Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication apparatus, capable of determining the chip length of subsequent information on the basis of preceding information. The method comprises: a terminal device or a reader / writer sends or receives preceding information; and the terminal device or the reader / writer sends or receives subsequent information, wherein the chip length of the subsequent information is determined on the basis of the preceding information.

Description

Communication method and communication apparatus TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted much attention in the field of wireless communication. With the continuous development of communication systems, IoT devices are applied to various application scenarios, including home, industry, agriculture, medical care, and various fields. Ambient IoT (AIoT) technology is widely discussed. AIoT devices mainly use external environments (for example, light, or radio waves, or motion, heat energy, etc.) to obtain energy, so as not to need a battery device, or only have a low power storage capability (for example, a capacitor), and do not need to manually replace the battery or charge.

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 19 proposes the AIoT issue. However, there are many unresolved problems in AIoT.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication apparatus, which can determine the chip length of the latter information according to the former information.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal device or a reader-writer, or by a component of the terminal device or the reader-writer, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the terminal device or the reader-writer, or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device or the reader-writer. Taking the method executed by the terminal device or the reader-writer as an example, the method includes: the terminal device or the reader-writer sends or receives former information; and the terminal device or the reader-writer sends or receives latter information; wherein the chip length of the latter information is determined according to the former information.

[0008] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the terminal device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. For example, the method can be performed by the terminal device, and includes: sending, by the terminal device, first information; wherein a repetition number of the first information is determined according to a first correspondence relationship and / or a second correspondence relationship; and the first information includes one or more of the following: a second preamble, a second intermediate preamble, second physical information, or a second postamble.

[0009] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a reader-writer, or by a component of the reader-writer, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the reader-writer, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the reader-writer. For example, the method can be performed by the reader-writer, and includes: receiving, by the reader-writer, first information; wherein a repetition number of the first information is determined according to a first correspondence relationship and / or a second correspondence relationship; and the first information includes one or more of the following: a second preamble, a second intermediate preamble, second physical information, or a second postamble.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a reader-writer, or by a component of the reader-writer, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the reader-writer, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the reader-writer. For example, the method can be performed by the reader-writer, and includes: sending, by the reader-writer, first physical information; wherein the first physical information is carried on a first physical channel, and the first physical channel includes a first control domain and a first data domain.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the terminal device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. For example, the method can be performed by the terminal device, and includes: receiving, by the terminal device, first physical information; wherein the first physical information is carried on a first physical channel, and the first physical channel includes a first control domain and a first data domain.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a reader / writer, or by a component of the reader / writer, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the reader / writer, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the reader / writer. In an example where the method can be performed by the reader / writer, the method includes: receiving, by the reader / writer, a second physical information and a second post-amble; and stopping, by the reader / writer, receiving the second physical information and the second post-amble, in response to a first condition being satisfied. The first condition includes one or more of: a length of the second physical information exceeding a threshold, or a repetition number of the second physical information exceeding a threshold.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the terminal device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. In an example where the method can be performed by the terminal device, the method includes: receiving, by the terminal device, a first physical information and a first post-amble; and stopping, by the terminal device, receiving the first physical information and the first post-amble, in response to a second condition being satisfied. The second condition includes one or more of: a length of the first physical information exceeding a threshold, or a repetition number of the first physical information exceeding a threshold.

[0014] In an eighth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a reader / writer, or by a component of the reader / writer, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the reader / writer, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the reader / writer. In an example where the method can be performed by the reader / writer, the method includes: transmitting, by the reader / writer, a second signaling. The second signaling is used to indicate a status of a second mid-amble. The status of the second mid-amble includes one or more of: no second mid-amble, the second mid-amble is used for synchronization of D2R by the reader / writer, the second mid-amble is used for channel estimation of D2R by the reader / writer, or the second mid-amble is used for interference measurement by the reader / writer.

[0015] In a ninth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the terminal device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device. In an example where the method can be performed by the terminal device, the method includes: receiving, by the terminal device, a second signaling. The second signaling is used to indicate a status of a second mid-amble. The status of the second mid-amble includes one or more of: no second mid-amble, the second mid-amble is used for synchronization of D2R by the reader / writer, the second mid-amble is used for channel estimation of D2R by the reader / writer, or the second mid-amble is used for interference measurement by the reader / writer.

[0016] In a tenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for implementing the various methods described above. The communication apparatus can be a device of any of the above aspects, or a means for implementing the various methods described above, such as a chip.

[0017] The communication apparatus includes modules, units, or means for implementing the corresponding functions of the above methods, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or by a combination of hardware and software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions described above.

[0018] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus can include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module can include an output module (or a transmitting module) and an input module (or a receiving module) to implement the functions of the output module (or the transmitting module) and the input module (or the receiving module) in any of the above aspects and any possible design thereof. The processing module can be configured to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0019] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a storage module configured to store program instructions and data.

