Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, used for decreasing the power consumption of communication apparatuses. In the method, a first communication apparatus receives a first synchronization signal on a first resource, and the first communication apparatus receives first indication information on a second resource, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating information related to a paging message, and a time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold. It may be understood that the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is relatively small, and the first communication apparatus can receive both the first synchronization signal and the first indication information after a single power-on operation, without the need for multiple power-on operations to separately receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information, thereby reducing the number of times of power-on and power-off of the first communication apparatus, and decreasing the power consumption of the first communication apparatus.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411038732.X, filed on July 30, 2024, and entitled "A communication method and apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0004] In a communication system, a network device can periodically transmit a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB), and a terminal device can implement synchronization with the network device by detecting the SSB. In addition, in order to reduce power consumption as much as possible, the terminal device can switch to an energy-saving state, such as an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state, when there is no service. When there is service, the network device can wake up the terminal device through a paging message. The resource used to send the paging message is scheduled through a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The terminal device can determine a paging occasion (PO) according to the identity of the terminal device, detect the PDCCH at the PO, and receive the paging message on the resource scheduled by the PDCCH.

[0005] It can be seen that the terminal device needs to detect both the SSB and the PDCCH. The current detection mechanism of the terminal device can cause high power consumption, and how to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for reducing the power consumption of a communication apparatus.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first communication device. The first communication device is, for example, a terminal-side device, which is also referred to as a terminal device. The terminal device is, for example, a terminal equipment, or other equipment including the function of the terminal equipment, or a circuit, or a chip system (or a chip, such as a modem chip, also referred to as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core, or other functional module capable of realizing the function of the terminal equipment, which is, for example, arranged in the terminal equipment). The method comprises: receiving, by the first communication device, a first synchronization signal on a first resource; and receiving, by the first communication device, first indication information on a second resource, the first indication information being used to indicate information related to a paging message, wherein a time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0008] In the embodiments of the present application, the time domain interval between the first resource where the first synchronization signal is located and the second resource where the first indication information is located is less than or equal to the first threshold, which means that the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is small, and the first communication device can receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information together after one power-on, without the need for multiple power-ons to receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information respectively, thereby reducing the number of power-ons and power-offs of the first communication device and reducing the power consumption of the first communication device.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the relationship between the first resource and the second resource can satisfy one or more of multiple conditions. One condition is that the first resource and the second resource are included in the first resource group, because the structure of one resource group is generally defined, that is, the relative position relationship of the first resource and the second resource in the first resource group is defined, so that the first communication device can determine the second resource in the first resource group according to the first resource in which the first synchronization signal is detected, so that the first communication device accurately receives the first indication information on the second resource. Another condition is that the first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain, so that the first communication device can determine the adjacent second resource according to the first resource, so that the first communication device accurately receives the first indication information on the second resource. Another condition is that the first resource and the second resource are separated by N first time units, so that the first communication device can determine the second resource separated by N first time units according to the first resource, so that the first communication device accurately receives the first indication information on the second resource. Another condition is that the first resource and the second resource are located in one second time unit, so that the first communication device can determine the second resource located in one second time unit according to the first resource, so that the first communication device accurately receives the first indication information on the second resource. For each of the above conditions, it can be understood that the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold, so that the number of power-on and power-off of the first communication device can be reduced, and the power consumption of the first communication device is reduced.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the first indication information belong to a first information block. The first synchronization signal and the first indication information can be transmitted in the same information block, that is, the first synchronization signal and the first indication information can be transmitted at the same center frequency position with the same block index, or it can be understood that the first synchronization signal and the first indication information are transmitted in a bound manner, so that the first communication device can receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information together, so that the number of power-on and power-off of the first communication device can be reduced, and the power consumption of the first communication device is reduced.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: receiving a second synchronization signal on a third resource; and receiving system information on a fourth resource, wherein the second synchronization signal and the system information belong to a second information block. For example, the second information block is an SSB. The current synchronization signal is often transmitted in a bound manner with system information (or PBCH), by including the synchronization signal and the first indication information in the first information block in a bound manner, and transmitting the second synchronization signal and the system information in the SSB, the transmission frequency of the system information can be reduced under the condition that the demand for the synchronization signal does not change, or the transmission interval of the system information is relatively increased, and the frequency of the first communication device receiving the system information is also reduced accordingly, and the power consumption of the first communication device is reduced.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the first indication information is different from scrambling information corresponding to the system information; and / or, a channel used for transmitting the first indication information is different from a type of a channel used for transmitting the system information. Then, the first communication device can distinguish the first indication information from the system information according to the scrambling information and / or the type of the channel, so as to realize acquisition of the first indication information on the second resource or acquisition of the system information on the fourth resource. For example, the first communication device can perform blind detection on the second resource or the fourth resource, if a PDCCH using a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) is detected, it can be determined that the first indication information is acquired, if a PBCH using a system information radio network temporary identifier (SI-RNTI) is detected, it can be determined that the system information is acquired.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the first information block comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the first information block comprises the first indication information; and / or, the second information block comprises third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the second information block comprises the system information. In this implementation, it can be indicated by the indication information whether the indication information is the first indication information or the system information, so that the first communication device can determine the first indication information according to the second indication information and determine the system information according to the third indication information, thereby improving accuracy of information reception. In addition, in this implementation, the first communication device does not need to perform blind detection, so that the number of detections of the first communication device can be reduced, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0014] In an optional implementation, the method further comprises: determining the second resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the second indication information; and / or, determining the fourth resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the third indication information. In this implementation, the first communication device can determine the resource carrying corresponding information according to the indication information, so as to be capable of receiving information on the corresponding resource, thereby helping to improve accuracy of information reception. In addition, the second resource and the fourth resource can occupy different time domain resources and / or frequency resources, so that the resources used for carrying the system information and the first indication information can be flexibly configured, thereby improving utilization of the resources.

[0015] In an optional implementation, the period of the first synchronization signal is less than the period of the second synchronization signal; or, the period of the first information block is less than the period of the second information block. Because the system information needs to be updated less frequently and the first indication information needs to be sent more frequently, by the implementation, the period of the system information is greater than the period of the first indication information, the sending frequency of the system information can be reduced, and the frequency of the first communication device receiving the system information is also reduced accordingly, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first communication device.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: the same occupied frequency domain resource; the same relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block and the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; the same type of signal; or, the same corresponding sequence. By the implementation, the first synchronization signal in the first information block (or on the first resource group) and the second synchronization signal in the second information block (or on the second resource group) are designed in the same way, which can reduce the complexity of generating and sending signals, and reduce the storage amount and implementation complexity of the first communication device receiving signals for synchronization, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first communication device.

[0017] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: different occupied frequency domain resources; different relative positions between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block and the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; different types of signals; or, different corresponding sequences. By the implementation, different types of first communication devices or receivers can obtain different characteristic synchronization signals, for example, a low-power receiver obtains a shorter synchronization signal to reduce the power consumption of the receiver, or a low-power receiver obtains a longer synchronization signal to improve coverage, thereby increasing the flexibility of signal sending. For example, for a base station of an earlier version, the synchronization signal can be sent in the original way, and for a base station of an updated version, the synchronization signal can be sent in a more energy-saving way.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the paging message is used to page the communication apparatus in the first state. Wherein, the first indication information is received on the second resource can be that the first communication apparatus is in the first state, the first indication information is received on the second resource. For example, the first state can be a low power consumption state, or the first state can be that the light connection state enters the idle state, etc. In addition, the paging message paging the communication apparatus in the second state can also be indicated by the second information, the second state is for example other power consumption state, or the second state can be that the connection state enters the idle state, etc. Through this implementation, since the number of communication apparatuses in the first state is usually small, the physical resources occupied by paging such communication apparatuses are small, and it is easier to send the first indication information between the SSB and the SIB1, which not only reduces the power consumption of the communication apparatus in the first state, but also does not affect the scheduling mode of the current SSB and SIB1.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present application provides another communication method, which can be applied to a second communication apparatus. The second communication apparatus is for example a network side apparatus or a terminal side apparatus. Wherein, the network side apparatus is also called network apparatus for example. The network apparatus is for example a network device, or other device including the function of the network device, or a circuit, or a chip system (or chip) or other functional module which can realize the function of the network device, for example, the chip system or functional module is arranged in the network device. The network device includes for example a core network device and / or an access network device. The terminal side apparatus is also called terminal apparatus for example, and the introduction of the terminal apparatus can be referred to the first aspect. The method includes: the second communication apparatus sends a first synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal is carried on a first resource; the second communication apparatus sends first indication information, the first indication information is carried on a second resource, and the first indication information is used to indicate information related to a paging message, wherein the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the first resource and the second resource satisfy one or more of the following: the first resource and the second resource are included in a first resource group; the first resource and the second resource are adjacent in time domain; the first resource and the second resource are separated by N first time units; or the first resource and the second resource are located within one second time unit.

[0021] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the first indication information belong to a first information block.

[0022] In an optional implementation, the method further includes: the second communication apparatus sends a second synchronization signal, the second synchronization signal is carried on a third resource; the second communication apparatus sends system information, the system information is carried on a fourth resource; wherein the second synchronization signal and the system information belong to a second information block.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the first indication information is different from scrambling information corresponding to the system information; and / or, a type of a channel used for transmitting the first indication information is different from a type of a channel used for transmitting the system information.

[0024] In an optional implementation, the first information block includes second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the first information block includes the first indication information; and / or, the second information block includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the second information block includes the system information.

[0025] In an optional implementation, a period of the first synchronization signal is less than a period of the second synchronization signal; or, a period of the first information block is less than a period of the second information block.

[0026] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: same occupied frequency domain resource; same relative position between the first synchronization signal and a first reference point in the first information block and between the second synchronization signal and a second reference point in the second information block; same type of signal; or, same corresponding sequence.

[0027] In an optional implementation, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: different occupied frequency domain resource; different relative position between the first synchronization signal and a first reference point in the first information block and between the second synchronization signal and a second reference point in the second information block; different type of signal; or, different corresponding sequence.

[0028] In an optional implementation, the paging message is used for paging the terminal in the first state.

[0029] As to the technical effects brought by the second aspect or various optional implementations, reference can be made to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or corresponding implementation.

[0030] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can be the first communication apparatus of any one of the above aspects. The communication apparatus has the functions of the first communication apparatus. For example, the communication apparatus has the functions of any one of the above aspects, e.g., the communication apparatus includes modules or units or means for performing the functions of any one of the above aspects, which can be implemented by software or by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware. The communication apparatus can be, for example, a terminal device, or another device having functions of a terminal device, or a chip system (or chip or circuitry) or another functional module that can implement the functions of a terminal device, e.g., the chip system or functional module is arranged in a terminal device. In an optional implementation, the communication apparatus includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication apparatus includes a processing unit (also sometimes referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (also sometimes referred to as a transceiver module). The transceiver unit can implement the transmitting function and the receiving function. When the transceiver unit implements the transmitting function, it can be referred to as a transmitting unit (also sometimes referred to as a transmitting module). When the transceiver unit implements the receiving function, it can be referred to as a receiving unit (also sometimes referred to as a receiving module). The transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional module, which is referred to as a transceiver unit and can implement the transmitting function and the receiving function. Alternatively, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit can be different functional modules, and the transceiver unit refers to these functional modules collectively.

[0031] In an optional implementation, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive, on a first resource, a first synchronization signal; and receive, on a second resource, first indication information, the first indication information being used for indicating information related to a paging message, where a time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the communication apparatus further includes a storage unit (also sometimes referred to as a storage module), and the processing unit is configured to be coupled to the storage unit and execute programs or instructions in the storage unit to enable the communication apparatus to perform the functions of the first communication apparatus of any one of the above aspects.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can be the second communication apparatus of any of the first aspect to the third aspect. The communication apparatus has the functions of the second communication apparatus. For example, the communication apparatus has the functions of any of the first aspect to the third aspect, e.g., the communication apparatus includes modules or units or means for performing the functions of any of the first aspect to the third aspect, which can be implemented by software or by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware. The communication apparatus can be, for example, a network device, or another device including the functions of the network device, or a chip system (or chip or circuitry) or another functional module that can implement the functions of the network device, e.g., included in the network device. The network device can include, for example, a core network device and / or an access network device. Alternatively, the communication apparatus can be, for example, a terminal device, or another device including the functions of the terminal device, or a chip system (or chip or circuitry) or another functional module that can implement the functions of the terminal device, e.g., included in the terminal device. In an optional implementation, the communication apparatus includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication apparatus includes a processing unit (also sometimes referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (also sometimes referred to as a transceiver module). The transceiver unit can be implemented as described in the fifth aspect.

