Communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and an apparatus, which are beneficial to reducing power consumption of access network devices during the random access processes of terminals. The method comprises: on the basis of a plurality of stored transmission powers or a plurality of stored power levels, a terminal determining a first power for sending a first signal; receiving first information determined on the basis of the signal reception quality of the first signal; and, on the basis of a second power determined on the basis of the first information, sending to a first access network device a second signal for implementing random access. During the random access processes, terminals do not need to determine first power and second power by depending on downlink public information issued by access network devices, which helps to reduce downlink public information periodically issued by access network devices or reduce signaling overheads for issuing downlink public information, thereby reducing power consumption of access network devices during the random access processes of terminals.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410999471.1, filed on July 23, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", 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 communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In communication systems, to ensure that idle terminals can quickly search for and access the network, access network devices typically periodically send downlink common information, such as synchronization signals and PBCH blocks (SSBs) and system information blocks (SIBs). Terminals can achieve downlink synchronization with access network devices based on SSBs and random access based on SIBs.

[0004] During random access, the terminal determines its transmit power by combining the expected preamble receive power of the physical random access channel (PRACH) from the access network equipment and the estimated downlink path loss, and transmits the preamble sequence according to this transmit power. If the preamble sequence transmission fails (no random access response message is received), the preamble sequence transmit power is increased until the preamble sequence is successfully transmitted (the terminal receives the random access response message), or the number of preamble sequence transmissions reaches the maximum number of preamble sequence transmissions.

[0005] However, in current random access schemes, access network equipment consumes a significant amount of power. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the power consumption of access network equipment during the random access process of terminals.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal, by a module applied to the terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. The method includes: transmitting a first signal according to a first power, where the first power is one of a plurality of transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the first power is one of a plurality of power levels; receiving first information from a first access network device, where the first information is determined based on the signal reception quality of the first signal, and the first information is used to determine a second power; and transmitting a second signal according to the second power, where the second signal is used to implement random access.

[0008] Based on this scheme, during the random access process of the terminal, the determination of the first power and the second power does not rely on the downlink common information sent by the access network equipment. This helps reduce the downlink common information that the access network equipment needs to send, or the signaling overhead in the process of sending downlink common information, and thus helps reduce the power consumption of the access network equipment during the random access process of the terminal. The terminal determines the second power based on the first information generated according to the signal reception quality of the first signal, which helps reduce the number of first signal transmissions and the power consumption of the terminal in the process of determining the second power.

[0009] In one possible design, the first information includes at least one of the following: the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold, the power level corresponding to the second power, or the second power.

[0010] In one possible design, the communication method further includes: sending second information, the second information being used to indicate multiple power levels, and / or multiple transmit powers; the second power being one of the multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power being one of the multiple power levels.

[0011] Based on this scheme, the first access network device can accurately obtain multiple power levels or multiple transmission powers supported by the terminal, which is beneficial for the first access network device to accurately generate the second information.

[0012] In one possible design, the multiple transmit powers are multiple preset transmit powers, and / or the multiple power levels are multiple preset power levels; the second power is one of the multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is one of the multiple power levels.

[0013] Based on this scheme, the terminal can set multiple transmit powers to achieve random access, so that the terminal's transmit power control for random access does not need to rely on the instructions of the access network equipment.

[0014] In one possible design, the communication method further includes: receiving third information from a second access network device, the third information indicating multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers, the second access network device being the access network device that the terminal accesses before transmitting the first signal; the second power being one of the multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power being one of the multiple power levels.

[0015] Based on this scheme, the terminal can accurately obtain the transmission power used in subsequent random access processes after successfully accessing the second access network device.

[0016] In one possible design, the first information includes the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than a first value, the second power is a transmission power less than the first power among a plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level among a plurality of power levels whose power is less than the first power; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is less than a second value, the second power is a transmission power greater than the first power among a plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level among a plurality of power levels whose power is greater than the first power.

[0017] Based on this scheme, the terminal can accurately determine the transmission power of the second signal for random access based on the multiple stored transmission powers, thus ensuring the success rate of the terminal's random access.

[0018] In one possible design, the first power is the maximum or minimum transmit power among multiple transmit powers; or, the power level corresponding to the first power is the highest or lowest power level among multiple power levels.

[0019] Based on this scheme, when the first power is the maximum transmission power, the success rate of random terminal access can be improved as much as possible; when the first power is the minimum transmission power, the interference of the first signal transmission to neighboring cells can be reduced as much as possible.

[0020] In one possible design, the communication method further includes: sending a third signal based on the second power; receiving fourth information, which indicates whether the second power is increased or decreased, or indicates an updated second power.

[0021] Based on this scheme, the terminal can adjust the transmission power during data transmission according to the channel state after successful random access, or accurately determine the transmission power when re-initiating random access after random access is disconnected.

[0022] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first access network device, a module (e.g., processor, chip, or chip system) applied to the first access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first access network device. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a terminal; sending first information, the first information being determined based on the signal reception quality of the first signal, the first information being used to determine the transmission power of a second signal; and receiving a second signal from the terminal, the second signal being used to implement random access. The technical effects of the second aspect are analogous to those of the first aspect and will not be elaborated further here.

[0023] In one possible design, the first information includes at least one of the following: the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold, the power level corresponding to the second power, or the second power.

[0024] In one possible design, the communication method further includes: receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate multiple power levels supported by the terminal, and / or, the second information being used to indicate multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal; the second power being one of the multiple transmit powers, or, the power level corresponding to the second power being one of the multiple power levels.

[0025] In one possible design, the first information includes the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than a first value, the second power is a transmission power less than the first power among a plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level among a plurality of power levels whose power is less than the first power; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is less than a second value, the second power is a transmission power greater than the first power among a plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level among a plurality of power levels whose power is greater than the first power.

[0026] In one possible design, the communication method further includes: receiving a third signal; and sending fourth information, which is determined based on the signal reception quality of the third signal, and is used to indicate an increase or decrease in the second power, or to indicate an updated second power.

