mod1, mod2, mod3, mod4.

[0209] In another possible implementation, the configuration mode can be indicated indirectly. For example, the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information are different under different configuration modes. Therefore, the correspondence between the configuration parameters and the configuration mode can be pre-designed. Subsequently, the received beam configuration information is parsed to obtain the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information, and then the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information is determined based on the parsed beam configuration parameters and the pre-designed correspondence. For example, Figure 5 shows a second schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the communication method provided by this application further includes:

[0210] 501: The network device sends a list of configuration parameters; correspondingly, the terminal receives the list of configuration parameters.

[0211] 502: The terminal determines the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the type and / or number of configuration parameters.

[0212] The configuration mode identifier corresponds one-to-one with the configuration mode of the beam configuration information, and different configuration modes correspond to different configuration parameters. Therefore, based on the configuration parameter list and the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information, the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information can be determined. The terminal can communicate or perform measurements with network devices based on different configuration modes.

[0213] For example, the list of configuration parameters is shown in Table 1:

[0214] Table 1

[0215] After receiving the beam configuration information, the terminal parses it and obtains only the configuration ID, without any configuration parameters. Then, it refers to the configuration parameter list shown in Table 1 to determine the corresponding configuration mode 3. For example, after receiving the beam configuration information, the terminal parses it and obtains only the configuration ID and configuration validity period. Then, it refers to the configuration parameter list shown in Table 1 to determine the corresponding configuration mode 4.

[0216] In this application, beam activation or deactivation can be indicated via dynamic signaling, or by protocol specifications or default settings; there are no restrictions. In this application, the effective duration of the configuration parameters can be replaced by setting a timer.

[0217] The following sections describe two scenarios in which beam configuration information is activated.

[0218] In the first case, receiving beam configuration information activates the beam configuration.

[0219] The activation mechanism can be either specified in the agreement or the default, without restriction.

[0220] As shown in Figure 6, Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. In addition to S301 and S302, the method may also include:

[0221] 601: The terminal responds to receiving beam configuration information from the network device, and the beam configuration is activated.

[0222] It should be noted that the beam configuration is activated in response to the receipt of beam configuration information; that is, the beam configuration is considered to be activated directly after receiving the beam configuration information.

[0223] In the method shown in Figure 6, after the validity period of the beam configuration information expires, the beam configured in the beam configuration information is deactivated, and communication or measurement with network devices based on that beam is stopped. If the beam configuration information does not include a validity period, such as in configuration mode 1, in response to control information, the beam configuration is deactivated if the control information indicates that the beam configuration should be deactivated.

[0224] In the second scenario, the beam configuration is not activated immediately after receiving the beam configuration information. Instead, it is activated in response to the control information sent by the network device when the control information indicates that the beam configuration should be activated.

[0225] As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In addition to S301 and S302, the method may also include:

[0226] 701: The network device sends control information to the terminal, which is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration; correspondingly, the terminal receives the control information from the network device.

[0227] 702: The beam configuration is activated when the control information indicates that the beam configuration is to be activated.

[0228] It should be noted that when the control information indicates that the beam configuration is activated, the beam configuration is activated; that is, the beam configuration is activated in response to the control information indicating activation. The control information can also be referred to as activation / deactivation indication information.

[0229] In one possible implementation, the beam configuration is activated when the control information indicates that the beam configuration is to be activated, including: the beam configuration is activated at a preset offset time after the control information is received.

[0230] Specifically, when the control information indicates that beam configuration should be activated, the beam configuration is not activated immediately, but rather after waiting for a preset offset time. In other words, the time unit for activating beam configuration equals the time unit for the terminal to receive the activation configuration plus the preset offset time.

[0231] The preset offset time can be adjusted according to the satellite's mobility and signal propagation characteristics, thereby optimizing beam configuration, reducing unnecessary resource waste, and improving communication efficiency.

[0232] In this application, the control information indicating the activation beam configuration can be achieved through either method 1 or method 2:

[0233] Method 1: The control information includes a bit map, which contains multiple bits; one bit corresponds to one beam configuration, or one bit corresponds to a set of beam configurations.