[0034] In an optional implementation, the transceiver unit (or the sending unit) is configured to send a first synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal being carried in a first resource; and the second communication apparatus is configured to send first indication information, the first indication information being carried in a second resource, the first indication information being used to indicate information related to a paging message, wherein a time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0035] In an optional implementation, the communication apparatus further includes a storage unit (also sometimes referred to as a storage module), and the processing unit is configured to be coupled with the storage unit and execute programs or instructions in the storage unit, so as to enable the communication apparatus to perform the functions of the second communication apparatus of any of the first aspect to the third aspect.

[0036] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes one or more processors. The one or more processors can execute computer programs or instructions, which when executed cause the communication apparatus to implement the method of any possible design or implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0037] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include an interface circuit, and the processor can be configured to communicate with other apparatuses or components through the interface circuit.

[0038] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include a memory. The memory can be configured to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary for implementing the functions of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0039] The communication apparatus can be a terminal, a communication module in the terminal, or a chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal, such as a modem chip (also referred to as a baseband chip) or an SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes one or more processors. The one or more processors can execute computer programs or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication apparatus to implement the method in any possible design or implementation manner of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0041] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include an interface circuit, and the processor can be configured to communicate with other apparatuses or components through the interface circuit.

[0042] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include a memory. The memory can be configured to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary for implementing the functions of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0043] The communication apparatus can be a network device, a communication module in the network device, or a chip responsible for communication functions in the network device, such as a modem chip (also referred to as a baseband chip) or an SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a second communication apparatus. The second communication apparatus is configured to perform the method performed by the second communication apparatus in any of the first aspect to the second aspect. For example, the second communication apparatus can be implemented by the communication apparatus in the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect.

[0045] Optionally, the communication system further includes a first communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus is configured to perform the method performed by the first communication apparatus in any of the first aspect to the second aspect. For example, the first communication apparatus can be implemented by the communication apparatus in the third aspect or the fifth aspect.

[0046] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which is configured to store a computer program or instructions, when the computer program or instructions are executed, causing the method performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above aspects to be implemented.

[0047] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which comprises instructions, when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, causing the method in the above aspects to be implemented.

[0048] In a tenth aspect, a chip system is provided, which comprises a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to invoke and execute instructions from the interface, so that the chip system implements the method in the above aspects.

[0049] For the technical effects brought by the third aspect to the tenth aspect and various optional embodiments thereof, reference can be made to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or the corresponding embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by the present application;

[0051] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system provided by the present application;

[0052] FIG. 3 is an example diagram of a detection mechanism;

[0053] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flow of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0054] FIG. 5 is an example of a DRX cycle provided by the present application;

[0055] FIGS. 6A to 6D are example diagrams of relationships between a first resource and a second resource provided by the present application;

[0056] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a time-frequency structure of an SSB;

[0057] FIG. 8 is an example diagram of a first information block and a second information block provided by the present application;

[0058] FIG. 9 is an example diagram of a first synchronization signal and PBCH provided by the present application;

[0059] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a beam sweeping process provided by the present application;

[0060] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0061] FIG. 12 is another schematic diagram of a structure of a communication device provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, represents "a singular noun or a plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects in front and behind. For example, A / B represents A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c represents a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0064] The "first", "second", and the like ordinal numbers mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, time sequence, priority, or importance of the plurality of objects. The numbering of steps in each embodiment introduced in the present application is only used to distinguish different steps, and is not used to limit the order of the steps.

[0065] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a fourth generation (4th generation, 4G) communication system, such as a long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) communication system, and can also be applied to a fifth generation (5th generation, 5G) communication system, such as a 5G new radio (new radio, NR) communication system, or applied to various communication systems evolved after 5G, such as future communication systems. The method provided by the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to a bluetooth system, a wireless fidelity (wireless fidelity, Wifi) system, a long range radio (long range radio, LoRa) system, or a vehicle networking system. The method provided by the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to a terrestrial network (terrestrial network, TN), and can also be applied to a non-terrestrial network (non-terrestrial network, NTN).

[0066] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 1 includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is, for example, a terminal device, and the second communication device is, for example, a network device (such as an access network device, a core network device, an RSU, or a control node). Alternatively, the first communication device and the second communication device are two different terminal devices. Alternatively, the first communication device and the second communication device can be two different network devices, for example, the first communication device is an RSU or a control node, and the second communication device is an access network device or a core network device. Optionally, the second communication device can also be a relay device or a forwarding device that forwards signals of other devices.

[0067] Optionally, the first communication device and the second communication device can transmit information through radio waves, or can transmit information through visible light, laser, infrared, optical fiber, and other transmission media.

[0068] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a possible communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applicable. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication system can include a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system can also include the Internet 300.

[0069] The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in FIG. 2, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in FIG. 2, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 2), etc. The terminal devices 120 are connected to the RAN nodes 110 in a wireless manner. The RAN nodes 110 are connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network and the logical functions of the wireless access network.

[0070] The RAN 100 can be a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented communication system. The RAN 100 can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a WiFi system. The RAN 100 can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems.

[0071] The RAN nodes 110, which can also be referred to as RAN entities or access nodes, etc., form part of the communication system 10 and are configured to facilitate wireless access to the communication system 10 for terminal devices. The RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN nodes 110 and terminal devices 120 are relative, e.g., a net element 120i in Figure 2 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured to move as a mobile base station, for a terminal 120j accessing to the RAN 100 through the net element 120i, the net element 120i is a base station; but for a base station 110a, the net element 120i is a terminal device. Both RAN nodes 110 and terminal devices 120 are sometimes referred to as communication apparatuses, e.g., the net elements 110a and 110b in Figure 2 can be understood as communication apparatuses with base station functionalities, and the net elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication apparatuses with terminal device functionalities.

[0072] The RAN node can also be variously expressed, such as access network device. The access network device is a device with wireless transceiver functions, used for communication with terminal devices. The access network device includes, but is not limited to, a base station (base transceiver station (BTS), Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB) / eNB, or the next generation Node B (gNodeB) / gNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station of subsequent evolution of the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), an access node in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, and the like. The base station can be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG. 2), a micro base station, a pico base station, an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG. 2), a small station, a relay station, and the like. Multiple base stations can support a network of the same access technology or a network of different access technologies. The base station can include one or more co-sited or non-co-sited transmission reception points. The access network device can also be a wireless controller, a centralized unit (CU), and / or a distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The access network device can also be a server and the like. For example, the network device in V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU). The access network device is described below by taking the base station as an example. The base station can communicate with the terminal device, or communicate with the terminal device through the relay station. The terminal device can communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies.

[0073] In the CU-DU architecture, or in an open RAN (ORAN) system, an access network device can include one or more of a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), among other logical network elements. The CU and the DU can be separately configured or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0074] The CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU can also have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be referred to as an open DU (O-DU), the CU-CP can also be referred to as an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP can also be referred to as an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and the RU can also be referred to as an open RU (O-RU). For ease of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU are used as examples for description in the embodiments of the present application. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0075] The CU and the DU can be configured according to protocol layer functions of the wireless network that they implement. For example, the CU is configured to implement functions of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and above protocol layers (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) layer and / or a service data adaption protocol (SDAP) layer, etc.). The DU is configured to implement functions of a PDCP layer and below protocol layers (e.g., one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, or a physical (PHY) layer). For another example, the CU is configured to implement functions of a PDCP layer and above protocol layers (e.g., an RRC layer and / or an SDAP layer), and the DU is configured to implement functions of a PDCP layer and below protocol layers (e.g., one or more of an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or a PHY layer).

[0076] The above configuration of the CU and the DU is merely an example, and the CU and the DU can be configured to have other functions as needed. For example, the CU or the DU can be configured to have functions of more protocol layers, or the CU or the DU can be configured to have partial processing functions of protocol layers. For example, partial functions of an RLC layer and functions of protocol layers above the RLC layer are configured in the CU, and remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of protocol layers below the RLC layer are configured in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or the DU can be divided according to service types or other system requirements. For example, functions that require a shorter latency can be configured in the DU, and functions that do not require the shorter latency can be configured in the CU.

[0077] The DU and the RU can cooperate to implement functions of a PHY layer. One DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The DU and the RU can be configured in various manners according to design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement intermediate radio frequency functions. For another example, the DU is configured to implement high layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement low layer functions in the PHY layer or to implement the low layer functions and radio frequency functions. The high layer functions in the PHY layer can include a portion of functions of the PHY layer that are closer to a MAC layer. The low layer functions in the PHY layer can include another portion of functions of the PHY layer that are closer to the intermediate radio frequency side.

[0078] The core network 200 includes one or more core network devices. The core network devices are configured to implement functions such as mobility management, data processing, session management, policy and charging, and the like. The names of devices configured to implement core network functions can be different in systems of different access technologies, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation in this regard. For example, in a system of the 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G), the core network devices include, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a policy control function (PCF), a user plane function (UPF), and the like.

[0079] The network device in the embodiments of the present application includes, for example, an access network device (or an access network network element), and / or a core network device (or a core network network element). In the embodiments of the present application, the communication apparatus used to implement the functions of the network device can be referred to as a network apparatus, which can be a network element, or a network device, or an apparatus capable of supporting the network device or the network element to implement the functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. All or part of the functions of the network device in the embodiments of the present application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The network device in the present application can also be a logical node, a logical module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0080] In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus used to implement the functions of the network device is taken as an example (for example, the apparatus used to implement the functions of the access network apparatus is the access network apparatus, and the apparatus used to implement the functions of the core network apparatus is the core network apparatus), and the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are described.

[0081] The terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver function, which can be a fixed device, a mobile device, a handheld device (such as a mobile phone), a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, or a wireless device (such as a communication module, a modem, or a chip system, etc.) built into the above devices. The terminal device can be widely used in various scenarios, such as sensing scenarios, cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, a mobile station (MS), a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless modem, a handset, a laptop computer, an MTC terminal, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal device.

[0082] As introduced above, various terminal devices can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminal devices if they are located on a vehicle (for example, placed in or installed in a vehicle), which are also called as on-board units (OBU). The terminal device of the present application can also be an on-board module, an on-board module group, an on-board component, an on-board chip or an on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units, and the vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in on-board module, on-board module group, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit.

[0083] The terminal device can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, wireless communication device, or user device, etc.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, which can be a terminal device or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device is taken as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0085] In the embodiments of the present application, the network device sends a downlink signal or downlink information to the terminal device, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal device sends an uplink signal or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order for the terminal device to communicate with the network device, the terminal device needs to establish a wireless connection with a cell controlled by the network device. The cell that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal device is referred to as a serving cell of the terminal device.

[0086] The present application relates to time / frequency synchronization and paging technologies. In order to more clearly understand the present application, the following first describes time / frequency synchronization, paging, and related technologies and terms.

[0087] (1) RRC state of terminal device

[0088] In a wireless communication system, such as a new radio (NR) system, according to whether there is an RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device, the terminal device has three RRC states, which are an RRC idle state (hereinafter referred to as an idle state or an Idle state), an RRC inactive state (hereinafter referred to as an inactive state or an Inactive state), and an RRC connected state (hereinafter referred to as a connected state or a connected state). In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device in the idle state and the terminal device in the inactive state can be collectively referred to as the terminal device in the non-connected state.

[0089] The terminal device in the connected state has an RRC connection with the network device, can perform data transmission with the network device, and can receive RRC signaling sent by the network device. The terminal device in the non-connected state does not have an RRC connection with the network device, cannot perform data transmission with the network device, but can receive broadcast information of the cell, such as system messages and paging messages. The terminal device in the connected state can initiate an RRC connection release process according to the received RRC connection release message, and switch to the non-connected state. The terminal device in the non-connected state can switch to the connected state through a random access procedure.