[0027] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods, which can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0028] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0029] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0030] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0031] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of these aspects.

[0032] A sixth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the aspects. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor.

[0033] In a seventh aspect, a communication device (e.g., the communication device may be a chip or a chip system) is provided, the communication device including a processor for implementing the functions involved in the first or second aspect.

[0034] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0035] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0036] It is understood that the communication device provided in the third to seventh aspects may be the terminal in the first aspect, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the terminal that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the terminal's functions; or, the communication device may be the first access network device in the second aspect, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the first access network device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the first access network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the first access network device's functions.

[0037] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to seventh aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0038] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in the first or second aspect.

[0039] A ninth aspect provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0040] A tenth aspect provides a communication system comprising a terminal and a first access network device. The terminal is configured to perform the methods described in the first aspect and any possible design thereof, and the first access network device is configured to perform the methods described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0041] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through ten can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the power consumption of a base station provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0045] Figures 4-6 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0047] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0048] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0050] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0051] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0052] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 1. New radio (NR):

[0056] The fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology, NR, is a brand-new air interface design based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and is also the foundation of the next generation of cellular communication technology.

[0057] Compared to communication systems based on 4G technology, 5G-based communication systems offer significantly increased transmission bandwidth. Access network equipment in these systems requires a higher peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). This increased PAPR leads to a decrease in the efficiency of power amplifiers (PAs), resulting in a significant increase in the transmission power consumption of the access network equipment. Due to the significantly increased number of transmission channels in the access network equipment, the static power consumption of the communication system also increases dramatically. Furthermore, the access network equipment has a smaller coverage area in high-frequency bands, thus requiring a corresponding increase in the density of access network equipment in the communication system. Under these circumstances, the overall power consumption of the communication system also increases significantly.

[0058] Referring to Figure 1, the power consumption of a base station in an NR system is typically 2 to 3 times that of a base station in a 4G system. In communication systems based on 2G and 3G mobile communication technologies, the typical power consumption of a single remote radio unit (RRU) is approximately 460 watts (W), and the typical power consumption of a base station is 4808 W. In a 4G system, the typical power consumption of a single RRU is approximately 660 W, and the typical power consumption of a base station is 6877 W, an increase of 43% compared to 2G-3G base stations. In a 5G system, the typical power consumption of a single active antenna unit (AAU) is approximately 1400 W, and the typical power consumption of a base station is 11577 W, an increase of 68% compared to 4G base stations. In other words, with the upgrading of communication technology, the power consumption of base stations has increased significantly. This increase in base station power consumption is detrimental to environmental protection and sustainable development, and also leads to substantial electricity costs, increasing the overall operating expenses of operators. Currently, energy costs account for approximately 23% of the overall operating expenses of operators. Therefore, green and energy-saving communication technologies are crucial for the continued evolution of 5G.

[0059] 2. Downlink Public Information:

[0060] Downlink common information mainly includes two types of common signals: synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) and system information block (SIB).

[0061] The SSB mainly consists of four parts: the primary synchronization signal (PSS), the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and the demodulation reference signal for PBCH (DMRS for PBCH).

[0062] Among them, SSS and PSS are mainly used for terminal and access network equipment to perform transmit and receive synchronization and determine physical cell identity (PCI); PBCH is mainly used to carry master information block (MIB), which contains information such as system frame number, cell block identifier and system information block (SIB) parameter set, so that the terminal can determine other system information broadcast by the communication system; DMRS for PBCH is mainly used by the terminal to demodulate PDCH channel.

[0063] During cell search in the communication system, the terminal first searches for the Physical Broadcast Channel (PSS). After detecting the PSS, the terminal determines the PSS period and the time domain position of subsequent PSSs. Then, the terminal can determine the transmission timing of the Secondary Segment (SSS) based on the PSS and determine the cell's PCI by detecting the SSS, thus completing downlink synchronization with the cell. Finally, based on the parameter information obtained from the PSS and SSS (such as the Physical Broadcast Channel Demodulation Reference Signal), the terminal decodes the data part of the PBCH to obtain the remaining configuration information and channel state information of the communication system.

[0064] Currently, in order for a terminal to find its camping cell after powering on and entering the coverage area of ​​the communication system, or to find a new cell after moving within the communication system, each cell in the communication system periodically sends an SSB. The SSB sending period can be 5 milliseconds (ms), 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, or 160 ms, etc., and the SSB sending period is indicated in SIB1.

[0065] However, during the initial cell search, the terminal has not yet received SIB1. When searching for SSBs on various frequencies within the synchronization grid, the terminal performs an SSB search on each frequency according to the search duration. If no SSB is found after the search duration, it is determined that there is no PSS / SSS on that frequency, and then the SSB search is performed on the next frequency. Since the search duration is usually 20ms as defined by the 3GPP protocol, if the SSB transmission period of a cell is greater than 20ms, the cell may not be discoverable by the terminal. However, increasing the search duration for each frequency would affect the access latency. Therefore, the current terminal defaults to a search duration of 20ms for each frequency, and the SSB transmission period for the cell used for initial access is also usually 20ms.

[0066] In other words, current communication systems are primarily based on downlink mobility management. Whether a terminal is already camped in a cell or has moved from another cell, it needs to be able to receive downlink public information, such as SSB and SIB1, sent by the network side (e.g., access network equipment). That is, in current communication systems, the terminal's camping, access, mobility management, and other behaviors are all accomplished based on the downlink public information sent by the access network equipment.

[0067] 3. Random access:

[0068] Random access refers to the first message a terminal sends to the access network device after powering on. From the access network device's perspective, it is unknown when the terminal will send its first message; therefore, the time at which the access network device receives the terminal's first message is random. This behavior is called random access.

[0069] The random access procedure refers to the process from when a terminal sends a random access preamble to attempt network access until a basic signaling connection is established between the terminal and the network. After cell search is complete, the terminal has achieved downlink synchronization with the cell and can therefore receive downlink data. However, the terminal can only obtain uplink resources and perform uplink transmissions after achieving uplink synchronization with the cell. The terminal establishes a connection with the cell and achieves uplink synchronization through the random access procedure. After random access is completed, the terminal and the access network equipment are in a connected state, and they can communicate through dedicated transmission.