[0234] The value of a bit is used to indicate whether the beam configuration corresponding to the bit is activated or deactivated, or to maintain the state of the beam configuration corresponding to the bit. The state of the beam configuration includes an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0235] In this implementation, a first value for a bit indicates activation of the beam configuration corresponding to that bit, a second value for a bit indicates deactivation of the beam configuration corresponding to that bit, or a second value for a bit indicates maintaining the activation state of the beam configuration corresponding to that bit.

[0236] In this way, by indicating the activation and deactivation of the corresponding beam configuration in the form of a bitmap, the technical effect of saving bit overhead can be achieved by using fewer fields.

[0237] In one possible implementation, if the bit value of the bit is a first value, the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit is activated; if the bit value of the bit is a second value, the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit is deactivated, or the state of the beam configuration or beam configuration set corresponding to the bit is maintained.

[0238] For example, a bit value of 1 indicates that the beam configuration corresponding to that bit is activated; a bit value of 0 indicates that the beam configuration corresponding to that bit is deactivated; or, a bit value of 0 indicates that the activation state of the beam configuration corresponding to that bit remains unchanged.

[0239] For example, a bit value of 0 indicates that the beam configuration corresponding to that bit is activated; a bit value of 1 indicates that the beam configuration corresponding to that bit is deactivated; or, a bit value of 1 indicates that the activation state of the beam configuration corresponding to that bit remains unchanged.

[0240] Method 2: The control information includes multiple fields; the multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple beam configuration sets; the multiple fields include a first type of field and / or a second type of field; the first type of field is used to indicate the activation of the beam configuration corresponding to the first type of field; the second type of field is used to indicate the deactivation of the beam configuration corresponding to the second type of field.

[0241] Specifically, multiple fields can include multiple first-type fields, multiple second-type fields, or multiple first-type fields and second-type fields.

[0242] In one possible implementation, multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations, including: one field in the multiple fields corresponds to one beam configuration; or, one field in the multiple fields corresponds to a set of beam configurations, the set of beam configurations including two or more beam configurations from the multiple beam configurations.

[0243] In one possible implementation, the control information further includes a flag field; the field type of the fields included in the control information is indicated by the flag field; or, the field type of the fields included in the control information is agreed upon by the protocol or configured by the network device; the field type is a first type field and / or a second type field.

[0244] The flag field can be a flag field.

[0245] For example, a flag field with a first value indicates that all fields included in the control information are of the first type. The control information includes fields 1 to 6, each corresponding to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations. A flag field with a first value indicates that fields 1 to 6 are of the first type, and the control information indicates the activation of the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 1 to 6.

[0246] For example, a flag field with a second value indicates that all fields included in the control information are of the second type. The control information includes fields 1 to 6, each corresponding to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations. A flag field with a first value indicates that fields 1 to 6 are of the second type, and the control information indicates that the beam configurations or a set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 1 to 6 should be deactivated.

[0247] For example, a flag field with a third value indicates that the control information includes both first-class and second-class fields. The control information includes fields 1 to 6, each corresponding to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations. If the flag field has a third value, indicating that fields 1 to 3 are first-class fields and fields 4 to 6 are second-class fields, then the control information instructs to activate the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 1 to 3, and deactivate the beam configurations or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 4 to 6.

[0248] The field types of the control information can be defined by the protocol or pre-configured by the network.

[0249] For example, the control information includes fields 1 to 5, each field corresponding to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations. If the protocol stipulates or the network pre-configures fields 1 to 5 as first-class fields, then the control information indicates the activation of the beam configuration or a set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 1 to 5.

[0250] For example, if the control information includes fields 6 to 10, each field corresponds to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations, and the protocol stipulates or the network pre-configures fields 6 to 10 as second-class fields, then the control information indicates to deactivate the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 6 to 10.

[0251] For example, the control information includes fields 1 to 10, each field corresponding to a beam configuration or a set of beam configurations. If the protocol stipulates or the network pre-configures fields 1 to 5 as first-type fields and fields 6 to 10 as second-type fields, then the control information instructs to activate the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 1 to 5, and deactivate the beam configuration or set of beam configurations corresponding to fields 6 to 10.