[0090] (2) Synchronization

[0091] The synchronization can include at least one of time synchronization or frequency synchronization. The time synchronization is to adjust the time values of clocks distributed in different places to a certain accuracy or a certain coincidence through time comparison, and the former is called absolute time synchronization, and the latter is called relative time synchronization. The frequency synchronization is to adjust the rate values of frequency sources distributed in different places to a certain accuracy or a certain coincidence through frequency comparison, and the former is called frequency synchronization, and the latter is called relative frequency synchronization. Through time and / or frequency synchronization (hereinafter referred to as time-frequency synchronization), the time / frequency deviation of the crystal oscillator of the terminal device and the crystal oscillator of the network device can be corrected to ensure the accuracy of data transmission. For example, the time-frequency synchronization can be implemented based on a synchronization signal, that is, the synchronization signal in the embodiment of the application can be a reference signal, or the synchronization signal in the embodiment of the application can also be a signal dedicated to synchronization.

[0092] At present, in a wireless communication system, the reference signal that can be used for time-frequency synchronization includes SSB. The SSB includes a synchronization signal (SS) and a PBCH, and the SS can include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). In the process of detecting the SSB by the terminal device, the PSS is first detected on a given carrier frequency, and once the PSS is detected, the PSS period is synchronized. Moreover, once the PSS is detected by the terminal device, since the structure of the SSB is defined, the resource position of the SSS and the PBCH is also known. By detecting the SSS on the corresponding resource, the terminal device can determine the physical cell identity (PCI) of the cell. The information carried by the PBCH is called the master information block (MIB), which includes the system frame number (SFN), the cell barrier identifier, and the system information block (SIB) parameter set, and the terminal device needs to acquire the remaining system information broadcast by the network device according to these information.

[0093] Wherein, the network device can periodically send SSB, and the terminal device synchronizes with the network device by detecting SSB. For example, the terminal device needs to perform cell search based on SSB when performing initial access or random access, and in order for the terminal device to search for a cell, each network device will periodically send SSB, that is, SSB is a periodically sent common signal, and the period of SSB can be flexibly set between 5ms and 160ms. Since the network device is uncertain of the access time of the terminal device, in order for the terminal device to quickly find a cell when starting up and moving within the system, the default sending period of SSB is 20ms. In the case of using network energy saving technology, the period of SSB is lengthened, for example, the period of SSB can be lengthened to 1000ms.

[0094] (3) SSB burst set

[0095] In a wireless communication system, such as an NR system, coverage enhancement is achieved by using more antennas, but more antennas will cause the antenna to radiate a very narrow beam, and a single narrow beam is difficult to cover the entire cell. Therefore, the NR network can send SSB in a beam sweeping manner, that is, different SSBs are sent on different beams in a time division multiplexing manner, so as to cover the entire cell. That is, the network device can send a beam direction at a certain time, and send different beams at multiple times to cover the directions required by the entire cell. It should be noted here that for a terminal device located in a certain specific downlink beam direction, only one SSB can be received, and it is unknown that other SSBs are being sent in the cell.

[0096] The SSB set in beam sweeping is called synchronization signal burst set or SSB burst set, the time for completing one SSB beam sweeping can be called the time for sending one SSB burst set, and the period of SSB can be considered as the period of synchronization signal burst set. For different subcarrier spacings, the maximum number of SSBs contained in one SSB beam sweeping (or one SSB burst set) is different. For example, for frequency bands below 3GHz, the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, and a maximum of 4 SSBs can be contained in one burst, that is, a maximum of 4 beams can be scanned.

[0097] (4) Paging

[0098] In a wireless communication system, for example, an NR system, in order to achieve low power consumption as much as possible, when there is no service at the terminal device, the terminal device can switch to an energy-saving state, for example, enter an idle state or an inactive state, etc., at this time, the terminal device enters a deep sleep state, and part of the functions are no longer maintained, for example, the terminal device will disconnect the control plane connection. When there is service, the network device can wake up the terminal device through a paging message, the paging message is carried in a physical shared control channel (PDSCH), and the resources of the PDSCH are scheduled by a PDCCH. The terminal device needs to determine a paging frame (PF) and a paging occasion (PO) according to the identifier of the terminal device. One PF contains one or more POs, and one PO can be one subframe. The terminal device detects the PDCCH on the PO. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, one PF contains one PO. The terminal device detects on the PO, and if a PDCCH scrambled by a P-RNTI is detected, the terminal device obtains the paging message from the resource indicated by the downlink control information (DCI) in the PDCCH. The paging message carries the identifier of one or more terminal devices. The terminal device determines whether the paging message is paging itself according to whether the paging message carries its own identifier. If it is paging itself, the terminal device triggers a random access process and enters a connected state.

[0099] It can be seen that for the terminal device, both SSB and PDCCH need to be detected. However, the current detection mechanism of the terminal device can cause high power consumption of the terminal. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is an example of a detection mechanism of a terminal device. In the example, the period of SSB is taken as 20 ms. Therefore, after detecting one SSB (for example, SSB1 in FIG. 3), the terminal device can detect the next SSB (for example, SSB2 in FIG. 3) after an interval of 20 ms. In addition, when the terminal device is in an idle state, the terminal device can also calculate the PF (or PO) in a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle according to its own identifier and a formula, so as to detect the PDCCH on the PO.

[0100] However, since the PF (or PO) is calculated by the terminal device itself according to the formula, the time domain position of the PF (or PO) and the time domain position of the SSB can be far apart, as shown in FIG. 3. The frame where the SSB is located is adjacent to the PF. After the terminal device detects the SSB, it needs to detect the paging again after 10 ms, and then powers off to enter the light sleep state, and then powers on again at the PO position to detect the PDCCH. The power consumption of the light sleep state is higher than that of the deep sleep state, and the terminal device cannot enter the deep sleep state in time, and frequent power-on and power-off will increase the power consumption of the terminal device. In addition, frequent power-on and power-off will also increase the implementation complexity.

[0101] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a method which can reduce power consumption.

[0102] The method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of the present application, the steps represented by dashed lines are optional steps. The various embodiments of the present application can be applied to the network architecture shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. For example, the first communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the first communication device shown in FIG. 1, and the second communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the second communication device shown in FIG. 1. For another example, the first communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the terminal device or the functional module in the terminal device shown in FIG. 2, and the second communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the access network device or the functional module in the access network device shown in FIG. 2; or the first communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the terminal device or the functional module in the terminal device shown in FIG. 2, and the second communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can be the core network device or the functional module in the core network device shown in FIG. 2; or the first communication device and the second communication device described in the various embodiments of the present application can both be the terminal device or the functional module in the terminal device shown in FIG. 2.

[0103] The first communication device receives the first information, and the first communication device receives the second information. Correspondingly, the second communication device transmits (or generates) the first information, and the second communication device transmits (or generates) the second information.

[0104] In the embodiments of the present application, receiving can be understood as monitoring or detecting, etc.

[0105] The first information can be one or more of a downlink signal, downlink data, downlink configuration information, DCI, a sensing signal, a duplexing signal, a backhaul signal, and the like. For example, the downlink signal can be a downlink reference signal (DL RS), an on-off keying (OOK) sequence, a pseudo-random sequence (such as a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence), an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, a derivative of the OFDM signal, an orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) signal, or a linear frequency modulation (LFM) signal, and the like. The downlink reference signal can be one or more of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a tracking reference signal, a positioning reference signal (PRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), an SSB, an SS, a random access preamble, or other downlink common signals, for example. The tracking reference signal is a channel status information reference signal for tracking (TRS), for example. The downlink configuration information can be RRC information or a Medium access control-control element (MAC CE), and the like, for example.

[0106] Optionally, the DMRS can be a DMRS of a PDCCH, a DMRS of a PDSCH, or a DMRS of other channels, and the like. The other channels can include a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a random access channel (RACH), a channel for sensing, a channel for artificial intelligence (AI), and the like.

[0107] In some embodiments, a channel can also be understood as a signal or data. A signal or data can also be understood as a channel.

[0108] The second information can also be one or more of a downlink signal, downlink data, downlink configuration information, DCI, sensing signal, duplex signal, backhaul signal, etc. Optionally, the first information and the second information are not the same. Optionally, the types of the first information and the second information are not the same. For example, the first information is an SSB, and the second information is a DCI. Optionally, the types of the first information and the second information are the same, and the information contents are different. For example, the first information is a first DCI, and the second information is a second DCI.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first information is carried on a first resource, and the second information is carried on a second resource. In other words, the first communication device can receive the first information on the first resource, and receive the second information on the second resource. The time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold. It can be understood that the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is small. For example, when the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold, the first communication device can receive the first information and the second information after a power-on.

[0110] The first resource and the second resource refer to physical resources used for wireless transmission. The physical resources can include time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources.

[0111] To facilitate the introduction of the scheme of the embodiments of the present application, the following will take the first information being an SS and the second information being a DCI as an example to describe the technical scheme of the embodiments of the present application. It can be understood that the technical scheme below is also applicable to the case where the first information and the second information are other information.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 4, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the method, which can be executed by the first communication device and / or the second communication device.

[0113] Step 401: The first communication device receives a first synchronization signal on a first resource. Correspondingly, the second communication device transmits the first synchronization signal, and the first synchronization signal is carried on the first resource. Alternatively, the second communication device can also generate a sequence of the first synchronization signal, and the sequence of the first synchronization signal is carried on the first resource.

[0114] The first synchronization signal is used for synchronization between the first communication device and the second communication device. The first synchronization signal can also be used for synchronization between other communication devices and the second communication device. The synchronization includes time and / or frequency synchronization. It can also be described that the first synchronization signal is used for the first communication device and the other communication devices to obtain time and / or frequency synchronization with the second communication device. Accordingly, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can achieve synchronization with the second communication device. The synchronization can include at least one of time synchronization or frequency synchronization. For example, the second communication device is an access network device, the first communication device is a terminal device, the access network device covers (or serves) a first cell, and the first synchronization signal can be used for the terminal device to obtain time and / or frequency synchronization with the first cell, or in other words, the terminal device can perform cell search and obtain time and / or frequency synchronization with the first cell when receiving the first synchronization signal.

[0115] Optionally, the first synchronization signal includes a PSS and a SSS. Alternatively, the first synchronization signal can be a low power synchronization signal (LP-SS). For example, when the first synchronization signal is an LP-SS, the first synchronization signal can include a coarse synchronization signal and a fine synchronization signal.

[0116] Optionally, the first synchronization signal can include one and / or multiple sequences. The sequence can be, for example, an m-sequence, a Gold sequence, a pseudo-random sequence, or a ZC sequence (Zadoff-Chu sequence), etc.

[0117] Optionally, the first resource includes one symbol. Alternatively, the first resource includes two symbols. The two symbols included in the first resource can be adjacent or not adjacent.

[0118] Step 402: The first communication device receives first indication information on a second resource, and the first indication information is used to indicate information related to a paging message. The time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold. Accordingly, the second communication device sends the first indication information, and the first indication information is carried on the second resource. Alternatively, the second communication device can also generate the first indication information, and the first indication information is carried on the second resource.

[0119] In the embodiments of the present application, the information related to the paging message can be replaced by scheduling information of paging.

[0120] Optionally, the first indication information can indicate one or more of the following: frequency domain resource of the paging message, time domain resource of the paging message, modulation and coding scheme of the paging message, mapping manner of the paging message, TRS availability indication, whether there is a paging message, whether to wake up, antenna port for transmitting the paging message, and the like. The first indication information can also be referred to as paging information, paging control information, or paging scheduling information, and the like.

[0121] The first indication information is downlink control information used for scheduling the paging message. Optionally, the first indication information can be DCI, or the first indication information is included in the DCI. For example, the first indication information can be a wake up signal (WUS). Optionally, the first indication information can be one or more of a paging early indication (PEI) or a low power wake up signal (LP-WUS). If the first indication information is a PEI, or the first indication information includes a PEI, or the PDCCH includes a PEI, information related to the paging message can be indicated by the PEI. If the PDCCH does not include a PEI, or the first indication information does not include a PEI, information related to the paging message is indicated by other formats of DCI. Optionally, the PDCCH including the PEI is different from the PDCCH not including the PEI in format. For example, the DCI format including the PEI is DCI format 2_7, and the DCI format not including the PEI is DCI format 1_0.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first communication device is in an energy saving state, such as an idle state, an inactive state, an energy saving state, a light connection state, or a sleep state, and the like. Referring to FIG. 5, an example of a DRX cycle is shown. In a first time window, the first communication device is in an energy saving state, and in a second time window, the first communication device will receive information, such as the first synchronization signal and the first indication information described above. The first time window and the second time window can be determined according to the DRX cycle. A DRX cycle includes the duration of “ON” and “OFF”, “ON” refers to “ON duration”, and the time of “ON” is the time when the first communication device is in a wake-up state. “OFF” refers to “opportunity for DRX”, and the time of “OFF” is the DRX sleep time, and the first communication device enters a sleep state and does not receive PDCCH. For example, the DRX cycle is T1, the duration of “ON” is T2, and the length of the first time window is T1-T2, and the length of the second time window is T2.