[0070] Random access includes the following basic functions: 1. The terminal obtains uplink synchronization with the access network device. 2. The access network device issues an uplink grant (UL_GRANT) to the terminal through a random access response (RAR). 3. The access network device assigns a unique cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) to the terminal.

[0071] C-RNTI is used by subsequent access network equipment to schedule the uplink shared transmission channel and downlink shared transmission channel of the terminal, and is used by the terminal to implement blind detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0072] Furthermore, during random access, since beamforming is supported by default in NR systems, especially in millimeter waves, when the NR system is operating in beamforming mode, the terminal needs to select the best beam for random access.

[0073] 4. Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH):

[0074] The PRACH channel is used for random access by terminals. During the random access process, the PRACH channel adopts an open-loop power control method, that is, the terminal determines the transmit power of the PRACH channel based on downlink common information such as path loss and power control parameters issued by the access network equipment.

[0075] The purpose of controlling the transmit power of the PRACH channel is to enable the terminal to transmit the random access preamble with the lowest possible power while ensuring the success rate of random access. This reduces the interference of the random access preamble transmission to neighboring cells and also reduces the power consumption of the terminal during the random access process.

[0076] Currently, controlling the transmit power of the PRACH channel involves the following steps:

[0077] 1. The access network device informs the terminal of the expected preamble reception power through SIB1 (for standalone communication systems) or RRC signaling (for non-standalone communication systems).

[0078] 2. The terminal estimates the downlink path loss.

[0079] 3. The terminal calculates the transmit power of the PRACH channel based on the expected preamble receive power and downlink path loss estimation results of the access network equipment, and sends a random access preamble to the access network equipment according to the calculated transmit power.

[0080] 4. If the random access preamble transmission fails (i.e. no random access response message is received), increase the transmission power and try again until a random access response message is received or the maximum number of preamble transmissions is reached.

[0081] In other words, in current communication systems, each access network device needs to periodically send downlink common information to enable terminal access. For example, the transmission period for SSB is typically 20ms, and the transmission period for SIB1 is typically 160ms. Therefore, access network devices usually need to enter an active state every 20ms to send an SSB. In other words, after sending an SSB and entering a sleep state, the sleep duration of a single sleep session is less than or equal to 20ms. Access network devices cannot enter a long sleep state, resulting in high power consumption on the network side of the communication system.

[0082] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method in which a terminal, during random access, directly selects a transmission power from a plurality of stored transmission powers as a first power, sends a first signal to the access network device according to the first power, and then receives first information determined and sent by the access network device based on the reception quality of the first signal. Based on the first information, the terminal determines the transmission power (second power) of the second signal to be sent to the access network device to achieve random access. During random access, the determination of the random access transmission power (first power and second power) does not rely on the expected preamble reception power carried by the access network device through downlink common information, which helps reduce the downlink common information that the access network device needs to send or the signaling overhead of sending downlink common information, thus reducing the power consumption of the access network device. Furthermore, the terminal can directly determine the transmission power (second power) of the second signal used to achieve random access based on the received first information, which helps reduce the number of interactions between the terminal and the access network device during the determination of the second power, thereby reducing the terminal's power consumption and achieving power balance between the access network device and the terminal.

[0083] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be used in various communication systems, including third-generation partnership project (3GPP) communication systems, such as fourth-generation (4G) systems like long-term evolution (LTE), 5G systems like NR, LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system; there is no limitation on this.

[0084] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and are not limited to those described herein. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions described herein. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0085] Figure 2 illustrates a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 2, the communication system 20 includes a radio access network (RAN) 200 and a core network (CN) 300. RAN 200 includes at least one access network device (210a and 210b in Figure 2, collectively referred to as 210) and at least one terminal (220a-220j in Figure 2, collectively referred to as 220). RAN 200 may also include other access network devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 2). Terminal 220 is wirelessly connected to access network device 210. Access network device 210 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 300. The core network device in core network 300 and access network device 210 in RAN 200 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0086] RAN 200 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 200 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 200 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0087] For example, in the communication system 20, communication can be conducted between access network devices and terminals, between access network devices, and between terminals through licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Communication can be conducted through spectrum below 6 GHz, or through spectrum above 6 GHz, or both spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0088] Optionally, a terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), terminal equipment, access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device, etc. A terminal refers to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Examples include handsets, vehicle-mounted devices, or wearable devices with wireless connectivity. Terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and they can be deployed in the air (such as on airplanes, balloons, and satellites).

[0089] For example, the terminal can be a wireless terminal in the Internet of Things (IoT), vehicle to everything (V2X), device-to-device communication (D2D), machine to machine (M2M), 5G, or a future public land mobile network (PLMN). For example, the terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless modem, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, machine type communication (MTC) terminal, vehicle terminal, vehicle with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capability, intelligent connected vehicle, drone with drone-to-drone (UAV-to-UAV (U2U) communication capability, etc. This application does not limit the form of the terminal.

[0090] Optionally, an access network device is a device or node that connects a terminal to a wireless network.

[0091] Access network equipment 210, sometimes also referred to as RAN node, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple access network equipment 210 in communication system 20 can be nodes of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of access network equipment 210 and terminal 220 are relative. For example, network element 220i in Figure 2 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 220j accessing RAN 200 through network element 220i, network element 220i is a base station; but for base station 210a, network element 220i is a terminal. Access network equipment 210 and terminal 220 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 210a and 210b in Figure 2 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 220a-220j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0092] In one possible scenario, the access network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a TRP, a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The access network device can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 2, 210a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 2, 210b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the access network device can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the access network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The access network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access network device functions.

[0093] For example, the functions of a base station can be performed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem can be a control center in application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, or smart cities. Similarly, the functions of a terminal can be performed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0094] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, the access network devices can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0095] For example, the CU can perform the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers of the base station, and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU can perform the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer and medium access control (MAC) layer of the base station, and can also perform some or all of the physical (PHY) layer functions.