[0020] In an eleventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes at least one processor configured to execute computer program or instructions, or to cause the communication apparatus to perform the methods described in any of the above aspects. The communication apparatus can be a device of any of the above aspects, or a means for implementing the various methods described above, such as a chip.

[0021] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus further includes a memory configured to store computer instructions and / or configuration files of the logic circuit. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together, or the memory is independent of the processor.

[0022] In a possible design, the communication apparatus further includes a communication interface configured to input and / or output signals.

[0023] In some possible designs, the communication interface is an interface circuit configured to read and write computer instructions, for example, the interface circuit is configured to receive computer execution instructions (stored in the memory, which can be read directly from the memory or can pass through other devices) and transmit the computer execution instructions to the processor.

[0024] In some possible designs, the communication interface is configured to communicate with modules outside the communication apparatus.

[0025] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus can be a chip system. When the communication apparatus is a chip system, the chip system can include a chip, or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0026] In a twelfth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, including: a logic circuit and an interface circuit; the interface circuit is configured to input information and / or output information; the logic circuit is configured to perform the method in any one of the preceding aspects, process and / or generate output information according to the input information. The communication apparatus can be the device in any one of the preceding aspects, or an apparatus included in the device, such as a chip.

[0027] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including: an apparatus configured to perform the method in any one of the preceding aspects

[0028] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program or instructions are stored, when the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, causing the method in any one of the preceding aspects to be performed.

[0029] In a fifteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, when the computer program product is executed by a processor, causing the method in any one of the preceding aspects to be performed.

[0030] It can be understood that when the communication apparatus in any one of the eleventh aspect to the thirteenth aspect is a chip, the sending action / functionality can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / functionality can be understood as inputting information.

[0031] The technical effects brought by any one of the tenth aspect to the twelfth aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by different design manners in the first aspect to the ninth aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of four topologies of an AIoT system;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mapping relationship between bits and chips of Manchester encoding;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of PIE encoding;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of FM0 encoding;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of Miller encoding;

[0037] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a pattern of R2D start indication;

[0038] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an R2D middle delimiter;

[0039] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a D2R middle delimiter;

[0040] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an R2D end delimiter;

[0041] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a D2R post-amble;

[0042] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the approximate timing relationship of a D2R pre-amble, a D2R mid-amble, and a D2R post-amble;

[0043] Figure 12A is a schematic diagram of a random access procedure between a reader and a terminal device;

[0044] Figure 12B is a schematic diagram of a slotted-ALOHA procedure;

[0045] Figure 12C is a schematic diagram of a time-slotted random access procedure;

[0046] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the application;

[0047] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 1300 according to an embodiment of the application;

[0048] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the application;

[0049] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a single chip length of post information being valid for one time and multiple times;

[0050] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the application;

[0051] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a second rule with a repetition granularity of block level repetition;

[0052] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of a second rule with a repetition granularity of bit level repetition;

[0053] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of a second pre-amble being repeated N times and a second physical information being repeated M times;

[0054] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a second physical information being repeated and a second post-amble being repeated;

[0055] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of a second pre-amble and a second physical information being repeated as a whole;

[0056] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of a second pre-amble being repeated only before a first transmission of a second physical information, and a second mid-amble being transmitted between repeated transmissions of the second physical information;

[0057] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of a second post-amble and a second physical information being repeated as a whole;

[0058] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of a second post-amble not being repeated, and a second mid-amble being transmitted between repeated transmissions of a second physical information;

[0059] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of intra-block frequency hopping;

[0060] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of inter-block frequency hopping;

[0061] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram of bit-level frequency hopping;

[0062] FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of bit-level frequency hopping;

[0063] FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of a first physical channel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " represents that the objects before and after the " / " are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural.

[0069] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following (one) or the like means any combination of the items, including any combination of single (one) or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and (or) c can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0070] In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the functions and effects of the same items or similar items. The skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second" and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the word "exemplary" or "for example" is used to mean "an example of" or "an example, only. Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the exemplary or for example embodiments are presented so as to enable a clear and concise disclosure of the application. Expressions such as "example", "for example", "e.g" and the like, indicate that the example or exemplary

[0072] It can be understood that the "embodiments" mentioned in the specification throughout mean that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It can be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence of each process does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0073] It can be understood that in the present application, "when" and "if" refer to the corresponding processing under certain objective conditions, not the time limit, and do not require judgment action when implementing, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0074] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented independently in some scenarios without relying on other features, such as the scheme currently based on, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. In some scenarios, it can also be combined with other features according to demand. Correspondingly, the devices given in the embodiments of the present application can also realize these features or functions, which will not be described here.

[0075] In the present application, the same or similar parts of each embodiment can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified. In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified and logically conflicting. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship. The following description of the embodiments of the present application does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0076] For the convenience of the reader, the related technology is briefly introduced in the embodiments of the present application.