[0252] In one possible implementation, control information is carried in media access control element (MAC CE) messages and / or downlink control information (DCI) messages; DCI includes terminal-specific DCI, or DCI includes group DCI.

[0253] In this embodiment, MAC CE messages are used to exchange control information about the MAC layer between the terminal and the network device. Carrying control information in MAC CE messages supports more efficient data transmission and network resource management, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and reliability. Alternatively, control information can be carried in DCI messages to achieve dynamic and efficient activation / deactivation operations, improving system resource utilization. Or, control information can be partially carried in MAC CE messages and partially in DCI messages, leveraging the strong carrying capacity of MAC CE messages and the dynamic efficiency of DCI messages to further improve system resource utilization.

[0254] In this embodiment, the terminal must first decode the DCI before receiving data, and then decode the real data based on the information obtained from the DCI. This can ensure the secure and compliant processing of data, optimize the use of network resources, and improve the efficiency and reliability of data transmission.

[0255] Network devices can send unicast terminal-specific DCIs (UE-Specific DCIs) to terminals to send control information. Only specific terminals can correctly decode and identify the terminal-specific DCI to obtain the control information, making the transmission of control information more flexible and accurate.

[0256] Network devices can also send group-specific DCIs to terminals. The group-specific DCI is scrambled using an RNTI shared by one or more terminals. Only terminals in a specific group can correctly decode and recognize the DCI, making the transmission of control information more efficient and improving the utilization of system resources.

[0257] Alternatively, in this application, beam-based communication or measurement can also be stopped in response to beam configuration deactivation.

[0258] In one possible implementation, the beam configuration is deactivated after the validity period of the beam configuration information corresponding to the beam configuration expires; or, the beam configuration is deactivated when the received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated.

[0259] In this embodiment, once the beam configuration is activated, it remains activated until the configuration validity period of the beam configuration information corresponding to the beam configuration expires, at which point the beam configuration is deactivated. Alternatively, once the beam configuration is activated, it remains activated until received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated, at which point the beam configuration is deactivated.

[0260] In one possible implementation, when the received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated, the beam configuration deactivation includes: the beam configuration being deactivated at a preset offset time after the control information is received.

[0261] Specifically, when the received control information instructs the beam configuration to be deactivated, the beam configuration is not activated immediately. Instead, it is activated after a preset offset time. In other words, the time unit for deactivating the beam configuration equals the time unit when the terminal receives the deactivation information plus the preset offset time.

[0262] It is understood that, in the above embodiments, the methods and / or steps implemented by the network device can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the network device; similarly, the methods and / or steps implemented by the terminal can also be implemented by components (e.g., processors, chips, chip systems, circuits, logic modules, or software) that can be used in the terminal. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0263] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware 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 this application.

[0264] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0265] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 80 includes a processing module 801 and a transceiver module 802. The communication device 80 can be used to implement the functions of the aforementioned network device or terminal.

[0266] In some embodiments, the communication device 80 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG8) for storing program instructions and data.

[0267] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 802, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 802 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0268] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 802 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform receiving and sending steps performed by the network device or terminal in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 801 may be configured to perform processing steps (e.g., determining) performed by the network device or terminal in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0269] When the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of a terminal:

[0270] Transceiver module 802 is used to receive beam configuration information from network devices; the beam configuration information is used to configure the beam. Processing module 801 is used to perform beam communication in response to the activation of beam configuration.

[0271] Optionally, the transceiver module 802 is used to receive a configuration parameter list, which indicates the correspondence between the configuration parameters and the identifiers of the configuration modes; the processing module 801 is used to determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the configuration parameter list and the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information.

[0272] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0273] When the communication device 80 is used to implement the functions of a network device:

[0274] The transceiver module 802 is used by the network device to send beam configuration information to the terminal; the beam configuration information is used to configure the beam. The processing module 801 is used to respond to the activation of the beam configuration and perform beam-based communication.