[0096] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0097] As one possible implementation, the roles of base station and terminal can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 220i in Figure 2 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 220j that access RAN 200 via 220i, terminal 220i is a base station; however, for base station 210a, 220i is a terminal, meaning that 210a and 220i communicate via a radio interface protocol. Of course, 210a and 220i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 210a, 220i is also a base station. Therefore, both base station and terminal can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 210a and 210b in Figure 2 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 220a-220j in Figure 2 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0098] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0099] The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described below with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 2, taking the interaction between the terminal and the first access network device as an example. It should be noted that in the following embodiments of this application, the message names, parameter names, or information names between the terminal and the first access network device are just examples, and other names may be used in other embodiments. The method provided in this application does not specifically limit these names.

[0100] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the terminal or the first access network device may execute 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 execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0101] It is understood that this application uses the first access network device and the terminal as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the first access network device in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the first access network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first access network device; similarly, the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the terminal, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0102] Furthermore, in this application, "sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "the first access network device sending information" can be understood as the first access network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 (such as a processing module) in the first access network device sending information to logical module 2 (such as a transceiver module) in the first access network device.

[0103] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "terminal receiving information" can be understood as the terminal receiving information from another device (such as the first access network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 (such as the processing module) in the terminal receiving information from logical module 2 (such as the transceiver module) in the terminal.

[0104] In this application, phrases such as "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal)" or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as indicating that the destination of the information is a terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a terminal. Similarly, phrases such as "receiving information from... (e.g., a first access network device)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a first access network device)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a first access network device)," or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as indicating that the source of the information is a first access network device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a first access network device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly and will not be elaborated further here.

[0105] Referring to Figure 3, which is a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method may include the following steps:

[0106] S301. The terminal transmits a first signal according to a first power. Correspondingly, the first access network device receives the first signal from the terminal. Herein, the first power is one of multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the first power is one of multiple power levels.

[0107] For example, during the process of a terminal switching from a historically hosted cell to the current hosted cell, after completing downlink synchronization with the current hosted cell, the terminal selects one of several transmit powers as the transmit power (first power) to send the first signal, and then sends the first signal to the outside according to the first power. Correspondingly, the access network equipment in the current hosted cell and other access network equipment capable of receiving the first signal receive the first signal from the terminal. A historically hosted cell can be understood as a cell that the terminal successfully accessed before entering the current hosted cell, and the current hosted cell can be understood as a cell within the coverage area that includes the terminal's current location.

[0108] The first signal can be understood as a signal used to determine the transmit power of the PRACH channel during random access, or it can be understood as a signal used to determine the transmit power of the random access channel (RACH) during uplink data transmission. For example, the first signal can be a predefined test signal or a random access preamble sequence. The predefined test signal can be understood as a test signal predefined in the protocol or a test signal pre-agreed between the terminal and the access network equipment.

[0109] For example, multiple transmit powers can be understood as multiple transmit powers pre-stored by the terminal or multiple transmit powers pre-configured by the terminal, and multiple power levels can be understood as multiple power levels pre-stored by the terminal or multiple power levels pre-configured by the terminal. Each power level corresponds to one transmit power, and the first power is the transmit power corresponding to one of the multiple power levels.

[0110] It should be noted that the first access network device in the following embodiments of this application can be any one of a plurality of access network devices capable of receiving the first signal, or any one of the plurality of access network devices capable of receiving the first signal that meets preset conditions. For example, the first access network device is the access network device closest to the terminal among the plurality of access network devices, or the first access network device is the access network device with the highest first signal reception quality among the plurality of access network devices. That is to say, each of the plurality of access network devices capable of receiving the first signal can implement the functions of the first access network device described below, or any one of the plurality of access network devices capable of receiving the first signal that meets preset conditions can implement the functions of the first access network device described below and can perform the actions of the first access network device described below.

[0111] In one possible implementation, both the historically camped cell and the currently camped cell are cells within a first area. The terminal achieves downlink synchronization with the currently camped cell based on information from the historically camped cell. For example, both the historically camped cell and the currently camped cell are cells within the first area, and the system information of all cells within the first area is the same or they have the same PCI. During cell handover within the first area, after entering the currently camped cell, the terminal determines the PSS and SSS information of the current camped cell based on the system information of the historically camped cell, thereby achieving downlink synchronization with the current camped cell; alternatively, downlink synchronization with the current camped cell can be achieved directly based on the PCI of the historically camped cell.

[0112] The first area can be a predefined area, which may include multiple cells. Some cells in the first area periodically send downlink public information, while some cells do not broadcast downlink public information. Cells in the first area that send downlink public information broadcast the same system information through downlink public information, that is, the corresponding system information of each cell in the first area is the same.

[0113] Based on the above scheme, among multiple cells with the same system information, only some cells can periodically send downlink public information, while the remaining cells will no longer send downlink public information. This effectively reduces the power consumption of access network equipment in the communication system caused by the periodic sending of downlink public information, thereby reducing the power consumption of access network equipment while ensuring the coverage capability of the access network equipment.

[0114] In another possible implementation, the terminal achieves downlink synchronization with the current cell based on the downlink common information (PCI) sent by the current cell. For example, the current cell may periodically send PCI associated with downlink synchronization, but may no longer send PCI associated with PRACH channel transmit power control during random access, or may no longer carry information associated with PRACH channel transmit power control during random access via PCI. The terminal obtains information such as the PSS and SSS of the current cell based on the received PCI, thereby achieving downlink synchronization with the current cell.

[0115] Based on the above scheme, the current camped cell no longer needs to periodically send information related to the PRACH channel transmit power control during random access, reducing the signaling overhead and power consumption of the access network equipment during the downlink public information transmission process, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the access network equipment and achieving a balance between the coverage capability and power consumption of the access network equipment.

[0116] S302, the first access network device sends first information, which is determined based on the signal reception quality of the first signal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information from the first access network device. The first information is used to determine the second power.