[0077] I. Topology of AIoT system

[0078] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of four topologies of AIoT system. As shown in Fig. 1, the AIoT system mainly includes four topologies, topology 1 to topology 4, which will be introduced respectively.

[0079] Topology 1:

[0080] The access network device and the AIoT terminal are directly connected to perform uplink / downlink communication. That is, the AIoT terminal sends information to the access network device, or the AIoT terminal receives information from the access network device.

[0081] Topology 2:

[0082] The AIoT terminal and the intermediate node perform uplink / downlink communication, and the intermediate node and the access network device perform uplink / downlink communication. That is, the AIoT terminal sends information to the intermediate node or receives information from the intermediate node, and the intermediate node sends information to the access network device or receives information from the access network device. The intermediate node can be a relay, an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, a user equipment (UE), a repeater, etc.

[0083] Topology 3:

[0084] The AIoT terminal unidirectionally communicates with the access network device / auxiliary node. In the left figure, the AIoT terminal directly sends signals to the access network device, but receives signals through the auxiliary node. In the right figure, the AIoT terminal can directly receive signals from the access network device, but sends signals to the auxiliary node. The auxiliary node can be a relay, an IAB node, a UE, a repeater, etc.

[0085] Topology 4:

[0086] The UE and the AIoT terminal are directly connected to perform uplink / downlink communication. That is, the AIoT terminal sends information to the UE or receives information from the UE.

[0087] In the following embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the AIoT terminal is referred to as a terminal device, the access network device, the intermediate node, and the UE are referred to as a reader, the transmission direction of the terminal device to the reader is referred to as (device to reader, D2R), and the transmission direction of the reader to the terminal device is referred to as (reader to device, R2D).

[0088] II. Types of terminal devices

[0089] The types of terminal devices (AIoT terminals) can be divided into two categories. One type is a terminal device that can generate signals by itself. The other type is a terminal device that cannot generate signals by itself. This type of terminal device obtains a backscattering signal by receiving a third-party signal (i.e., a carrier wave (CW)) and sends the signal. Therefore, this type of terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal device based on backscattering communication. Since the terminal device based on backscattering communication cannot generate signals by itself, its architecture is simpler and its cost is lower. Therefore, the power consumption of this type of terminal device is lower than that of the first type of terminal device. In the four topologies introduced in the related art, the signal sent by the terminal device to the access network device / intermediate node / UE can be a self-generated signal or a backscattering signal.

[0090] The types of terminal devices can be as shown in Table 1.

[0091] Table 1

[0092] It should be noted that the numerical value of the peak power in the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and the specific numerical value of the peak power is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] III. Encoding method

[0094] Since the AIoT terminal has a simple structure, its signal processing method is different from that of traditional communication. The R2D signal adopts Manchester encoding or pulse-interval encoding (PIE). The D2R signal adopts Manchester encoding, FM0 encoding, Miller encoding, or forward error correction (FEC).

[0095] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mapping relationship between Manchester encoding bits and chips. As shown in FIG. 2, Manchester encoding is an encoding method for representing bit 0 and bit 1 through level switching. Based on Manchester encoding, the mapping relationship between bits and chips can be as follows: bit 0 is mapped to chip{10}, which can be understood as switching from a high level to a low level; bit 1 is mapped to chip{01}, which can be understood as switching from a low level to a high level. Of course, bit 0 can also be mapped to chip{01}, and bit 1 can be mapped to chip{10}. According to the mapping relationship in the figure, the encoding efficiency of Manchester encoding is 1 / 2.

[0096] In FIG. 2, the length of chip 1 and the length of chip 0 in each bit are the same. The length of chip 1 and the length of chip 0 can also be different. The time relationship of chip 0 and chip 1 can be represented by a duty cycle, which refers to the proportion of the total time that the power-on time (the time of high level) occupies in one pulse cycle.

[0097] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of PIE encoding. As shown in FIG. 3, PIE encoding represents 0 and 1 by the time interval between pulse falling edges. In this case, the time interval between the pulse falling edges of "0" and "1" is different. Based on PIE encoding, the time length of the high level of data 0 and data 1 can be the same.

[0098] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of FM0 encoding. As shown in FIG. 4, FM0 encoding is also known as bi-phase space encoding. The FM0 encoding rule is that the level switching occurs at the boundary of each bit window, where bit 0 has level switching at the boundary and in the middle, and bit 1 has level switching only at the boundary, that is, bit 0 has three times of level switching, and bit 1 has one time of level switching.

[0099] Miller encoding is also known as delay modulation code. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of Miller encoding, and the encoding rule is shown in Table 2.

[0100] Table 2

[0101] Forward error correction code can automatically correct, under certain conditions, by decoding, by adding redundancy in the sequence, to reduce the bit error rate of the received signal. FEC code is divided into two types: block code and convolutional code.

[0102] Four. Channel and signal of the AIoT system.

[0103] 1. R2D synchronization signal.