[0275] Optionally, the transceiver module 802 is used to receive a configuration parameter list, which indicates the correspondence between configuration parameters and configuration mode identifiers. The processing module 801 is used to determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the configuration parameter list and the configuration parameters included in the beam configuration information.

[0276] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0277] In this application, the communication device 80 can be presented in an integrated manner by dividing it into various functional modules. Here, "module" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0278] In some embodiments, when the communication device 80 in FIG8 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 802 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 801 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0279] Since the communication device 80 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0280] As a possible product form, the terminal or network device of this application embodiment can also be implemented using the following: one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0281] As another possible product form, the terminal or network device of this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to FIG9, which shows a second structural schematic diagram of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device 900 includes a processor 901 and a transceiver 902. The communication device 900 can be a network device, or a chip or chip system therein; alternatively, the communication device 900 can be a terminal, or a chip or module therein. FIG9 only shows the main components of the communication device 900. In addition to the processor 901 and transceiver 902, the communication device may further include a memory 903 and input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0282] Optionally, the processor 901 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 903 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 902 may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry and an antenna. The RF circuitry is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0283] Optionally, the processor 901, transceiver 902, and memory 903 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0284] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 901 can read the software program in the memory 903, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 901 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 901. The processor 901 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0285] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0286] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 80 can take the form of the communication device 900 shown in FIG9 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0287] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 801 in Figure 8 can be implemented by the processor 901 in the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 903. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 802 in Figure 8 can be implemented by the transceiver 902 in the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9.

[0288] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes at least a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when one or more processors execute the computer instructions, the communication device performs the functions as described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0289] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs and data. The computer program may include instructions, which a processor can invoke to instruct the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may not be present in the communication device.

[0290] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0291] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0292] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0293] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0294] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0295] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0296] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0297] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0298] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0299] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive, SSD). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0300] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0301] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive beam configuration information from network devices; the beam configuration information is used for beam configuration; In response to the activation of the beam configuration, communication or measurement is performed based on the beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam configuration information includes at least a configuration identifier ID, which is used to indicate the beam configuration; the configuration identifier ID includes one or more of the following: the beam identifier ID of the beam, the cell identifier ID corresponding to the beam, and the area identifier ID corresponding to the beam.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Beam configuration information also includes configuration parameters; The configuration parameters include one or more of the following: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration effective duration.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, All information included in the beam configuration information is carried in the same System Message Block (SIB) message or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; or... The beam configuration information includes different information carried in different System Message Block (SIB) messages or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam configuration information corresponds to at least one of multiple configuration modes; the beam configuration information corresponding to different configuration modes is different.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The multiple configuration modes include a first configuration mode, a second configuration mode, a third configuration mode, or a fourth configuration mode; The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, and activation duration within the beam activation period; The beam configuration information corresponding to the second configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, the beam activation period, the beam activation period start offset value, the activation duration within the beam activation period, and the configuration validity duration; The beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration mode includes a configuration identifier ID; The beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID and the configuration validity period.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The identifier of the configuration mode is carried in the beam configuration information, and the identifier of the configuration mode is used to identify the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a list of configuration parameters, and determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the type and / or number of the configuration parameters.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The beam configuration being activated includes: the beam configuration being activated in response to receiving the beam configuration information; or... The system receives control information, which indicates whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration; if the control information indicates activation, the beam configuration is activated; if the control information indicates deactivation, the beam configuration is deactivated.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control information includes a bit map, which includes multiple bits; one bit corresponds to one beam configuration, or one bit corresponds to a set of beam configurations. The value of a bit is used to indicate whether the beam configuration corresponding to the bit is activated or deactivated, or to maintain the state of the beam configuration corresponding to the bit, wherein the state of the beam configuration includes an activated state or a deactivated state.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control information includes multiple fields; the multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple beam configuration sets; the multiple fields include first type fields and / or second type fields; one field of the multiple fields corresponds to one beam configuration; or, one field of the multiple fields corresponds to a beam configuration set, the beam configuration set including two or more beam configurations among the multiple beam configurations; The first type of field is used to indicate the beam configuration corresponding to the first type of field being activated; The second type of field is used to indicate whether to activate the beam configuration corresponding to the second type of field.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The control information also includes a flag field; the field type of the fields included in the control information is indicated by the flag field; or, The field types of the fields included in the control information are agreed upon by the protocol or configured by the network device; The field type is either the first type of field or the second type of field.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The control information is carried in the Media Access Control Unit (MAC) CE message and / or the Downlink Control Message (DCI). The DCI includes terminal-specific DCI, or the DCI includes group DCI.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The network device sends beam configuration information to the terminal; the beam configuration information is used to configure the beam. In response to the activation of the beam configuration, communication is based on the beam.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The beam configuration information includes at least a configuration identifier ID, which is used to indicate the beam configuration; the configuration identifier ID includes one or more of the following: the beam identifier ID of the beam, the cell identifier ID corresponding to the beam, and the area identifier ID corresponding to the beam.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, Beam configuration information also includes configuration parameters; The configuration parameters include one or more of the following: beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, activation duration within the beam activation period, and configuration effective duration.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, All information included in the beam configuration information is carried in the same System Message Block (SIB) message or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; or... The beam configuration information includes different information carried in different System Message Block (SIB) messages or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

18. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The beam configuration information corresponds to at least one of multiple configuration modes; the beam configuration information corresponding to different configuration modes is different.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The multiple configuration modes include a first configuration mode, a second configuration mode, a third configuration mode, or a fourth configuration mode; The beam configuration information corresponding to the first configuration mode includes configuration identifier ID, beam activation period, beam activation period start offset value, and activation duration within the beam activation period; The beam configuration information corresponding to the second configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID, the beam activation period, the beam activation period start offset value, the activation duration within the beam activation period, and the configuration validity duration; The beam configuration information corresponding to the third configuration mode includes a configuration identifier ID; The beam configuration information corresponding to the fourth configuration mode includes the configuration identifier ID and the configuration validity period.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The identifier of the configuration mode is carried in the beam configuration information, and the identifier of the configuration mode is used to identify the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information.

21. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a list of configuration parameters, and determine the configuration mode corresponding to the beam configuration information based on the type and / or number of the configuration parameters.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14-21, characterized in that, The beam configuration being activated includes: the beam configuration being activated in response to receiving the beam configuration information; or... The system receives control information, which indicates whether to activate or deactivate the beam configuration; if the control information indicates activation, the beam configuration is activated; if the control information indicates deactivation, the beam configuration is deactivated.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The control information includes a bit map, which includes multiple bits; one bit corresponds to one beam configuration, or one bit corresponds to a set of beam configurations. The value of a bit is used to indicate whether the beam configuration corresponding to the bit is activated or deactivated, or to maintain the state of the beam configuration corresponding to the bit, wherein the state of the beam configuration includes an activated state or a deactivated state.

24. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The control information includes multiple fields; the multiple fields correspond to multiple beam configurations or multiple beam configuration sets; the multiple fields include first type fields and / or second type fields; one field of the multiple fields corresponds to one beam configuration; or, one field of the multiple fields corresponds to a beam configuration set, the beam configuration set including two or more beam configurations among the multiple beam configurations; The first type of field is used to indicate the beam configuration corresponding to the first type of field being activated; The second type of field is used to indicate whether to activate the beam configuration corresponding to the second type of field.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The control information also includes a flag field; the field type of the fields included in the control information is indicated by the flag field; or, The field types of the fields included in the control information are agreed upon by the protocol or configured by the network device; The field type is either the first type of field or the second type of field.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22-25, characterized in that, The control information is carried in the Media Access Control Unit (MAC) CE message and / or the Downlink Control Message (DCI). The DCI includes terminal-specific DCI, or the DCI includes group DCI.

27. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes terminals and network equipment. The network device is used to send beam configuration information to the terminal; the beam configuration information is used to configure the beam. The terminal is used to receive the beam configuration information and, in response to the activation of the beam configuration information, to perform beam communication or measurement.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least a memory and one or more processors; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14-26.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or cause the method described in any one of claims 14-26 to be performed.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, they cause the method of any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or cause the method of any one of claims 14-26 to be performed.

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