[0117] The signal reception quality of the first signal can be understood as the signal reception quality of the first access network device for the first signal, or the signal reception quality of the first signal can also be understood as the signal reception quality of the access network device closest to the terminal for the first signal, or the reception quality of the first signal can also be understood as the signal reception quality of the access network device with the highest signal reception quality for the first signal. For example, signal reception quality may include at least one of the following: signal strength, signal quality, signal-to-noise ratio, or signal attenuation, etc.

[0118] Optionally, the second power can be one of multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power can be one of multiple power levels, or the second power can be N times the first power, where N is greater than 0. For example, N can be 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 5, etc.

[0119] As one possible implementation, the first information may include at least one of the following: the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold, the power level corresponding to the second power, or the second power. The first threshold may be preset, i.e., it may be predefined by the protocol or predefined by the access network device; the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal (denoted as L1) and the first threshold (denoted as L2) can be understood as the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold (L1-L2).

[0120] For example, when the first information includes the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold, the terminal can determine the second power based on whether the difference is positive or negative, or it can determine the second power based on the relationship between the difference and a preset value. For instance, when the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is negative, the terminal can use the power obtained by increasing the first power by 0.5 times as the power of the second power, or the terminal can determine the second transmission power as the maximum transmission power greater than the first power among multiple transmission powers, or the minimum transmission power greater than the first power among multiple transmission powers.

[0121] For example, if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is positive, the terminal can use the power after reducing the first power by 0.5 times as the power of the second power, or the terminal can determine the minimum transmission power less than the first power among multiple transmission powers as the second transmission power, or the maximum transmission power less than the first power among multiple transmission powers as the second transmission power.

[0122] For example, when the first information includes a power level corresponding to the second power, the terminal can directly use the transmission power corresponding to the power level that is the same as the power level carried in the first information from among multiple power levels as the second power; when the first information includes a second power, the terminal can directly use the transmission power carried in the first information as the second power. Furthermore, when the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is 0, the terminal can directly use the first power as the second power.

[0123] S303. The terminal transmits a second signal based on the second power, and the second signal is used to enable random access. Correspondingly, the first access network device receives the second signal from the terminal.

[0124] For example, the second signal can be a random access preamble, or it can be an RRC connection request. For instance, if the first signal is a predefined test signal, the second signal can be an RRC connection request or a random access preamble; if the first signal is a random access preamble, the second signal can be an RRC connection request.

[0125] When the second signal is a random access preamble, the first access network device sends a random access response to the terminal based on the second signal, instructing the terminal to execute the subsequent random access procedure; when the second signal is an RRC connection request, the first access network device instructs the terminal to establish an RRC connection through a response message to achieve random access.

[0126] As one possible implementation, the second signal can also be a preamble that triggers data transmission. For example, the second signal can be formed by adding an extended field to the random access preamble, or by modifying a specified field of the random access preamble. The extended field or the modified specified field is used to carry a data transmission identifier, which is used to indicate the subsequent uplink data transmission between the terminal and the first access network device on the RACH channel.

[0127] Based on the above scheme, during random access, the terminal can directly select one of several pre-stored transmission powers to send a first signal to determine the transmission power of the second signal for random access. This eliminates the need for the terminal to rely on downlink common information periodically sent by the access network device to determine the transmission power during random access, reducing the need for the access network device to periodically send downlink common information or lowering the signaling overhead of sending downlink common information, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the access network device. The terminal receives first information determined by the first access network device based on the signal reception quality of the first signal, and then directly determines the transmission power of the second signal for random access based on the first information. This allows the terminal to accurately obtain the transmission power during random access through a single interaction with the first access network device, reducing the number of interactions between the terminal and the access network device in determining the second signal transmission power, thus reducing the terminal's power consumption.

[0128] The overall flow of the communication method provided in this application has been described above. The specific implementation of each step in the above method will be described in detail below.

[0129] In one possible implementation, in step S301, the first power of the terminal transmitting the first signal is the maximum transmission power among multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the first power is the highest power level among multiple power levels. That is, the terminal directly transmits the first signal at the maximum transmission power during the transmission process. Based on this scheme, it is beneficial for the access network device to receive the first signal, increasing the probability that the access network device successfully receives the first signal, thereby increasing the probability that the terminal completes random access.

[0130] In one possible implementation, in step S301, the first power of the terminal transmitting the first signal is the minimum transmission power among multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the first power is the lowest power level among multiple power levels. That is, the terminal directly transmits the first signal at the minimum transmission power during the first signal transmission process. Based on this scheme, interference to neighboring cells during the terminal's first signal transmission process can be minimized, while also reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal during random access.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the multiple transmit powers are multiple preset transmit powers, and / or the multiple power levels are multiple preset power levels.

[0132] For example, the multiple transmission powers can be multiple preset transmission powers pre-defined by the terminal, or the terminal can pre-defined multiple preset transmission powers and use a portion of the preset transmission powers as the multiple transmission powers. The multiple power levels can be multiple preset power levels pre-defined by the terminal, or the terminal can pre-defined multiple preset power levels and use a portion of the preset power levels as the multiple power levels, with each preset power level corresponding to one transmission power.

[0133] For example, the terminal pre-determines the maximum transmission power according to the requirements of the protocol, and then gradually reduces the maximum transmission power based on a preset range to determine the minimum transmission power of the terminal and multiple alternative transmission powers between the maximum and minimum transmission power. The determined transmission powers are then used as multiple transmission powers, or the transmission powers other than the minimum transmission power among the determined transmission powers are used as multiple transmission powers.

[0134] Based on this scheme, in the process of determining the transmit power (i.e., the first power and the second power) for random access, the terminal does not need to rely on the expected preamble receive power issued by the first access network device. The terminal can directly transmit the first signal according to the pre-determined transmit power, so that the first access network device does not need to issue the expected preamble receive power. This helps to reduce the downlink common information that the first access network device needs to issue, or reduce the signaling overhead of the first access network device in issuing downlink common information, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first access network device.

[0135] Furthermore, the second power can be one of multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power can be one of multiple power levels. This approach helps reduce the computational resources required by the terminal to determine the second power, thereby reducing the terminal's power consumption.