[0104] The R2D synchronization signal can also be referred to as an R2D preamble, or can also be other names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The R2D synchronization signal can be used for the terminal device to obtain time synchronization and the starting time of the R2D physical channel. Generally, the R2D synchronization signal is followed by the R2D physical channel. The embodiments of the present application do not limit other functions of the RD synchronization signal.

[0105] The R2D synchronization signal contains two parts: synchronization information and start indication information. The start indication information can be used for the terminal device to determine the starting time of the R2D physical channel, and the synchronization information can be used for the terminal device to obtain time synchronization. The synchronization information is the first synchronization information of the following embodiments, and the start indication information is the first start indication of the following embodiments.

[0106] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an R2D synchronization signal. For the pattern of start indication information, in one possible implementation, the pattern of start indication consists of high and low levels, or in other words, the sequence of start indication information consists of a first value and a second value, which are different. For example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1. For another example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0. In another possible implementation, as shown in Figure 6, the pattern of start indication information consists of all low levels, or in other words, the sequence of start indication information consists of all of the first value or the second value, wherein the first value or the second value is 0.

[0107] 2. R2D physical channel.

[0108] The R2D physical channel can be referred to as a PRDCH, or other names, which are not limited by embodiments of the present application. The R2D physical channel can be used to carry data, load from a higher layer, or control information of Layer 1 (L1). The load from the higher layer includes control information of the higher layer.

[0109] 3. D2R synchronization signal.

[0110] The D2R synchronization signal can also be referred to as a D2R preamble, or other names, which are not limited by embodiments of the present application. The D2R synchronization signal can be used for a reader to obtain time synchronization and the start time of a D2R physical channel.

[0111] 4. D2R physical channel.

[0112] The D2R physical channel can be referred to as a PDRCH, or other names, which are not limited by embodiments of the present application. The D2R physical channel can be used to carry data, load from a higher layer, or control information of Layer 1 (L1). The load from the higher layer includes control information of the higher layer.

[0113] 5. R2D intermediate preamble.

[0114] The R2D intermediate preamble is an intermediate preamble between two adjacent R2D physical channels, or an intermediate preamble between two adjacent segments of an R2D physical channel. The R2D intermediate preamble is used for a terminal device to obtain time synchronization. The R2D intermediate preamble can be as shown in Figure 7. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the name thereof.

[0115] 6. D2R intermediate preamble.

[0116] The D2R intermediate preamble is an intermediate preamble between two adjacent D2R physical channels, or an intermediate preamble between two adjacent segments of a D2R physical channel. The D2R intermediate preamble is used for a reader to obtain time synchronization. The D2R intermediate preamble can be as shown in Figure 8. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the name thereof.

[0117] 7. R2D post-amble.

[0118] The R2D post-amble is located after the R2D physical channel, and is used to determine the ending time position of the R2D physical channel. The R2D post-amble can be as shown in FIG. 9. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the name thereof.

[0119] 8. D2R post-amble.

[0120] The D2R post-amble is located after the D2R physical channel, and is used to determine the ending time position of the D2R physical channel. The D2R post-amble can be as shown in FIG. 10. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the name thereof. It should be noted that the intermediate preamble and / or the post-amble are optional, and do not necessarily exist.

[0121] Taking D2R as an example, the approximate time relationship of the D2R preamble, the D2R intermediate preamble, and the D2R post-amble is shown in FIG. 11.

[0122] Five. AIoT transmission process.

[0123] AIoT technology can be used indoors or outdoors, and the main application scenarios include inventory, command, positioning, and sensing. The main research scenarios of 3GPP Release 19 AIoT project are inventory and command, and therefore, the DO-DTT (device-originated-device-terminated triggered) service type is preferred, that is, the terminal device will initiate a session only after receiving the signal of the reader, and therefore, for the DO-DTT service type, the AIoT terminal will not actively initiate a session (for example, NR BSR / SR) like the traditional terminal device. The random access process between the reader and the terminal device is shown in FIG. 12A, and includes the following steps:

[0124] Step A: The reader sends a trigger message to trigger one or more or all terminal devices to respond. Step A can also be understood as AIoT paging. The content of Step A can include the ID of the terminal device, the group ID of the terminal device, etc. The information of the resource can also be included in Step A. Step A can include other content, and embodiments of the present application do not limit this. Optionally, Step A can be transmitted through the R2D physical channel. Step A can consist of one or more messages.

[0125] Step B: The terminal device will initiate random access. Step B can contain one or more interaction processes. The random process of AIoT can also include contention-based random access and non-contention-based random access.

[0126] Step C: Optionally, considering different application scenarios, in some application scenarios, the terminal device will send data or control information to the reader, for example, terminal device ID, high-level information; or the reader sends data or control information to the terminal. Step C and Step B can not be distinguished, and part or all of the process of Step C can be included in Step B. Step C can contain one or more interaction processes.