[0123] Step 403: The first communication device obtains information related to the paging message according to the first indication information. The information related to the paging message includes related information of the PDSCH carrying the paging message. For example, the first communication device can obtain the frequency domain resource, the time domain resource of the paging message, the modulation and coding mode of the paging message, the mapping mode of the paging message, the tracking reference signal (TRS) availability indication, whether there is a paging message, whether to wake up, the antenna port transmitting the paging message, and the like according to the first indication information, so that the first communication device can receive or decode the paging message according to the information.

[0124] Step 403 is an optional step, which can be executed or not executed.

[0125] In the above embodiments, the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold. It can be understood that the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is small, or in other words, the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is small enough, so that the first communication device can receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information after being powered on once, and then be powered off and enter a deep sleep state after the reception. That is, the first communication device can complete the reception of the first synchronization signal and the first indication information in the case of entering a wake-up state once, without entering a light sleep state to wait for the reception of the first indication information after receiving the first synchronization signal, thereby reducing the time length of the first communication device in the light sleep state, reducing the power-on times of the first communication device, reducing the power consumption of the first communication device, prolonging the use time and service life of the first communication device. In addition, since the power-on and power-off times of the first communication device are reduced, the implementation complexity of the first communication device is also reduced.

[0126] In a possible implementation, the first synchronization signal can be transmitted in association with the PBCH, or in other words, the first synchronization signal can also be a synchronization signal transmitted in association with the PBCH, that is, when the first synchronization signal is transmitted (or received), the PBCH is also transmitted (or received) at the same time. Then, the second communication device transmits the PBCH when transmitting the first synchronization signal. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the PBCH when receiving the first synchronization signal. For example, the second communication device transmits an SSB including the first synchronization signal and the PBCH on the first resource, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the SSB on the first resource. For another example, the second communication device transmits the first synchronization signal on the first resource and transmits the PBCH on other resources related to the first resource, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first synchronization signal on the first resource and receives the PBCH on the other resources related to the first resource.

[0127] In this embodiment, the structure of the SSB in the prior art can be continued to be used, and on this basis, the time domain interval between the SSB and the resource corresponding to the first indication information is reduced, so that the first communication apparatus can receive the SSB and the first indication information at one time of power-on, and the change of the SSB is reduced, so that the implementation complexity of this embodiment is lower.

[0128] In another possible embodiment, considering that the SSB in the prior art includes a synchronization signal and a PBCH, that is, the synchronization signal and the PBCH are often sent in a binding manner. However, the system information is often not frequently updated, or in other words, the demand for the synchronization signal is greater than the demand for the system information, and the PBCH is sent every time the synchronization signal is sent, which causes waste of power consumption and waste of resources.

[0129] In the embodiment of the present application, the first synchronization signal can also not be sent in a binding manner with the PBCH, or in other words, the first synchronization signal can not be a synchronization signal sent in a binding manner with the PBCH, that is, when the first synchronization signal is sent (or received), the PBCH can not be sent (or received). Then, the second communication apparatus only sends the first synchronization signal, and does not send the PBCH, and correspondingly, the first communication apparatus only receives the first synchronization signal, and does not receive the PBCH.

[0130] In this embodiment, the PBCH can not be sent when the synchronization signal is sent, which can reduce the waste of power consumption and resources caused by the binding sending of the synchronization signal and the PBCH. For example, compared with the synchronization signal, the second communication apparatus can reduce the sending of the system information, or in other words, increase the sending period of the system information, so as to reduce the sending power consumption of the second communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus can also reduce the reception of the system information, so as to reduce the reception power consumption of the first communication apparatus.

[0131] The first resource and the second resource are both physical resources for wireless communication. The physical resources can include time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources. The first resource includes one or more time units, and the second resource also includes one or more time units. In embodiments of the present application, a time unit can be a system frame, a subframe, a millisecond (ms), a slot, a micro slot, a microsecond, a second, or a symbol, and the time unit can be any of these unless otherwise specifically emphasized. Among them, the symbol refers to a time domain symbol, for example, the symbol can refer to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. The first resource includes one or more frequency units, and the second resource also includes one or more frequency units. In embodiments of the present application, a frequency unit can be a bandwidth part (BWP), a resource block (RB), a resource block group (RBG), or a resource block set (RB set), a resource element (RE), etc.

[0132] Optionally, the first resource and / or the second resource can be understood as a type of resource, rather than a specific resource. That is, the number of the first resource and / or the second resource can be one or more. Optionally, the plurality of first resources and / or the second resources can be periodic.

[0133] After the first communication device receives the first synchronization signal on the first resource, the first communication device can determine the second resource according to the first resource, and then the first communication device receives the first indication information on the second resource. The first communication device can determine the second resource in one or more of the following ways:

[0134] Mode a1: The first resource and the second resource can be associated resources. It can be understood that there is a corresponding relationship between the first resource and the second resource, and the corresponding relationship satisfies that the time domain interval is less than or equal to a first threshold, or in other words, the relationship between the first resource and the second resource satisfies a predefined rule (or a preconfigured rule) that satisfies that the time domain interval is less than or equal to the first threshold. Then, after the first communication device receives the first synchronization signal on the first resource, the first communication device can determine the corresponding second resource according to the first resource, and receive the first indication information on the second resource. In this mode, the relationship between the first resource and the second resource can be preconfigured or predefined, that is, agreed between the first communication device and the second communication device, so that subsequent configuration of the second resource does not need to consume resources, reducing communication overhead.

[0135] Method a2: The second resource can be configured for the first communication device by a second communication device or other communication device. For example, one or more second resources can be configured for the first communication device, and each configured second resource has a first resource whose time-domain interval is less than or equal to a first threshold. Then, after the first communication device receives the first synchronization signal on the first resource, it can receive the first indication information on the corresponding second resource. As another example, one or more second resources can be configured for the first communication device. After receiving the first synchronization signal on the first resource, the first communication device can determine from the configured one or more second resources that the time-domain interval between it and the first resource is less than or equal to the first threshold, and receive the first indication information on that second resource. In this method, the second resource is configurable, improving the flexibility of the second resource.

[0136] In method a1 or method a2 above, the first resource and the second resource can satisfy one or more of the following:

[0137] Case b1: The first resource and the second resource are included in a first resource group. A resource group can be understood as a set of resources or a collection of resources. The inclusion of the first resource and the second resource in a first resource group can be understood as the first resource and the second resource existing as a group. See Figure 6A for an example of a first resource group. The number of first resource groups can be one or more. In a first resource group, the dashed portion represents the first resource, which carries the first synchronization signal, and the rhombus portion represents the second resource, which carries the first indication information. Therefore, in this mode, the relative positions of the first resource and the second resource are fixed, and the first communication device can determine the corresponding second resource based on the first resource.

[0138] For example, the first communication device can obtain synchronization information by detecting a first synchronization signal of a first resource. This synchronization information can also be described as the location information or time-frequency location of the first resource. Then, it determines the information of the second resource based on the synchronization information. Specifically, the first communication device determines the first resource based on the resource for which the first synchronization signal was detected. At this point, the location information of the first resource is already determined. Then, the second resource can be determined based on a predefined rule combined with the location information of the first resource. The predefined rule refers to the relationship between the first resource and the second resource, which can be understood as the relative positional relationship between the first resource and the second resource within the first resource group.

[0139] For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the first resource group occupies 4 time units in the time domain, the first resource occupies the first and third time units in the first resource group, and the second resource occupies the second and / or fourth time units in the first resource group. FIG. 6A is only one possible example, and embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of time units included in the first resource group, for example, the first resource group can also include 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. time units. In addition, the time units occupied by the first resource and the second resource in the first resource group are not specifically limited. For example, the first resource can occupy the first and second time units, and the second resource can occupy the third and fourth time units. For another example, the first resource can occupy the first and fourth time units, and the second resource can occupy the second and third time units. For another example, the first resource and the second resource can both occupy the time units of the entire first resource group.

[0140] In the case where the first resource and the second resource are included in the first resource group, it can be understood that the first resource and the second resource necessarily satisfy that the time domain interval is less than or equal to the first threshold value, and therefore in this case, the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource can not be limited to be less than or equal to the first threshold value in step 402, or "the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold value" can be replaced by "the first resource and the second resource are included in the first resource group".

[0141] Case b2: The first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain, which can also be described as the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource being zero, or, it can also be described as the first threshold value corresponding to the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource being zero.

[0142] The first resource and the second resource being adjacent in the time domain can be understood as the time units included by the first resource and the time units included by the second resource being all / partially overlapped. Alternatively, the first resource and the second resource being adjacent in the time domain can be understood as the first resource including all the time units included by the second resource (i.e., the time domain position of the second resource is located within the time domain position of the first resource). Alternatively, the first resource and the second resource being adjacent in the time domain can be understood as the first time unit of the second resource being adjacent to the last time unit of the first resource. Alternatively, the first resource and the second resource each include M time units, the mth time unit of the first resource and the mth time unit of the second resource are adjacent, where M is a positive integer, m = 1, …, M. The time units included by the second resource can also be understood as the time units occupied by the second resource, and the time units included by the first resource can also be understood as the time units occupied by the first resource.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 6B, an example is shown in which the first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain. In FIG. 6B, the first time unit of the second resource is adjacent to the last time unit of the first resource. After receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can determine the time domain position of the first resource. Since the first time unit of the second resource is adjacent to the last time unit of the first resource, the first communication device can determine the time domain position of the first time unit of the second resource according to the time domain position of the last time unit of the first resource, and thus determine the time domain position of the second resource.

[0144] In the case where the first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain, it can be understood that the first resource and the second resource necessarily satisfy that the time domain interval is less than or equal to the first threshold. Therefore, in this case, the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource in step 402 can not be limited to be less than or equal to the first threshold, or the "time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold" can be replaced by "the first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain".

[0145] Case b3: The first resource and the second resource are separated by N first time units. It can also be described as that there is a time domain offset between the first resource and the second resource, and the time domain offset is N first time units. The first time unit can be any one of a system frame, a subframe, a millisecond (ms), a slot, a micro-slot, a microsecond, or a symbol. N is a positive integer, and the value of N is not specifically limited. N can be predefined, indicated by the second communication device, or reported by the first communication device. For example, the first resource and the second resource are separated by 1 symbol.

[0146] The time domain offset can be the time domain interval between the first time unit included in the first resource and the first time unit included in the second resource. Alternatively, the time domain offset can be the time domain interval between the last time unit included in the first resource and the first time unit included in the second resource. Alternatively, the time domain offset can be the time domain interval between the last time unit included in the first resource and the last time unit included in the second resource. Alternatively, the time domain offset can be the time domain interval between any one of the time units included in the first resource and any one of the time units included in the second resource, which is not specifically limited.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 6C, an example of the first resource being spaced apart from the second resource by N first time units is shown. In FIG. 6C, the time domain offset can be a time domain spacing between a first time unit included in the first resource and a first time unit included in the second resource, and the time domain spacing is N first time units. Then, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can determine the time domain position of the first resource, because the first time unit included in the first resource and the first time unit included in the second resource are spaced apart by N first time units, and then the first communication device can determine the time domain position of the first time unit included in the second resource according to the time domain position of the first time unit included in the first resource and N first time units, thereby determining the time domain position of the second resource.

[0148] In the case that the first resource is spaced apart from the second resource by N first time units, it can also be understood that the first resource and the second resource necessarily satisfy that the time domain spacing is less than or equal to the first threshold value, and therefore in this case, the time domain spacing between the first resource and the second resource in the above step 402 can also not be limited to be less than or equal to the first threshold value, or the "time domain spacing between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold value" can be replaced by "the first resource is spaced apart from the second resource by N first time units".