[0136] In one possible implementation, prior to step S301, the terminal may also receive third information from the second access network device, the third information indicating multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers. Accordingly, the second access network device sends the third information to the terminal.

[0137] The second access network device is the access network device that the terminal accesses before sending the first signal. For example, the second access network device may be the last access network device that the terminal successfully established a connection with before sending the first signal, or the second access network device may be any one of a plurality of access network devices that have successfully established a connection with the terminal.

[0138] For example, after the terminal and the second access network device enter a connection state, the second access network device sends third information to the terminal. This third information indicates multiple transmission powers. After receiving the third information, the terminal configures the multiple transmission powers indicated by the third information as its default transmission power set. During random access, the terminal selects one transmission power from the default transmission power set to transmit the first signal.

[0139] For example, after the terminal enters the connection state with the second access network device, the second access network device sends third information to the terminal. The third information is used to indicate multiple power levels, each power level corresponding to a transmission power. The terminal configures its default power level set according to the multiple power levels indicated by the third information and the transmission power corresponding to each power level. During random access, the terminal selects a power level from the default power level set and sends the first signal according to the transmission power corresponding to the selected power level.

[0140] Based on this scheme, the multiple power levels or multiple transmit powers stored in the terminal are configured for the terminal by the second access network device to which the terminal has successfully accessed. When the terminal disconnects from the second access network device and resends the random access request, it can determine the transmit power during the random access process based on the multiple transmit powers or multiple power levels configured by the second access network device. This eliminates the need to rely on the downlink common information sent by the first access network device for transmit power control during random access. As a result, the first access network device does not need to periodically send the desired preamble receive power, which helps to reduce the signaling overhead and power consumption of the first access network device.

[0141] Furthermore, the second power can be one of multiple transmit powers, or the power level of the second power can be one of multiple power levels. This scheme helps reduce the computational resources required for the terminal to determine the second power, and also helps reduce the terminal's power consumption.

[0142] As one possible implementation, the first access network device and the second access network device can be the same access network device. For example, if the terminal's current camp cell and its historical camp cell are two cells under the same access network device, then the first access network device and the second access network device can be the same access network device.

[0143] Furthermore, after step S303, the first access network device may also send indication information to the terminal. This indication information is used to configure multiple new transmit powers and / or multiple new power levels for the terminal, enabling the terminal to determine the transmit power during subsequent random access based on the newly configured multiple transmit powers and / or multiple power levels. The sending of indication information by the first access network device to the terminal and the sending of third information by the second access network device to the terminal are similar, and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the first information includes the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold. Before step S303, during the process of determining the second power based on the first information, the second power can be determined in the following manner:

[0145] If the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than a first value, the terminal can determine the second power based on the transmission power less than the first power among a plurality of pre-stored transmission powers. For example, the terminal can use the largest or smallest transmission power less than the first power among the pre-stored plurality of transmission powers as the second power. Alternatively, the terminal can first determine the transmission power corresponding to each of the pre-stored plurality of power levels, then use the smallest or largest power level whose corresponding transmission power is less than the first power as the power level of the second power, and use the transmission power corresponding to that power level as the second power. The first value can be a preset value.

[0146] In other words, if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than the first value, the second power is the transmission power that is less than the first power among multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is the power level that is less than the first power among multiple power levels.

[0147] If the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is less than a second value, the terminal can determine the second power based on a pre-stored pool of transmission powers that are greater than the first power. For example, the terminal can use the maximum or minimum transmission power greater than the first power from the pre-stored pool of transmission powers as the second power. Alternatively, the terminal can first determine the transmission power corresponding to each of the pre-stored pool of power levels, then use the minimum or maximum power level whose corresponding transmission power is greater than the first power as the power level of the second power, and use the transmission power corresponding to that power level as the second power. The second value can be a preset value.

[0148] In other words, if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is less than the second value, the second power is the transmission power that is greater than the first power among multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is the power level that is greater than the first power among multiple power levels.

[0149] Based on the above scheme, the terminal directly determines the second power from a plurality of pre-stored transmission powers, or determines the power level corresponding to the second power from a plurality of pre-stored power levels, thereby accurately adjusting the second power of the second signal to be transmitted according to the first information, ensuring the success rate of random access of the terminal, and helping to reduce the computing resources required by the terminal in the process of determining the second power.

[0150] Optionally, the first value can be greater than or equal to the second value. If the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is between the first value and the second value, the first power can be directly used as the second power.

[0151] For example, taking a first value of 5, a second value of 1, and multiple transmit powers including B1 to B6 with decreasing power levels, with the first power being B3, as an example: If the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is 7, the terminal can use any one of B4 to B6 as the second power; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is -1, the terminal can use B1 or B2 as the second power; if the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is 3, the terminal can directly use B3 as the second power.

[0152] In one possible implementation, prior to step S302, the terminal may further send second information indicating multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers. Accordingly, the first access network device receives the second information from the terminal.

[0153] The multiple power levels can be multiple power levels pre-configured by the terminal, or multiple power levels pre-defined by the terminal; that is, the multiple power levels are multiple power levels supported by the terminal. Similarly, the multiple transmit powers can be multiple transmit powers pre-configured by the terminal, or multiple transmit powers pre-defined by the terminal; that is, the multiple transmit powers are multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal. In other words, the second information is used to indicate the multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal.

[0154] Furthermore, after receiving the second information from the terminal, the first access network device can determine the multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal. If the first information includes a second power or a power level corresponding to the second power, during the process of generating the first information, after determining the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold, the first access network device can determine the power level corresponding to the second power from the multiple power levels supported by the terminal, or determine the second power from the multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal.

[0155] The step of the first access network device determining the power level corresponding to the second power or determining the second power based on the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is similar to the step of the terminal determining the power level corresponding to the second power or determining the second power based on the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold in the previous embodiment. Please refer to the relevant description in the previous embodiment, and it will not be repeated here.