[0127] The contention-based random access process is roughly as follows, where Msg3 and / or Msg4 are optional. In some application scenarios, Msg3 and / or Msg are optional. For contention-based random access, multiple terminals can send Msg1 on the same time / frequency domain resources, causing conflicts between terminals and thus failing the random access process. The following process is an example of a successful random access terminal.

[0128] Msg1 (first message): The terminal device sends a random access sequence (also known as a random ID) to the reader. Msg1 can be transmitted through a D2R preamble and / or a D2R physical channel.

[0129] Msg2 (second message): After the reader receives Msg1, it sends a response message (also known as confirmation information) to the terminal device. The response message can contain a random access sequence. Msg2 can be transmitted through an R2D preamble and / or an R2D physical channel.

[0130] Msg3 (third message): After the terminal device receives Msg2, it can send data (e.g., terminal device ID, and / or high-level information) or control information to the reader. Msg3 can be transmitted through a D2R preamble and / or a D2R physical channel.

[0131] Msg4 (fourth message): The reader sends information to the terminal device, for example, sends confirmation information to the terminal device. Msg4 can be transmitted through an R2D preamble and / or an R2D physical channel.

[0132] Another contention-based random access process is as follows:

[0133] Msg1 (first message): The terminal device sends data (e.g., terminal device ID, and / or high-level information) or control information to the reader. Msg1 can be transmitted through a D2R preamble and / or a D2R physical channel.

[0134] Msg2 (second message): After the reader receives Msg1, the reader sends a response message (also referred to as an acknowledgement message) to the terminal device. For example, the reader sends an acknowledgement message to the terminal device. Msg2 can be transmitted using an R2D preamble and / or an R2D physical channel.

[0135] For non-contention-based random access, the reader can configure time / frequency domain resources for one or more terminals respectively before random access to avoid collisions between terminals. The non-contention-based random access procedure is roughly as follows:

[0136] Msg1 (first message): The terminal device sends a terminal device ID or high-level information to the reader. Msg1 can be transmitted using a D2R preamble and / or a D2R physical channel.

[0137] Msg2 (second message): After the reader receives Msg1, the reader sends a response message (also referred to as an acknowledgement message) to the terminal device. Msg2 can be transmitted using an R2D preamble and / or an R2D physical channel.

[0138] For a terminal device, random access can be performed in a time-division, frequency-division, or code-division manner. Msg1 of different terminal devices can be transmitted in a time-division, frequency-division, or code-division manner. Similarly, Msg3 of different terminal devices can also be transmitted in a time-division, frequency-division, or code-division manner. Time-division random access means that different terminal devices can initiate random access at different times. Frequency-division random access means that different terminal devices can initiate random access on different frequency resources. Code-division random access means that different terminal devices can initiate random access using different sequences. A terminal device can also initiate random access in a combination of two or three of the above manners, for example, time-division and frequency-division. The Slotted-ALOHA mechanism is used as a baseline. The flow of Slotted-ALOHA is roughly as shown in FIG. 12B:

[0139] The reader sends a Select / Query command to the terminal device. The Select / Query command is similar to a paging message in AIoT. The Select command is used to determine which terminal devices to inventory, and the Query command generates a Q value. Based on the Q value, the terminal device generates a random number, and the range of the random number is 0~2 ^Q-1. When the random number is 0, the terminal device sends a random access sequence (RN16) to the reader-writer, otherwise, the terminal device reduces the random number by 1 in each round of inventory, until the random number is 0. After the reader-writer receives the random access sequence of the terminal device, the reader-writer sends an acknowledgement information (ACK) to the terminal device, and the acknowledgement information can also contain the random access sequence (RN16). After the terminal device receives the acknowledgement information, the terminal device indicates that the random access is successful, and then the terminal device can continue to send data (for example, a terminal device ID) to the reader-writer. In the slotted-ALOHA mechanism, only one terminal device can access successfully in one round of inventory. The time-division random access mode can also have other implementation manners. As shown in FIG. 12C, a plurality of terminal devices can send Msg1 at different times in one round of inventory.

[0140] Six. Chip length

[0141] An A-IoT system can support multiple chip lengths, and one OFDM symbol can contain one or more chips. The chip length affects the chip rate. As shown in Table 3, OOK-1 and OOK-4 are modulation modes. For OOK-1, one OFDM symbol contains one chip. For OOK-4, M represents the number of chips contained in one OFDM symbol. cps represents chip per second, and the chip rate is 1 / chip length.

[0142] Table 3

[0143] Seven. Repetition number

[0144] Repetition is a common means to improve coverage and reliability, and the AIoT defines the following four repetition modes:

[0145] Block-level repetition: After adding CRC from the physical layer or the upper layer, the bits are repeated as a whole transmission block.

[0146] Bit-level repetition mode 1: After adding CRC, bit-level repetition is performed.

[0147] Bit-level repetition mode 2: After adding CRC and completing FEC, bit-level repetition is performed.