[0149] Optionally, the total time of N first time units is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

[0150] Case b4: The first resource and the second resource are located within one or more second time units. Alternatively, the time domain spacing between the first resource and the second resource can also be replaced by being less than one second time unit.

[0151] The second time unit can be any one of a system frame, a subframe, a millisecond (ms), a slot, a micro-slot, a microsecond, or a symbol. For example, the second time unit is a system frame, and then the first resource and the second resource are located within the same system frame. Referring to FIG. 6D, an example of the first resource and the second resource being located within the same system frame is shown, where the first resource occupies subframes 0-4 within a system frame, and the second resource occupies subframe 6 within the system frame. FIG. 6D is only one possible example, and the subframes occupied by the first resource and the second resource within the system frame are not specifically limited.

[0152] In a possible implementation, the first resource occupies a first sub-time unit within a second time unit, and the second resource occupies a second sub-time unit within the second time unit. The relative position of the first resource and the second resource within the second time unit can be fixed, that is, the relative position between the first sub-time unit and the second sub-time unit is fixed, and after the first sub-time unit is determined, the second sub-time unit can be determined according to the first sub-time unit and the relative position relationship. Then, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication apparatus can determine the position of the first resource within the second time unit, and the first communication apparatus can further determine the position of the second resource within the second time unit according to the position of the first resource within the second time unit, thereby determining the time domain position of the second resource. Alternatively, the relative position of the first resource and the second resource within the second time unit can also be unfixed, that is, the relative position between the first sub-time unit and the second sub-time unit can be unfixed, for example, the second sub-time unit can be any sub-time unit after the first sub-time unit.

[0153] In a possible implementation, the first resource occupies a first sub-time unit within K second time units, and the second resource occupies a second sub-time unit within the K second time units. The relative position of the first resource and the second resource within the K second time units can be fixed. That is, the relative position between the first sub-time unit and the second sub-time unit is fixed, and after the first sub-time unit is determined, the second sub-time unit can be determined according to the first sub-time unit and the relative position relationship. Then, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication apparatus can determine the position of the first resource within the K second time units, and the first communication apparatus can further determine the position of the second resource within the K second time units according to the position of the first resource within the K second time units, thereby determining the time domain position of the second resource. Alternatively, the relative position of the first resource and the second resource within the K second time units can also be unfixed, that is, the relative position between the first sub-time unit and the second sub-time unit can be unfixed, for example, the second sub-time unit can be any sub-time unit after the first sub-time unit. K is a positive integer, and the value of K is not limited. K can be predefined, indicated by the second communication apparatus, or reported by the first communication apparatus. For example, the K second time units are four symbols.

[0154] In the case that the first resource and the second resource are located in one or more second time units, it can also be understood that the first resource and the second resource must satisfy that the time domain interval is less than or equal to the first threshold value, and therefore in this case, the time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource in the above step 402 can also not be limited to be less than or equal to the first threshold value, or the "time domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold value" can be replaced by "the first resource and the second resource are located in one or more second time units".

[0155] In addition to the above cases b1-b4, the first resource and the second resource can also be associated by other relationships, which are not specifically limited.

[0156] In a possible implementation, the first synchronization signal in step 401 and the first indication information in step 402 can belong to a first information block, that is, the first synchronization signal and the first indication information can be transmitted in the same first information block. The first information block can be referred to as a synchronization signal and paging block (abbreviated as synchronization paging block) or replaced by other names. One or more of the antenna port, the cyclic prefix (CP) length or the subcarrier spacing used when transmitting the same information block are the same. One information block corresponds to one block index, and the first synchronization signal and the first indication information belong to the first information block, which can be understood as that the first synchronization signal and the first indication information satisfy at least one of the following: using the same block index, being transmitted at the same center frequency position.

[0157] It can be understood that the first synchronization signal and the first indication information will be sent in a binding manner, that is, the first indication information will also be sent when the first synchronization signal is sent. Compared with the synchronization information which is only sent in a binding manner with the PBCH, the synchronization signal can be sent in a binding manner with the first indication information, which is beneficial to reduce the frequency of the PBCH and reduce the transmission power consumption of the second communication device. On the other hand, the first communication device can receive the first synchronization signal and the first indication information after one power-on, which can also reduce the reception power consumption of the first communication device.

[0158] Optionally, in addition to receiving the first information and the second information, the first communication device can also receive third information and fourth information. Correspondingly, the second communication device transmits (or generates) the third information, and the second communication device transmits (or generates) the fourth information.

[0159] The third information can be one or more of a downlink signal, downlink data, downlink configuration information, DCI, sensing signal, duplex signal, backhaul signal, etc. The fourth information can also be one or more of a downlink signal, downlink data, downlink configuration information, DCI, sensing signal, duplex signal, backhaul signal, etc. Optionally, the third information and the fourth information can be different.

[0160] In some embodiments, the third information is carried on a third resource, and the fourth information is carried on a fourth resource. In other words, the first communication device can receive the third information on the third resource, and receive the fourth information on the fourth resource. The third resource and the fourth resource refer to physical resources used for wireless transmission. The physical resources can include time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources.

[0161] In the following, for the convenience of introduction, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described with the third information being an SS and the fourth information being system information (or PBCH) as an example. It can be understood that the technical solutions in the following are also applicable to the case where the third information and the fourth information are other information.

[0162] For example, the first communication device receives a second synchronization signal on the third resource, and the first communication device receives system information on the fourth resource. Correspondingly, the second communication device transmits the second synchronization signal, and the second synchronization signal is carried on the third resource. Alternatively, the second communication device can generate a sequence of the second synchronization signal, and the sequence of the second synchronization signal is carried on the third resource. In addition, the second communication device transmits the system information, and the system information is carried on the fourth resource.

[0163] The second synchronization signal and the system information belong to a second information block, that is, the second synchronization signal and the system information can be transmitted in the same second information block. The second synchronization signal and the system information belong to the second information block, which can be understood as that the second synchronization signal and the system information can be transmitted at the same center frequency position with the same block index.

[0164] The second synchronization signal can also be used for synchronization between other communication devices and the second communication device. The synchronization includes time and / or frequency synchronization. It can also be described that the second synchronization signal is used for other communication devices to obtain time and / or frequency synchronization with the second communication device. Correspondingly, after receiving the second synchronization signal, the first communication device can also achieve synchronization with the second communication device.

[0165] Optionally, the second synchronization signal includes a PSS and a SSS. Alternatively, the second synchronization signal can be a low power synchronization signal (LP-SS). For example, when the second synchronization signal is an LP-SS, the second synchronization signal can include a coarse synchronization signal and a fine synchronization signal.

[0166] Optionally, the second synchronization signal can comprise one and / or more sequences. The sequence can be, for example, an m-sequence, a Gold sequence, a pseudo-random sequence, a ZC sequence, or the like.

[0167] Optionally, the system information can be cell-level information, and the second communication device can send the system information in a broadcast manner. For example, the system information is an MIB, and the MIB can be carried by a PBCH.

[0168] Optionally, the second information block is an SSB. As shown in FIG. 7, it is a time-frequency structure diagram of an SSB. Each SSB occupies 4 consecutive symbols in the time domain and 20 RBs (i.e., 240 subcarriers) in the frequency domain. Among them, the PSS and the SSS respectively occupy the first symbol and the third symbol in the SSB, and each occupies 127 subcarriers in the frequency domain. The PBCH occupies 240 subcarriers of the second symbol and 240 subcarriers of the fourth symbol of the SSB, and each of the two ends of the third symbol occupies 48 subcarriers.

[0169] Referring to FIG. 8, it is an example diagram of the first information block and the second information block, wherein the second information block is taken as an example of an SSB. The first resource group is used to transmit the first information block, the first information block comprises a first synchronization signal and first indication information, the first resource group comprises a first resource and a second resource, the first resource is used to carry (or map) the first synchronization signal, and the second resource is used to carry the first indication information. The second resource group is used to transmit the second information block, the second information block comprises a second synchronization signal and system information (or a PBCH), and the second resource group comprises a third resource and a fourth resource, the third resource is used to carry the second synchronization signal, and the fourth resource is used to carry the system information.

[0170] Optionally, the first indication information is different from scrambling information corresponding to the system information. For example, the system information is scrambled using an SI-RNTI, and the first indication information is scrambled using a P-RNTI.

[0171] Optionally, a channel used to send (or carry) the first indication information is different from a type of a channel used to send (or carry) the system information. For example, the channel used to send the first indication information is a PDCCH, and the channel used to send the system information is a PBCH.

[0172] In the case that the first synchronization signal and the first indication information are sent through the first resource group, and the second synchronization signal and the system information are sent through the second resource group, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can determine the second resource according to the first resource corresponding to the first synchronization signal, or after receiving the second synchronization signal, the first communication device can determine the fourth resource according to the third resource corresponding to the second synchronization signal. The first communication device can realize the reception of the first indication information or the system information in the following ways.

[0173] Mode c1: The first communication device can perform blind detection on the corresponding resource to determine whether the information on the resource is the first indication information or the system information. That is, the first communication device can obtain the first indication information on the second resource through blind detection, or the first communication device can obtain the system information on the fourth resource through blind detection.

[0174] For example, if the information scrambled with P-RNTI is detected, the first communication device can determine that the information is the first indication information, and the first communication device can obtain the first indication information; or if the information scrambled with SI-RNTI is detected, the first communication device can determine that the information is the system information. Then the first communication device can obtain the system information, or the first communication device can not obtain the information when it is determined that the system information is not needed.

[0175] For another example, if the type of the channel is PDCCH, the first communication device can determine that the information is the first indication information, and the first communication device can obtain the first indication information; or if the type of the channel is PBCH, the first communication device can determine that the information is the system information. Then the first communication device can obtain the system information, or the first communication device can not obtain the information when it is determined that the system information is not needed.

[0176] For another example, if the PDCCH scrambled with P-RNTI is detected, the first communication device can determine that the information is the first indication information, and the first communication device can obtain the first indication information; or if the PBCH scrambled with SI-RNTI is detected, the first communication device can determine that the information is the system information. Then the first communication device can obtain the system information, or the first communication device can not obtain the information when it is determined that the system information is not needed.

[0177] Mode c2: In the case that the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are different, the information on the corresponding resource can also be determined to be the first indication information or the system information according to the detected synchronization signal. That is, if the detected synchronization signal is the first synchronization signal, it can be determined that the information on the corresponding resource is the first indication information, or if the detected synchronization signal is the second synchronization signal, it can be determined that the information on the corresponding resource is the system information.

[0178] In a third mode c3, the second communication device can further send indication information to the first communication device, the indication information being used to indicate whether the information on the corresponding resource is the first indication information or the system information, the corresponding resource being the second resource and / or the fourth resource. Accordingly, the first communication device can determine whether the information on the corresponding resource is the first indication information or the system information according to the indication information. The indication information can also be described as a field or an attribute, etc. In this mode, the first communication device does not need to acquire the first indication information or the system information by blind detection, and the processing burden of the first communication device can be reduced.

[0179] Optionally, the indication information can be used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0180] (1) used to indicate whether the information on the resource is the first indication information. It can also be described as used to indicate whether an information block includes the first indication information. Here, the information block can be the first information block and / or the second information block. Optionally, if the indication information indicates that an information block includes the first indication information, it can be understood that the information block includes the first indication information and does not include the system information. Optionally, if the indication information indicates that an information block does not include the first indication information, it can be understood that the information block does not include the first indication information and includes the system information.

[0181] For example, the indication information can be 1 bit, and when the value of the bit is a first value, it indicates that an information block includes the first indication information, and when the value of the bit is a second value, it indicates that an information block does not include the first indication information. For example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1, or the first value is 1 and the second value is 0.

[0182] (2) used to indicate whether the information on the resource is the system information. It can also be described as used to indicate whether an information block includes the system information. Here, the information block can be the first information block and / or the second information block. Optionally, if the indication information indicates that an information block includes the system information, it can be understood that the information block includes the system information and does not include the first indication information. Optionally, if the indication information indicates that an information block does not include the system information, it can be understood that the information block does not include the system information and includes the first indication information.