[0156] Based on the above scheme, the first access network device can accurately determine the second power or the power level corresponding to the second power carried in the first information according to the second information and the signal reception quality of the first signal, and send the first information carrying the second power or the power level corresponding to the second power to the terminal, reducing the difficulty for the terminal to determine the second power according to the first information, which is conducive to reducing the power consumption of the terminal.

[0157] In one possible implementation, after step S303, the terminal may further transmit a third signal based on the second power; and receive fourth information, which indicates whether to increase or decrease the second power, or indicates an updated second power. Correspondingly, the first access network device is also configured to receive the third signal and transmit the fourth information, which indicates whether to increase or decrease the second power, or indicates an updated second power.

[0158] The third signal can be understood as a signal with the same function as the first signal, or the third signal can also be understood as the first signal that the terminal sends a new signal according to the second power after sending the second signal according to the second power.

[0159] For example, the terminal can periodically send a first signal and dynamically adjust its transmission power based on feedback information from the access network device. In this case, the third signal can be the first signal sent by the terminal based on the latest determined transmission power. That is, the third signal and the first signal are the same signal sent at different times or using different resources.

[0160] The fourth piece of information is determined based on the signal reception quality of the third signal. For example, after receiving the third signal, the first access network device determines the fourth piece of information based on the relationship between the signal reception quality of the third signal and a preset threshold (such as a first threshold).

[0161] For example, the fourth information may include at least one of the following: a first identifier, a second identifier, the difference between the signal reception quality of the third signal and the first threshold, and the updated second power or the power level corresponding to the updated second power. The first identifier is used to indicate an increase in the current transmit power (i.e., the second power), and the second identifier is used to indicate a decrease in the current transmit power (i.e., the second power).

[0162] As one possible implementation, the updated second power is one of multiple transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the updated second power is one of multiple power levels. When the fourth information includes the first identifier, the terminal can determine the increased transmission power based on the transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is greater than the second power. For example, the terminal can determine the maximum transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is greater than the second power as the new transmission power, or the minimum transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is greater than the first power as the new transmission power. When the fourth information includes the second identifier, the terminal can determine the decreased transmission power based on the transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is less than the second power. For example, the terminal can determine the maximum transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is less than the second power as the new transmission power, or the minimum transmission power among the multiple transmission powers that is less than the first power as the new transmission power.

[0163] As another possible implementation, if the first information includes a first identifier, the terminal can increase the second power by a factor of T to obtain a new transmission power. If the first information includes a second identifier, the terminal can decrease the second power by a factor of T to obtain a new transmission power. Here, T is greater than 0, for example, T can be 0.1, 0.2, 0.35, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3.5, or 5, etc.

[0164] When the fourth information includes the difference between the signal reception quality of the third signal and the first threshold, the updated second power, or the power level corresponding to the updated second power, the terminal determines the updated second power according to the fourth information in a manner similar to the way the terminal determines the second power according to the first information in the foregoing embodiments. Please refer to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0165] Based on the above scheme, during random access, the terminal can select one transmit power from multiple stored transmit powers as the first power, or select one power level from multiple stored power levels, use the transmit power corresponding to that power level as the first power, and transmit a first signal according to the first power. It then receives first information generated based on the signal reception quality of the first signal to determine the second power, and transmits a second signal for random access based on the second power. In the process of transmitting the first signal and determining the second power, there is no need to rely on the expected preamble power in the downlink common information periodically sent by the access network equipment. This helps reduce the downlink common information that the access network equipment needs to periodically send or the signaling overhead of the downlink common information, thereby reducing the power consumption of the access network equipment. The terminal directly determines the second power based on the first information, which helps reduce the number of interactions between the terminal and the access network equipment during the second power determination process, thus helping to reduce the terminal's power consumption.

[0166] The method provided in this application has been described above. In addition, this application also provides a communication device for implementing the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device 40. The communication device 40 includes a processing module 401 and a transceiver module 402. This communication device 40 can be used to implement the functions of the aforementioned terminal or first access network device.

[0170] In some embodiments, the communication device 40 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG4) for storing program instructions and data.

[0171] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 402, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 402 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0172] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 402 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform the receiving and sending steps performed by the terminal or the first access network device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 401 may be configured to perform the processing steps performed by the terminal or the first access network device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0173] When the communication device 40 is used to implement the functions of a terminal, in one possible implementation: the transceiver module 402 is used to send second information, the second information being used to indicate multiple power levels, and / or multiple transmit powers; the second power is one of the multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is one of the multiple power levels.

[0174] Optionally, the transceiver module 402 is used to receive third information from the second access network device, the third information being used to indicate multiple power levels and / or multiple transmit powers, the second access network device being the access network device that the terminal accesses before sending the first signal; the second power being one of the multiple transmit powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power being one of the multiple power levels.

[0175] Optionally, the transceiver module 402 is used to send a third signal according to the second power; and to receive fourth information, which is used to indicate an increase or decrease in the second power, or to indicate an updated second power.

[0176] When the communication device 40 is used to implement the function of the first access network device, in one possible implementation: the transceiver module 402 is used to receive second information, the second information being used to indicate multiple power levels supported by the terminal, and / or, the second information being used to indicate multiple transmit powers supported by the terminal; the second power is one of the multiple transmit powers, or, the power level corresponding to the second power is one of the multiple power levels.

[0177] Optionally, the transceiver module 402 is used to receive a third signal and send fourth information, which is determined based on the signal reception quality of the third signal. The fourth information is used to indicate an increase or decrease in the second power, or to indicate an updated second power.

[0178] 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.

[0179] In this application, the communication device 40 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.

[0180] In some embodiments, when the communication device 40 in FIG4 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 402 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 401 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0181] Since the communication device 40 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.

[0182] As a possible product form, the terminal or first access network device described in the embodiments of this application can 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.

[0183] As another possible product form, the terminal or first access network device described in this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 500 provided in this application embodiment. The communication device 500 includes a processor 501 and a transceiver 502. The communication device 500 can be a terminal, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a first access network device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 5 only shows the main components of the communication device 500. In addition to the processor 501 and transceiver 502, the communication device may further include a memory 503 and input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0184] Optionally, the processor 501 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, thereby implementing the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. The memory 503 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 502 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.