[0148] Chip-level repetition: After linear coding or square wave modulation, chip-level repetition is performed. Taking Manchester coding as an example, the mapping relationship between chips and bits is as follows: bit 0→chips{10}, bit 1→chips{01}.

[0149] The communication method provided by the embodiment of the application will be introduced below. First, FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by the embodiment of the application.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 13, the communication system includes a reader-writer and a terminal device.

[0151] The related functions of the reader-writer and the terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by the communication apparatus 1400 in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a structural schematic diagram of the communication apparatus 1400 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 1400 includes one or more processors 1401, a communication line 1402, and at least one communication interface (only an example of the communication interface 1404 is shown in FIG. 14, and one processor 1401 is taken as an example for description), and optionally further includes a memory 1403.

[0152] The processor 1401 can be a general 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.

[0153] The communication line 1402 can include a path for connecting different components.

[0154] The communication interface 1404 can be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. For example, the transceiver module can be a transceiver, a transceiver-like device, or the like. Alternatively, the communication interface 1404 can also be a transceiver circuit located in the processor 1401 to realize the signal input and signal output of the processor.

[0155] The memory 1403 can be a device with a storage function. For example, it 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, and can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, a laser disc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc, a Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disc storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and capable of being accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory can exist independently and be connected to the processor through the communication line 1402. The memory can also be integrated with the processor.

[0156] The memory 1403 is configured to store computer-executed instructions for implementing the solutions of the present application, and the processor 1401 is configured to control the execution of the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1403. The processor 1401 is configured to execute the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1403, so as to implement the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0157] Alternatively, in the embodiments of the present application, the processor 1401 can also execute the processing-related functions in the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the communication interface 1404 is responsible for communication with other devices or communication networks, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0158] Alternatively, in the embodiments of the present application, the computer-executed instructions can also be referred to as application program codes, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0159] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1401 can include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 14.

[0160] In a particular implementation, as an example, the communication apparatus 1400 can include multiple processors, such as the processor 1407 and the processor 1401 in FIG. 14. Each of these processors can be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. The processor herein can include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, and the like, each of which is a computing device running software and can include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing.

[0161] In a particular implementation, as an example, the communication apparatus 1400 can further include an output device 1405 and an input device 1406. The output device 1405 communicates with the processor 1401 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 1405 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, and the like. The input device 1406 communicates with the processor 1401 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 1406 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, a sensor device, and the like.

[0162] The communication apparatus 1400 described above can also be referred to as a communication apparatus, which can be a general-purpose device or a special-purpose device. For example, the communication apparatus 1400 can be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless AIoT device, an embedded device, or a device having a similar structure as shown in FIG. 14. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the communication apparatus 1400.

[0163] In addition, the constituent structures shown in FIG. 14 do not constitute a limitation on the communication apparatus, and the communication apparatus can include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different arrangement of components.

[0164] It should be noted that in the following embodiments of the present application, the names of messages between network elements, the names of parameters, or the names of information, etc. are only examples, and in other embodiments, they can also be other names, and the communication method provided by the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0165] It can be understood that, in the embodiments of the present application, each network element can perform part or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application, and these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiments of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of various operations. In addition, each step can be performed in a different order as presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all operations in the embodiments of the present application are performed.

[0166] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with FIGS. 15-33.

[0167] The embodiments of the present application can not only be applied to AIoT devices, but also to other similar low-power devices.

[0168] It should be noted that the first start indication can be the start indication information in the R2D preamble introduced in the related art four, the first synchronization information can be the synchronization information in the R2D synchronization signal introduced in the related art four, the first physical information can be carried in the first physical channel, the first physical channel can be the R2D physical channel introduced in the related art four, the second preamble can be the D2R synchronization signal introduced in the related art four, wherein the second preamble can include a second start indication and a second synchronization information, the second start indication is used for the reader to determine the start time of the D2R physical channel, and the second synchronization information is used for the reader to obtain time synchronization, the second physical information can be carried in the second physical channel, and the second physical channel can be the D2R physical channel introduced in the related art four. In addition, there can be a first intermediate code in the embodiments of the present application, which can refer to the R2D intermediate code introduced in the related art four; a second intermediate code, which can refer to the D2R intermediate code introduced in the related art four; a first postamble, which can refer to the R2D postamble introduced in the related art four; and a second postamble, which can refer to the D2R postamble introduced in the related art four. This is uniformly described here, and will not be described below.

[0169] It should be noted that the length mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a time length, for example, seconds, or milliseconds, or microseconds, etc., or it can also be the number of time units, for example, the number of symbols, or the number of frames, or the number of subframes, or the number of chips, etc., or it can also be the number of bits, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. This is uniformly described here, and will not be described below.