[0183] For example, the indication information can be 1 bit, and when the value of the bit is a first value, it indicates that an information block includes the system information, and when the value of the bit is a second value, it indicates that an information block does not include the system information.

[0184] (3) used for indicating whether the information on the resource is the first indication information and whether it is system information. It can also be described as used for indicating whether an information block includes the first indication information and whether it includes system information. For example, the indication information includes first sub-information and second sub-information, the first sub-information can be used to indicate whether it is the first indication information, and the second sub-information is used to indicate whether it is system information.

[0185] For example, the indication information can be 2 bits, when the value of one bit is the first value, it indicates that an information block includes the first indication information, when the value of the bit is the second value, it indicates that an information block does not include the first indication information, when the value of the other bit is the first value, it indicates that an information block includes system information, and when the value of the bit is the second value, it indicates that an information block does not include system information.

[0186] (4) used for indicating whether the information on the resource is system information or system information. It can also be described as used for indicating whether the information included in an information block is the first indication information or system information.

[0187] For example, the indication information can be 1 bit, when the value of the bit is the first value, it indicates that an information block includes system information, and when the value of the bit is the second value, it indicates that an information block includes the first indication information.

[0188] In one example, the first information block includes second indication information, and the second indication information indicates that the first information block includes the first indication information. Correspondingly, when the first information block received by the first communication device includes the second indication information, the first communication device can determine, according to the second indication information, that the information carried on the second resource in the first resource group is the first indication information, and the first communication device can acquire the first indication information. Alternatively, the second information block includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the second information block includes system information. Correspondingly, when the second information block received by the first communication device includes the third indication information, the first communication device can determine, according to the third indication information, that the information carried on the fourth resource in the second resource group is system information, and the first communication device can acquire the system information, or the first communication device can not acquire the information when it is determined that the system information is not needed to be acquired. Alternatively, the first information block includes second indication information, the second indication information indicates that the first information block includes the first indication information, and the second information block includes third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the second information block includes system information.

[0189] For example, after receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can obtain the synchronization information and the second indication information. The synchronization information can be understood as the location information of the first resource. According to the synchronization information, the second resource can be determined. According to the second indication information, the information carried on the second resource can be determined as the first indication information. Then, the first communication device can obtain the first indication information. After receiving the second synchronization signal, the first communication device can obtain the synchronization information and the third indication information. The synchronization information can be understood as the location information of the third resource. According to the synchronization information, the fourth resource can be determined. According to the third indication information, the information carried on the fourth resource can be determined as the system information. Then, the first communication device can obtain the system information. Alternatively, when the first communication device determines that it is not necessary to obtain the system information, the first communication device can not obtain the information.

[0190] Optionally, the resources corresponding to different types of information can be different, that is, the first indication information is carried on the second resource, and the system information is carried on the fourth resource. The second resource and the fourth resource can be understood as two types of different resources. The time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources included in the second resource and the fourth resource can be the same, or the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources included in the second resource and the fourth resource can be different. In the case that the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources included in the second resource and the fourth resource are different, the first communication device can also determine the second resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the second indication information, and / or the first communication device can also determine the fourth resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the third indication information. That is, there is a corresponding relationship between the type of information and the resource. After determining the corresponding type of information according to the second indication information or the third indication information, it can be determined which resources are used to receive the information.

[0191] The first communication device determines the second resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the second indication information, which can be understood as that the first communication device can determine the corresponding information as the first indication information according to the second indication information, and the first indication information is carried on the second resource. Therefore, the first communication device can determine the second resource from the second resource and the fourth resource. The first communication device determines the second resource, which can be understood as that the first communication device determines the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources included in the second resource. Similarly, the first communication device determines the fourth resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the third indication information, which can be understood as that the first communication device can determine the corresponding information as the system information according to the third indication information, and the system information is carried on the fourth resource. Therefore, the first communication device can determine the fourth resource from the second resource and the fourth resource. The first communication device determines the fourth resource, which can be understood as that the first communication device determines the time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources included in the fourth resource.

[0192] Optionally, the first communication device can determine the resource of the indication information (the first indication information or the system information) according to the resource where the synchronization signal (the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal) is located. For example, the second resource can be indicated by the first resource and the second indication information, and the first communication device can determine the second resource according to the first resource and the second indication information, or in other words, determine the second resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the first resource and the second indication information. Alternatively, the fourth resource can be indicated by the third resource and the third indication information, and the first communication device can determine the fourth resource according to the third resource and the third indication information, or in other words, determine the fourth resource from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the third resource and the third indication information.

[0193] For example, the second resource occupies the first bandwidth in the frequency domain, and the fourth resource occupies the second bandwidth in the frequency domain. The first communication device can determine the time domain position of the second resource according to the time domain position of the first resource, and when the second indication information indicates that the first information block includes the first indication information, the first communication device can determine the second resource occupying the first bandwidth, that is, the frequency domain position of the second resource. The combination of the time domain position and the frequency domain position is the complete second resource. Alternatively, the first communication device can determine the time domain position of the fourth resource according to the time domain position of the third resource, and when the third indication information indicates that the second information block includes the system information, the first communication device can determine the fourth resource occupying the second bandwidth, that is, the frequency domain position of the fourth resource. The combination of the time domain position and the frequency domain position is the complete fourth resource.

[0194] In the embodiments of the present application, the indication information can be carried in the following ways:

[0195] d1: The indication information is included in the synchronization signal. For example, the second indication information is included in the first synchronization signal, and the third indication information is included in the second synchronization signal. After receiving the first synchronization signal, the first communication device can obtain the second indication information from the first synchronization signal, or after receiving the second synchronization signal, the first communication device can obtain the third indication information from the second synchronization signal.

[0196] d2: The indication information is carried on a specific resource. For example, the first resource group includes the first resource, the second resource and the fifth resource, and the fifth resource is used to carry the second indication information. Alternatively, the second resource group includes the third resource, the fourth resource and the sixth resource, and the sixth resource is used to carry the third indication information.

[0197] So, the first communication device can obtain synchronization information by detecting the first synchronization signal of the first resource, which can be understood as the location information of the first resource, and obtain the information of the second resource and / or the fifth resource according to the synchronization information. For example, the first communication device determines the first resource according to the resource of the detected first synchronization signal, and determines the second resource and / or the fifth resource according to the first resource and a predefined rule. The predefined rule refers to the relationship among the first resource, the second resource and the fifth resource. For example, the first resource group includes 4 symbols in the time domain, the first resource occupies the 1st and 3rd symbols in the first resource group, the second resource occupies the 2nd symbol in the first resource group, and the fifth resource occupies the 4th symbol in the first resource group. Then, the first communication device can obtain the second indication information on the fifth resource, and determine the second resource according to the second indication information, or determine the second resource according to the second indication information and the first resource, and finally obtain the first indication information on the second resource.

[0198] Alternatively, the first communication device can obtain synchronization information by detecting the second synchronization signal of the third resource, which can be understood as the location information of the third resource, and obtain the information of the fourth resource and / or the sixth resource according to the synchronization information. For example, the first communication device determines the third resource according to the resource of the detected second synchronization signal, and determines the fourth resource and / or the sixth resource according to the third resource and a predefined rule. The predefined rule refers to the relationship among the third resource, the fourth resource and the sixth resource. For example, the second resource group includes 4 symbols in the time domain, the third resource occupies the 1st and 3rd symbols in the second resource group, the fourth resource occupies the 2nd symbol in the second resource group, and the sixth resource occupies the 4th symbol in the second resource group. Then, the first communication device can obtain the third indication information on the sixth resource, and determine the fourth resource according to the third indication information, or determine the fourth resource according to the third indication information and the third resource, and finally obtain the system information on the fourth resource, or the first communication device can not obtain the system information if it is not required to obtain the system information. If the first communication device detects the second resource group, it continues to detect the first group of resources and obtains the first indication information on the first group of resources to obtain the related information of the PDSCH carrying the paging message.

[0199] Optionally, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are periodically transmitted, that is, the second communication device periodically transmits the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal. Correspondingly, the first communication device periodically receives the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal. Optionally, the period of the first synchronization signal is different from the period of the second synchronization signal. For example, the period of the first synchronization signal is smaller than the period of the second synchronization signal. In this way, the first synchronization signal and the first indication information can also be transmitted in a bundled manner, and the second synchronization signal and the system information can also be transmitted in a bundled manner.

[0200] Alternatively, the first information block and the second information block are periodically transmitted, that is, the second communication device periodically transmits the first information block or the second information block. Correspondingly, the first communication device periodically receives the first information block or the second information block. Optionally, the period of the first information block is different from the period of the second information block. For example, the period of the first information block is smaller than the period of the second information block. Optionally, the first information block or the second information block is contained in a third information block, and the third information block is periodically transmitted. For example, in one period of the third information block, the third information block contains P first information blocks, and in another period of the third information block, the third information block contains Q second information blocks, where P and Q are positive integers. Optionally, P is greater than Q. Optionally, a fourth information block includes the first information block and the second information block, and the fourth information block is periodically transmitted. In one period of the fourth information block, the fourth information block can include L first information blocks and K second information blocks, where L and K are positive integers.

[0201] Alternatively, the first resource group and the second resource group are periodic, that is, the second communication device periodically transmits information on the first resource group or the second resource group. Correspondingly, the first communication device periodically receives information on the first resource group or the second resource group. Optionally, the period of the first resource group is different from the period of the second resource group. For example, the period of the first resource group is smaller than the period of the second resource group.

[0202] Because the frequency of updating the system information is low, and the frequency of transmitting the first indication information is high, by the implementation, the period of the system information is greater than the period of the first indication information, which can reduce the transmission frequency of the system information, reduce the transmission power consumption of the system information, and reduce the network energy consumption.

[0203] Optionally, the first synchronization signal in the first information block (or on the first resource group) and the second synchronization signal in the second information block (or on the second resource group) are the same. For example, the first synchronization signal is the same as the second synchronization signal, which can be understood as that the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following conditions:

[0204] Case e1: the frequency domain resource occupied by the first synchronization signal is the same as the frequency domain resource occupied by the second synchronization signal. Alternatively, the frequency domain resource occupied by the first synchronization signal in the first resource group is the same as the frequency domain resource occupied by the second synchronization signal in the second resource group, or the frequency domain resource included in the first resource is the same as the frequency domain resource included in the third resource. The frequency domain resource occupied by the first synchronization signal is the same as the frequency domain resource occupied by the second synchronization signal, which can be understood as the center frequency of the first resource and the third resource being the same, and / or the bandwidth occupied by the first resource and the third resource being the same. In this case, it can be understood that the same frequency domain resource carries different information at different times, for example, it can carry the first indication information or system information.

[0205] Case e2: the relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is the same as the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block. The reference point in an information block can be one of the information positions in the information block, for example, it can be the first information position, the last information position, or any information position. The reference point can be a reference point in the time domain and / or a reference point in the frequency domain.

[0206] Optionally, the position of the first reference point in the first information block can be the same as the position of the second reference point in the second information block. Alternatively, the position of the first reference point in the first information block can be different from the position of the second reference point in the second information block.

[0207] Optionally, the length (or occupied bandwidth) of the first information block and the second information block can be the same. Alternatively, the length (or occupied bandwidth) of the first information block and the second information block can also be different.

[0208] Optionally, the relative position can include a relative position in the time domain and / or a relative position in the frequency domain. Taking the relative position in the time domain as an example, the relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point is the same as the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point, which can be understood as the time domain interval between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point being the same as the time domain interval between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point. Alternatively, the relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point is the same as the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point, which can also be understood as the relative position of the time unit occupied by the first resource in the first resource group being the same as the relative position of the time unit occupied by the third resource in the second resource group. For example, referring to FIG. 8, the first resource group and the second resource group each include four symbols, the first synchronization signal occupies the first symbol and the third symbol of the first resource group, and the second synchronization signal also occupies the first symbol and the third symbol of the second resource group.

[0209] Case e3: the type of the first synchronization signal is the same as the type of the second synchronization signal. The type of the synchronization signal can include a first type of synchronization signal and a second type of synchronization signal, the first type of synchronization signal including the PSS and the SSS, and the second type of synchronization signal including the coarse synchronization signal and the fine synchronization signal. The type of the first synchronization signal being the same as the type of the second synchronization signal can be understood as that the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are both the first type of synchronization signal, or the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are both the second type of synchronization signal.