[0185] Optionally, the processor 501, transceiver 502, and memory 503 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0186] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 501 can read the software program in the memory 503, 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 501 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 501. The processor 501 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0187] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0188] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 40 can take the form of the communication device 500 shown in FIG5 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0189] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 401 in Figure 4 can be implemented by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 503. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 402 in Figure 4 can be implemented by the transceiver 502 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5.

[0190] As another possible product form, the terminal or first access network device in this application may adopt the composition structure shown in FIG. 6, or include the components shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 600 provided in this application. The communication device 600 may be a terminal or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the terminal; or, it may be a first access network device or a module, chip or system-on-a-chip in the first access network device.

[0191] As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes at least one processor 601 and at least one communication interface (Figure 6 is merely an example illustrating the inclusion of a communication interface 604 and a processor 601). Optionally, the communication device 600 may also include a communication bus 602 and a memory 603.

[0192] Processor 601 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a PLD, or any combination thereof. Processor 601 can also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0193] Communication bus 602 is used to connect different components in communication device 600, enabling communication between them. Communication bus 602 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 6, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0194] Communication interface 604 is used for communicating with other devices or communication networks. For example, communication interface 604 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication. Optionally, communication interface 604 can also be an input / output interface located within processor 601, used to implement signal input and signal output for the processor.

[0195] The memory 603 may be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions may be computer programs.

[0196] For example, memory 603 may be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and / or instructions; it may also be random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and / or instructions; it may also be electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0197] It should be noted that the memory 603 can exist independently of the processor 601, or it can be integrated with the processor 601. The memory 603 can be located inside or outside the communication device 600, without limitation. The processor 601 can be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 603 to implement the methods provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0198] As an optional implementation, the communication device 600 may also include an output device 605 and an input device 606. The output device 605 communicates with the processor 601 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 605 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 606 communicates with the processor 601 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 606 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc.

[0199] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 40 shown in FIG4 can take the form of the communication device 600 shown in FIG6 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0200] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 401 in Figure 4 can be implemented by the processor 601 in the communication device 600 shown in Figure 6 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 603. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 402 in Figure 4 can be implemented by the communication interface 604 in the communication device 600 shown in Figure 6.

[0201] It should be noted that the structure shown in Figure 6 does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal or the first access network device. For example, in other embodiments of this application, the terminal or the first access network device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0202] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0203] 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.

[0204] 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.

[0205] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0206] 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.

[0207] 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.

[0208] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0209] 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.

[0210] 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 coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0211] 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, depending on actual needs.

[0212] 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.

[0213] 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., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0214] 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.

[0215] 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 scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the 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 its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: sending a first signal according to a first power, the first power being one of a plurality of transmission powers, or the first power corresponding to one of a plurality of power levels; receiving first information from a first access network device, the first information being determined according to a signal reception quality of the first signal, the first information being used to determine a second power; sending a second signal according to the second power, the second signal being used to implement random access.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information comprises at least one of the following: a difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold, a power level corresponding to the second power, or the second power.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending second information, the second information being used to indicate the plurality of power levels, and / or the plurality of transmission powers; The second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers, or the second power corresponds to one of the plurality of power levels.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The plurality of transmission powers are a plurality of preset transmission powers, and / or the plurality of power levels are a plurality of preset power levels; The second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers, or the second power corresponds to one of the plurality of power levels.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving third information from a second access network device, the third information being used to indicate the plurality of power levels, and / or the plurality of transmission powers, the second access network device being an access network device accessed by the terminal before the first signal is sent; The second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers, or the second power corresponds to one of the plurality of power levels.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The first information comprises a difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold; In a case where the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than a first value, the second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers that is smaller than the first power, or the second power corresponds to one of the plurality of power levels that has a power smaller than the first power; In a case where the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is less than a second value, the second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers that is greater than the first power, or the second power corresponds to one of the plurality of power levels that has a power greater than the first power.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first power is a maximum transmission power or a minimum transmission power of the plurality of transmission powers; or The first power corresponds to a highest power level or a lowest power level of the plurality of power levels.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending a third signal according to the second power; receiving fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate an increase or a decrease of the second power, or being used to indicate an updated second power.

9. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving a first signal from a terminal; sending first information, the first information being determined according to a signal reception quality of the first signal, the first information being used to determine a transmission power of a second signal; receiving the second signal from the terminal, the second signal being used to implement random access.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The first information comprises at least one of the following: a difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold, a power level corresponding to the second power, or the second power.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate a plurality of power levels supported by the terminal, and / or, the second information being used to indicate a plurality of transmission powers supported by the terminal; The second power is one of the plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is one of the plurality of power levels.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The first information comprises a difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and a first threshold. In a case where the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is greater than a first value, the second power is a transmission power smaller than a first power among the plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level corresponding to a power smaller than the first power among the plurality of power levels. In a case where the difference between the signal reception quality of the first signal and the first threshold is smaller than a second value, the second power is a transmission power greater than the first power among the plurality of transmission powers, or the power level corresponding to the second power is a power level corresponding to a power greater than the first power among the plurality of power levels.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving a third signal; sending fourth information, the fourth information being determined according to a signal reception quality of the third signal, the fourth information being used to indicate an increase or a decrease of the second power, or to indicate an updated second power.

14. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus comprises a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions, so as to cause the communication apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-8, or to cause the communication apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 9-13.

15. A chip or chip system, characterized by The chip or chip system comprises a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory being configured to store a program or instructions, when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, causing the method according to any one of claims 1-8 to be performed, or causing the method according to any one of claims 9-13 to be performed.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs, when the computer instructions or programs are run on a computer, causing the method according to any one of claims 1-8 to be performed, or causing the method according to any one of claims 9-13 to be performed.

17. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises computer instructions; when part or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, causing the method according to any one of claims 1-8 to be performed, or causing the method according to any one of claims 9-13 to be performed.

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