[0170] In the embodiments of the present application, different chip lengths correspond to different chip rates. The shorter the chip length, the higher the chip rate, which can reduce the transmission delay. The longer the chip length, the lower the chip rate, which can improve the coverage. AIoT needs to consider supporting different chip lengths for different needs. Therefore, a method for determining the chip length is needed.

[0171] For example, FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of an example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 15, the method 1500 includes the following steps.

[0172] In step S1510, the first device sends the prior information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the prior information from the first device. Alternatively, the second device sends the prior information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the prior information from the second device.

[0173] In step S1520, the first device sends the subsequent information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the subsequent information from the first device. Alternatively, the second device sends the subsequent information to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the subsequent information from the second device. In an embodiment of the present application, the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information.

[0174] In a possible implementation, the prior information is the first start indication. Correspondingly, the first device is a reader-writer, and the second device is a terminal device. That is, the reader-writer sends the first start indication to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first start indication from the reader-writer.

[0175] In an embodiment of the present application, the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, including that the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the first mapping relationship and the first start indication. The first mapping relationship includes the mapping relationship between the types of the first start indication and the chip lengths of the subsequent information.

[0176] The subsequent information includes one or more of the following: the first synchronization information, the first physical information, the second preamble, or the second physical information.

[0177] In an embodiment of the present application, the type of the first start indication is determined by one or more of the following: the length of the first start indication, the length of the first value in the first start indication, or the ratio of the length of the first value to the length of the second value in the first start indication. For the first value and the second value, refer to the description in the fourth related technology, for example, the first value can be 0, and the second value can be 1, or the first value can be 1, and the second value can be 0, which will not be repeated here.

[0178] In an embodiment of the present application, the type of the first start indication can also be referred to as the pattern of the first start indication, or the category of the first start indication, which is not limited in the present application.

[0179] Optionally, one type of the first start indication corresponds to one chip length of the subsequent information, that is, one-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the subsequent information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead.

[0180] Optionally, one type of the first start indication corresponds to one chip length of the subsequent information, i.e., one-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the subsequent information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead. Moreover, the type of the first start indication can be decoupled from the chip length of the subsequent information, and the type of the first start indication can be designed independently.

[0181] Alternatively, one type of the first start indication corresponds to multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information, i.e., one-to-many. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In this scheme, the type of the first start indication can be decoupled from the chip length of the subsequent information, and the type of the first start indication can be designed independently. Moreover, one type of the first start indication can correspond to multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information. It should be noted that this scheme can also need additional information to further determine one chip length of the multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information.

[0182] It should be noted that the one-to-one, one-to-many, and one-to-many mapping relationships can be combined arbitrarily.

[0183] Table 4 shows three possible examples of the first mapping relationship. It should be understood that the first mapping relationship can also be indicated or configured in other forms, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. For example, the first mapping relationship is pre-defined by a protocol, or is configured by a base station in the topology 2.

[0184] Table 4

[0185] It should be noted that the paging message of AIoT can trigger one or more terminal devices, and the channel environment of different terminal devices is different. The path loss of some terminal devices is small, and the path loss of some terminal devices is large. In order to ensure that all terminal devices can receive the AIoT paging signal, the paging signal is sent through the R2D physical channel, and the first start indication and the first synchronization information need to be sent before the first physical information is sent. Therefore, the first start indication before the physical channel used for paging can adopt a fixed type, which can be pre-defined by a protocol, such as a pre-defined length or a pre-defined index.

[0186] For the random access process and the data transmission process, the reader can measure the channel quality based on the signal from the terminal device. Therefore, for Msg2 and / or Msg4, the reader can flexibly select the first start indication and the chip length.

[0187] In one possible implementation, the prior information is the first synchronization information.

[0188] Correspondingly, the first device is a reader-writer, and the second device is a terminal device. That is, the reader-writer sends the first synchronization information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first synchronization information from the reader-writer.

[0189] In the embodiment of the application, the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, including that the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the second mapping relationship and the first synchronization information. The second mapping relationship includes a mapping relationship between multiple types of the first synchronization information and multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information.

[0190] The subsequent information includes one or more of the following: the first physical information, the second preamble, or the second physical information.

[0191] In the embodiment of the application, the type of the first synchronization information is determined by one or more of the following: the length of the first synchronization information, the duty cycle of the first synchronization information, or the length of the first value of the first synchronization information.

[0192] Optionally, the first synchronization information adopts Manchester coding, and the type of the first synchronization information can be indicated by the duty cycle of 1 bit of the first synchronization information.

[0193] Optionally, the first synchronization information adopts PIE coding, and the type of the first synchronization information can be indicated by the duty cycle of 1 bit of the first synchronization information, or by the length of the first value in 1 bit of the first synchronization information.

[0194] In the embodiment of the application, the type of the first synchronization information can also be replaced by the pattern of the first synchronization information, or the category of the first synchronization information, which is not limited in the embodiment of the application.

[0195] Optionally, one type of the first synchronization information corresponds to one chip length of the subsequent information, that is, one-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the subsequent information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead.