[0210] Case e4: the sequence of the first synchronization signal is the same as the sequence of the second synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are both the first type of synchronization signal, wherein the sequence of the PSS included in the first synchronization signal is the same as the sequence of the PSS included in the second synchronization signal, and the sequence of the SSS included in the first synchronization signal is the same as the sequence of the SSS included in the second synchronization signal. For another example, the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are both the second type of synchronization signal, wherein the sequence of the coarse synchronization signal included in the first synchronization signal is the same as the sequence of the coarse synchronization signal included in the second synchronization signal, and the sequence of the fine synchronization signal included in the first synchronization signal is the same as the sequence of the fine synchronization signal included in the second synchronization signal.

[0211] Based on the above embodiments, the design of the first synchronization signal in the first information block (or on the first resource group) and the design of the second synchronization signal in the second information block (or on the second resource group) are the same, which can reduce the complexity of the second communication device in generating and sending the signal, and reduce the storage amount and implementation complexity of the first communication device in receiving the signal for synchronization, and further reduce the power consumption of the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0212] Optionally, in the case that the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal are the same, the first resource and the second resource can also be considered as the same type of resource. One possible way of resource division is that the resource carrying the synchronization signal is referred to as a seventh resource, and the resource carrying the system information or the first indication information is referred to as an eighth resource. Then, the first communication device acquires synchronization information by detecting the synchronization signal of the seventh resource, which can be understood as the position information of the seventh resource, and acquires the information of the eighth resource according to the synchronization information. For example, the UE determines the seventh resource according to the resource on which the synchronization signal is detected, and determines the eighth resource according to a predefined rule, which refers to the relationship between the seventh resource and the eighth resource. Then, the first communication device acquires the system information or the first indication information by performing blind detection on the eighth resource, or the first communication device acquires the first indication information in combination with the second indication information, or the first communication device acquires the system information in combination with the third indication information. The specific implementation mode can be referred to the above mode c1 and c3, and will not be described here.

[0213] Optionally, the first synchronization signal in the first information block (or on the first resource group) and the second synchronization signal in the second information block (or on the second resource group) are different. For example, the first synchronization signal is different from the second synchronization signal, which can be understood as the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following conditions:

[0214] Condition f1: The frequency domain resources occupied by the first synchronization signal and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second synchronization signal are different. Alternatively, the frequency domain resources occupied by the first synchronization signal in the first resource group and the frequency domain resources occupied by the second synchronization signal in the second resource group are different, or the frequency domain resources included in the first resource and the frequency domain resources included in the third resource are different.

[0215] Optionally, the center frequency point of the first resource is different from the center frequency point of the third resource. For example, the center frequency point of the first resource is lower than the center frequency point of the third resource. Alternatively, the bandwidth occupied by the first resource is different from the bandwidth occupied by the third resource. For example, the bandwidth occupied by the first resource is greater than the bandwidth occupied by the second resource. Alternatively, the center frequency point of the first resource is different from the center frequency point of the third resource, and the bandwidth occupied by the first resource is also different from the bandwidth occupied by the third resource.

[0216] Condition f2: The relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is different from the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block. For the related introduction of the reference point, please refer to the introduction in the above condition e2, which will not be repeated here.

[0217] Taking the relative position as an example, the relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point and the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point are different, which can be understood as the time domain interval between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point and the time domain interval between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point are different. Alternatively, the relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point and the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point are different, which can also be understood as the relative position of the time unit occupied by the first resource in the first resource group and the relative position of the time unit occupied by the third resource in the second resource group are different. For example, the first resource group and the second resource group each contain four symbols, the first synchronization signal occupies the first symbol and the second symbol of the first resource group, and the second synchronization signal occupies the first symbol and the third symbol of the second resource group.

[0218] Condition f3: The type of the first synchronization signal is different from the type of the second synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal is a first type of synchronization signal, and the second synchronization signal is a second type of synchronization signal. Alternatively, the first synchronization signal is a second type of synchronization signal, and the second synchronization signal is a first type of synchronization signal.

[0219] Optionally, the first synchronization signal is partially different from the second synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal comprises a first sub-synchronization signal and / or a second sub-synchronization signal, and the second synchronization signal comprises the first sub-synchronization signal and / or a third sub-synchronization signal, i.e., the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal can comprise the same part, i.e., the first sub-synchronization signal is the same, or can comprise different parts, i.e., the second sub-synchronization signal and the third sub-synchronization signal are different. Alternatively, the first synchronization signal is completely different from the second synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal comprises a first sub-synchronization signal and / or a second sub-synchronization signal, and the second synchronization signal comprises a third sub-synchronization signal and / or a fourth sub-synchronization signal. Illustratively, the first sub-synchronization signal is a PSS, the second sub-synchronization signal is an SSS, the third sub-synchronization signal is a coarse synchronization signal, and the fourth sub-synchronization signal is a fine synchronization signal. Alternatively, the first sub-synchronization signal is a coarse synchronization signal, the second sub-synchronization signal is a fine synchronization signal, the third sub-synchronization signal is a PSS, and the fourth sub-synchronization signal is an SSS.

[0220] Case f4: the sequence of the first synchronization signal is different from the sequence of the second synchronization signal. For example, the first synchronization signal is a ZC sequence, and the second synchronization signal is an m sequence. Alternatively, the sequence type of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal is the same, but the sequence length is different. Illustratively, the first synchronization signal occupies X subcarriers, and the second synchronization signal occupies Y subcarriers, where X is not equal to Y. For example, X = 113, and Y = 127.

[0221] Based on the above embodiments, different types of first communication devices or receivers can obtain synchronization signals with different characteristics, for example, a low-power receiver obtains a shorter synchronization signal to reduce the power consumption of the receiver, or a low-power receiver obtains a longer synchronization signal to improve coverage, thereby increasing the flexibility of the signal transmission of the second communication device. For example, for a base station of an earlier version, the synchronization signal can be transmitted in the original manner, and for a base station of a newer version, the synchronization signal can be transmitted in a more energy-saving manner.

[0222] In the embodiments of the present application, in the case where the first synchronization signal can be transmitted in a manner of being bound with the PBCH, the second communication device transmits the first synchronization signal and the PBCH on the first resource and transmits the first indication information on the second resource. Referring to FIG. 9, an example of transmitting the first synchronization signal in a manner of being bound with the PBCH is shown, wherein the SSB is taken as an example of being transmitted on the first resource, but the scheme is also applicable to the case of transmitting other synchronization signals and system information on the first resource.

[0223] As shown in FIG. 9, the time domain offset between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to the first threshold. Optionally, the first resource and the second resource can satisfy one or more of the above cases b1 to b4.

[0224] Optionally, the communication devices in different states can be paged by different types of paging messages, and the different types of paging messages can be indicated by different information. Continuing to refer to FIG. 9, the second communication device transmits the SSB on the first resource, transmits the first indication information on the second resource, and transmits the fourth indication information on the ninth resource. The fourth indication information is also used to indicate information related to the paging message, but the fourth indication information indicates a type of paging message different from the type of paging message indicated by the first indication information. The paging message indicated by the first indication information can be used to page the communication devices in the first state, and the paging message indicated by the fourth indication information can be used to page the communication devices in the second state.

[0225] In a possible implementation, the first state is a low-power-consumption state, and the second state is another power-consumption state. For example, the first state can be a newly defined idle state, for example, the newly defined idle state can be an idle state for a low-power-consumption communication device, and the low-power-consumption communication device can also be referred to as an energy-saving communication device. The second state can be a defined idle state. The first state and the second state can be distinguished by a state identifier, for example, the first state uses identifier 1, and the second state uses identifier 2. Alternatively, the first state and the second state can be distinguished by a capability identifier of the communication device, for example, a high-capability communication device and a low-capability communication device can be distinguished by different capability identifiers, for example, the capability identifier can be an energy efficiency level identifier. Alternatively, the first state and the second state can be distinguished by a service identifier, and the communication devices in different states can implement different services. Alternatively, the first state and the second state can be distinguished by one or more of the foregoing manners.

[0226] In another possible implementation, the first state can refer to entering an idle state from a third state, and the second state can refer to entering an idle state from a fourth state, for example, the third state can refer to a light connection state. The fourth state can refer to a connection state. The power consumption of the communication device in the light connection state is less than the power consumption of the communication device in the connection state. The light connection state refers to a state in which the power consumption level of the first communication device is between the idle state and the connection state.

[0227] In the above formula, the time domain interval between the second resource and the first resource is less than or equal to a first threshold, for example, the first resource and the second resource can satisfy one or more of the above cases b1 to b4. The time domain interval between the ninth resource and the first resource is not limited. Optionally, the first resource and the second resource are adjacent, and the ninth resource is not adjacent to the first resource. Optionally, the ninth resource is calculated according to system information.

[0228] Then, the first communication apparatus determines whether to receive information on the second resource or the ninth resource according to a state of the first communication apparatus after receiving the SSB on the first resource. For example, when the first communication apparatus is in the first state, the first communication apparatus determines the second resource, which can also be described as the first communication apparatus determines a first PO (or PF), the first PO being a time domain resource location of the second resource, and the first PO being PO1 shown in FIG. 9. Then, the first communication apparatus receives the first indication information on the second resource (or the first PO). Alternatively, when the first communication apparatus is in the first state, the first communication apparatus does not receive the fourth indication information on the ninth resource, which can also be described as the first communication apparatus does not receive the fourth indication information on a second PO, the second PO being a time domain resource location of the ninth resource, and the second PO being PO2 shown in FIG. 9. Then, the first communication apparatus can determine information related to the paging message according to the first indication information, for example, determine information of a PDSCH carrying the paging message.

[0229] Alternatively, when the first communication apparatus is in the second state, which can also be described as the first communication apparatus determines the second PO, the first communication apparatus receives the fourth indication information on the ninth resource (or the second PO). Then, the first communication apparatus can determine information related to the paging message according to the fourth indication information, for example, determine information of a PDSCH carrying the paging message. Alternatively, when the first communication apparatus is in the second state, the first communication apparatus can also receive the first indication information on the second resource. Then, the first communication apparatus can obtain the paging message indicated by the first indication information and the fourth indication information respectively.

[0230] Based on the above embodiments, since the number of the communication apparatuses in the first state is usually small, the physical resources required for paging such communication apparatuses are small, and it is easier to transmit the first indication information between the SSB and the SIB1, which not only reduces the power consumption of the communication apparatuses in the first state, but also does not affect the scheduling mode of the current SSB and SIB1.

[0231] The first PO and the second PO are POs determined according to different manners. For example, the first PO refers to the second resource in the embodiments of the present application. The second PO refers to a resource used for transmitting paging scheduling information calculated according to a predefined rule (or formula).

[0232] Alternatively, the first communication apparatus can switch between the first state and the second state. For example, when the first communication apparatus is a high-capability communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus can switch between the first state and the second state; and when the first communication apparatus is a low-capability communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus can only be in the first state.

[0233] In the above description, the SS or SSB is taken as an example for description, but the second communication device can also send the SS or SSB in a beam scanning manner.

[0234] In a possible implementation, the second communication device can send the first synchronization signal and the first indication information in each beam direction in one or more beam scanning processes. Optionally, the first synchronization signals in different beam directions are the same. Optionally, the first indication information in different beam directions can be different, or the first indication information in different beam directions can be the same. In addition, the second communication device can send an SSB burst set in another beam scanning process, that is, send the SSB in each beam direction.

[0235] Referring to (a) in FIG. 10, the second communication device sends SS1+first indication information 1, SS2+first indication information 2, SS3+first indication information 3 and SS4+first indication information 4 in one beam scanning process, and SS1, SS2, SS3 and SS4 can all be the first synchronization signal described above, each SS corresponding to a beam direction. The second communication device can also send SSB1, SSB2, SSB3 and SSB4 in another beam scanning process. The first communication device is in the beam direction of SS2, that is, the first communication device receives SS2 and the first indication information 2. Then the first communication device receives SS2 on the first resource, and receives the first indication information 2 on the second resource, which is the same as the beam direction of SS2. That is, the first communication device receives SS2 on the frequency domain resource corresponding to the time domain symbol included in the first resource, and receives the first indication information 2 on the frequency domain resource corresponding to the time domain symbol included in the second resource. In addition, the first communication device is in the beam direction of SSB2, that is, the first communication device receives SSB2. Then the first communication device receives the second synchronization signal in SSB2 on the third resource, and receives the system information in SSB2 on the fourth resource.

[0236] Referring to (b) in FIG. 10, the second communication device sends SS1, SS2, SS3 and SS4 in a one-time beam sweeping procedure, each of which can be the first synchronization signal described above, and each SS corresponds to a beam direction. In addition, the second communication device also sends first indication information in the beam direction corresponding to each SS, and the playing direction of each first indication information is the same as the beam direction of the SS with the same serial number. The second communication device can also send SSB1, SSB2, SSB3 and SSB4 in the one-time beam sweeping procedure. The first communication device is in the beam direction of SS2, i.e., the first communication device receives SS2. Then the first communication device receives SS2 on the first resource, and receives the first indication information 2 with the same beam direction as SS2 on the second resource. In addition, the first communication device is in the beam direction of SSB2, i.e., the first communication device receives SSB2. Then the first communication device receives the second synchronization signal in SSB2 on the third resource, and receives the system information in SSB2 on the fourth resource.

[0237] In another possible implementation, referring to (c) in FIG. 10, the second communication device sends SSB1, SSB2, SSB3 and SSB4 to different beam directions respectively through designated resources in the sending period of one synchronization signal burst set, and the second communication device also sends first indication information 1, first indication information 2, first indication information 3 and first indication information 4 to different beam directions respectively, wherein one SSB and one first indication information have the same beam direction. The first communication device is in the beam direction of SSB2, i.e., the first communication device receives SSB2. Then the first communication device receives SSB2 on the first resource, and receives the first indication information 2 with the same beam direction as SSB2 on the second resource.

[0238] Optionally, as shown in (c) in FIG. 10, the second communication device can also send fourth indication information 1, fourth indication information 2, fourth indication information 3 and fourth indication information 4 to different beam directions respectively through designated resources, wherein the beam direction corresponding to the fourth indication information 2 is the same as the beam direction corresponding to SSB2. The first communication device receives the fourth indication information 2 on the ninth resource.

[0239] In the above embodiments, the time domain interval between the second resource and the first resource is less than or equal to the first threshold, for example, the first resource and the second resource can satisfy one or more of the above cases b1~cases b4. Thus, the second communication device can send the synchronization signal and the first indication information for indicating the paging message in a bundled manner, so that in the case of meeting the demand of the synchronization signal, the transmission frequency of the system information can be reduced, or in other words, the transmission interval of the system information is increased, or in other words, the second communication device can not send the system information without updating the system information, thereby reducing the transmission power consumption of the second communication device. In addition, since the synchronization signal and the first indication information can be sent in a bundled manner, the first communication device can perform synchronization signal detection (or reception) and first indication information detection (or reception) after power-on, reducing the number of power-on and power-off, and reducing the reception power consumption of the first communication device.

[0240] FIG. 11 shows a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 can be the first communication device or the circuit system of the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, for implementing the method corresponding to the first communication device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the communication device 1100 can be the second communication device or the circuit system of the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, for implementing the method corresponding to the second communication device in the above method embodiments. For example, one circuit system is a chip system.

[0241] The communication device 1100 includes at least one processor 1101. The processor 1101 can be used for internal processing of the device, and can implement certain control processing functions. Optionally, the processor 1101 includes instructions. Optionally, the processor 1101 can store data. Optionally, different processors can be independent devices, can be located in different physical positions, and can be located on different integrated circuits. Alternatively, different processors can be integrated in one or more processors, for example, integrated on one or more integrated circuits.

[0242] Optionally, the communication device 1100 includes one or more memories 1103 for storing instructions. Optionally, the memory 1103 can also store data. The processor and the memory can be separately provided, or can be integrated together.

[0243] Optionally, the communication device 1100 includes a communication line 1102 and at least one communication interface 1104. Since the memory 1103, the communication line 1102 and the communication interface 1104 are all optional, they are all represented by dashed lines in FIG. 11.

[0244] Optionally, the communication device 1100 can also include a transceiver and / or an antenna. The transceiver can be configured to transmit information to other devices or receive information from other devices. The transceiver can be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver circuit, input / output interface, etc., and can be configured to implement the transceiving function of the communication device 1100 through the antenna. Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver. Illustratively, the transmitter can be configured to generate a radio frequency signal from a baseband signal, and the receiver can be configured to convert a radio frequency signal into a baseband signal.

[0245] The processor 1101 can include a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of programs of the solutions of the present application.

[0246] The communication line 1102 can include a path for transmitting information between the above-mentioned components.

[0247] The communication interface 1104 can be configured to communicate with other devices or communication networks using any transceiver-like device, such as an Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), a wireless local area networks (WLAN), a wireline access network, etc.

[0248] The memory 1103 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, a magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to this. The memory 1103 can exist independently, and be connected to the processor 1101 through the communication line 1102. Alternatively, the memory 1103 can be integrated with the processor 1101.

[0249] The memory 1103 is configured to store computer-executed instructions for implementing the solutions of the present application, and the processor 1101 is configured to control the execution of the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1103. The processor 1101 is configured to execute the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1103, so as to implement the steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0250] Optionally, the computer-executed instructions in the embodiments of the present application can also be referred to as application program codes, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

[0251] In a specific implementation, as an example, the processor 1101 can include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 11.

[0252] In a specific implementation, as an example, the communication device 1100 can include multiple processors, such as the processor 1101 and the processor 1105 in FIG. 11. Each of these processors can be a single-CPU processor or a multi-CPU processor. The processor herein can refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (for example, computer program instructions).

[0253] When the apparatus shown in FIG. 11 is a chip, for example, a chip of the first communication apparatus or a chip of the second communication apparatus, or the first communication apparatus is a chip or the second communication apparatus is a chip, the chip includes the processor 1101 (may also include the processor 1105), the communication line 1102, and the communication interface 1104, and optionally, the chip includes the memory 1103. Specifically, the communication interface 1104 can be an input interface, a pin, or a circuit, etc. The memory 1103 can be a register, a cache, etc. The processor 1101 and the processor 1105 can be a general-purpose CPU, a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for executing programs for controlling the communication method of any of the above embodiments.

[0254] The embodiments of the present application can divide the functions of the apparatus according to the above method examples, for example, each function module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware or in the form of a software function module. It should be noted that the division of the modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative, and is only a logical function division. When each function module is divided according to each function, for example, FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus 1200. The apparatus 1200 can be the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus involved in each of the above method embodiments, or a chip in the first communication apparatus or a chip in the second communication apparatus, or the first communication apparatus is a chip or the second communication apparatus is a chip. The apparatus 1200 includes a processing unit 1202 and a transceiver unit 1201.

[0255] It should be understood that the apparatus 1200 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus in the communication method of the embodiments of the present application. The related features can refer to the embodiments shown in FIG. 4 above, and will not be described here.

[0256] Optionally, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 1201 and the processing unit 1202 in FIG. 12 can be realized by the processor 1101 in FIG. 11 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1103. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 1202 in FIG. 12 can be realized by the processor 1101 in FIG. 11 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1103, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 1201 in FIG. 12 can be realized by the communication interface 1104 in FIG. 11.

[0257] Optionally, when the apparatus 1200 is a chip or circuit, the functions / implementation procedures of the transceiver unit 1201 can also be implemented by pins or circuits, etc. Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 can include a sending unit and / or a receiving unit, the sending unit is used to implement the sending function, and the receiving unit is used to implement the receiving function; or the transceiver unit 1201 can be an integrated module, which can implement the sending function and / or the receiving function. Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 can be implemented by a transceiver.

[0258] The application further provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions, when the computer program or instructions are executed, the method executed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the foregoing method embodiments is implemented. In this way, the functions described in the foregoing embodiments can be implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the application can be embodied in the form of software product in essence or the part that contributes to the application or part of the technical solutions. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the embodiments of the application. The storage medium includes a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0259] The application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer program codes, when the computer program codes are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method executed by the first communication device or the second communication device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0260] The embodiments of the application further provide a processing device, which includes a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the method executed by the first communication device or the second communication device related to any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0261] In the embodiments described above, all or some of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or some of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded into and executed by a computer, all or some of the procedures or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, a computer, a server or a data center to another website, computer, server or data center through a wired (for example, coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (for example, infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) manner. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media sets. The available media can be a magnetic medium (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, DVD), or a semiconductor medium (for example, solid state disk (SSD)) and the like.

[0262] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the described functions. The general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, optionally, the general purpose processor can also be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented by a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other similar configuration.

[0263] The steps of methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embedded in hardware, a software unit executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. The software unit can be stored in a RAM, a flash memory, a ROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an EEPROM, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium in the art. The storage medium can be connected to the processor, so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can also be integrated into the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC, which can be located in the terminal device. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium can also be located in different components of the terminal device.

[0264] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to generate a computer implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows of the flowchart and / or one or more blocks of the block diagram.

[0265] The contents of various embodiments of the present application can be mutually referred to, and the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referred to if there is no special description and logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0266] It can be understood that, in the embodiments of the present application, the first communication device and / or the second communication device can perform part or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application, and these steps or operations are only examples, and other operations or variations of various operations can also be performed in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, each step can be executed in a different order from that presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all operations in the embodiments of the present application are executed.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first synchronization signal on the first resource; Receive first indication information on the second resource, the first indication information being used to indicate information related to the paging message, wherein the time-domain interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first resource and the second resource satisfy one or more of the following: The first resource and the second resource are included in the first resource group; The first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain; The first resource and the second resource are spaced N first time units apart; or, The first resource and the second resource are located within a second time unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the first indication information belong to the first information block.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second synchronization signal is received from the third resource; Information is received by the fourth resource receiving system; The second synchronization signal and the system information belong to the second information block.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first indication information is different from the scrambling information corresponding to the system information; and / or, The channel used to send the first indication information is of a different type than the channel used to send the system information.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The first information block includes second indication information, the second indication information indicating that the first information block includes the first indication information; and / or, The second information block includes third indication information, which indicates that the second information block includes the system information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second resource is determined from the second resource and the fourth resource according to the second indication information; and / or, The fourth resource is determined from the second resource and the fourth resource based on the third indication information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The period of the first synchronization signal is less than the period of the second synchronization signal; or, The period of the first information block is shorter than the period of the second information block.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: They occupy the same frequency domain resources; The relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is the same as the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; The signals are of the same type; or, The corresponding sequences are the same.

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: They occupy different frequency domain resources; The relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is different from the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; Different signal types; or, The corresponding sequences are different.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The paging message is used to page a communication device in a first state; wherein, receiving the first indication information on the second resource includes: If the first communication device is in the first state, it receives the first indication information on the second resource.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first synchronization signal, which is carried on a first resource; Send a first indication message, which is carried on a second resource. The first indication message is used to indicate information related to the paging message, wherein the time interval between the first resource and the second resource is less than or equal to a first threshold.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first resource and the second resource satisfy one or more of the following: The first resource and the second resource are included in the first resource group; The first resource and the second resource are adjacent in the time domain; The first resource and the second resource are spaced N first time units apart; or, The first resource and the second resource are located within a second time unit.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the first indication information belong to the first information block.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second synchronization signal, which is carried on a third resource; Send system information, which is carried on a fourth resource; The second synchronization signal and the system information belong to the second information block.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first indication information is different from the scrambling information corresponding to the system information; and / or, The channel used to send the first indication information is of a different type than the channel used to send the system information.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first information block includes second indication information, the second indication information indicating that the first information block includes the first indication information; and / or, The second information block includes third indication information, which indicates that the second information block includes the system information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The period of the first synchronization signal is less than the period of the second synchronization signal; or, The period of the first information block is shorter than the period of the second information block.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: They occupy the same frequency domain resources; The relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is the same as the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; The signals are of the same type; or, The corresponding sequences are the same.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal satisfy one or more of the following: They occupy different frequency domain resources; The relative position between the first synchronization signal and the first reference point in the first information block is different from the relative position between the second synchronization signal and the second reference point in the second information block; Different signal types; or, The corresponding sequences are different.

21. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that, The paging message is used to page the terminal in the first state.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor, which is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 21.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 21 to be performed.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 21.

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