[0196] Optionally, multiple types of the first synchronization information correspond to one chip length of the subsequent information, that is, many-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the subsequent information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead. Moreover, the type of the first synchronization information and the chip length of the subsequent information can be decoupled, and the type of the first synchronization information can be designed independently.

[0197] Alternatively, one type of the first synchronization information corresponds to multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information, i.e., one-to-many, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In this scheme, the type of the first synchronization information and the chip length of the subsequent information can be decoupled, and the type of the first synchronization information can be designed independently. Moreover, one type of the first synchronization information can correspond to multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information. It should be noted that this scheme can further need further indication information to indicate one chip length of the multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information.

[0198] Table 5 is three possible examples of the second mapping relationship. It should be understood that the second mapping relationship can also be indicated or configured in other forms, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0199] Table 5

[0200] Alternatively, as a possible implementation, the R2D preamble information in the related art four can further include new information for carrying indication information, which is used to indicate the chip length of the subsequent information. The subsequent information can include one or more of the following: the first physical information, the second preamble, or the second physical information. Alternatively, the indication information can include an index corresponding to the chip length of the subsequent information, or the indication information can include indication information indicating one or more of the modulation mode, the coding mode, the code rate, and the information bit number of the subsequent information, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Wherein, the correspondence between the index corresponding to the chip length of the subsequent information and the chip length of the subsequent information can be preconfigured, and the correspondence between one or more of the modulation mode, the coding mode, the code rate, and the information bit number of the subsequent information and the indication information indicating one or more of the modulation mode, the coding mode, the code rate, and the information bit number of the subsequent information can be preconfigured, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the prior information is the first physical information.

[0202] Correspondingly, the first device is a reader-writer, and the second device is a terminal device. That is, the reader-writer sends the first physical information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first physical information from the reader-writer.

[0203] In the embodiments of the present application, the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, including that the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the first physical information and the third mapping relationship. Wherein, the third mapping relationship includes the mapping relationship between multiple types of the subsequent information and multiple chip lengths of the subsequent information.

[0204] The subsequent information includes one or more of the following: the second preamble, or the second physical information.

[0205] In the embodiments of the present application, the type of the post-information includes one or more of the following: a modulation mode of the post-information, an encoding mode of the post-information, a code rate of the post-information, or a number of information bits of the post-information.

[0206] For example, the modulation mode of the post-information can be OOK, Binary PSK, or Binary FSK, wherein different modulation modes correspond to different chip lengths of the post-information.

[0207] For example, the encoding mode of the post-information can be Manchester encoding, FM0 encoding, Miller encoding, or convolutional code, wherein different encoding modes correspond to different chip lengths of the post-information.

[0208] For example, different code rates of the post-information correspond to different chip lengths of the post-information.

[0209] For example, different numbers of information bits of the post-information correspond to different chip lengths of the post-information.

[0210] In the embodiments of the present application, the reader indicates the type of the post-information through the first physical information, and then the terminal device can determine the chip length of the post-information according to the type of the post-information.

[0211] Alternatively, as a possible implementation, a plurality of indexes are predefined to correspond to a plurality of chip lengths of the post-information, and the reader indicates the chip length of the post-information by including indication information indicating the index in the first physical information. The index can be indicated by different sequences carried by the first physical information, can be indicated by a bit occupancy ratio or a length of a first value in the first physical information, or can be indicated by an encoding mode of the first physical information, for example, when the encoding mode of the first physical information is Manchester encoding, the index can be indicated by a bit occupancy ratio, and when the encoding mode of the first physical information is PIE encoding, the index can be indicated by a bit occupancy ratio or a length of a first value in the first physical information. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0212] In a possible implementation, the pre-information is a second preamble.

[0213] In the embodiments of the present application, the second preamble can also be replaced by a D2R synchronization signal, or a D2R preamble, or can be another name, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0214] Correspondingly, the first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a reader. That is, the terminal device sends the second preamble to the reader. Correspondingly, the reader receives the second preamble from the terminal device.

[0215] The chip length of the second physical information can be determined by the terminal device. The reader determines the chip length of the second physical information by detecting the second preamble, for example, the reader can determine the chip length of the second physical information by detecting the level switching of the second preamble.

[0216] In the embodiments of the present application, the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, including that the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the fourth mapping relationship and the second preamble. The fourth mapping relationship includes the mapping relationship between the multiple types of the second preamble and the multiple chip lengths of the second physical information, and the subsequent information is the second physical information.

[0217] In the embodiments of the present application, the type of the second preamble includes one or more of the following: the length of the second preamble, the duty cycle of the second preamble, or the length of the first value in the second preamble.

[0218] It should be noted that if the second postamble adopts Manchester encoding or PIE encoding, for example, the encoding mode of the second postamble is Manchester encoding, the type of the second postamble can be indicated by the duty cycle of the bit, and the encoding mode of the second postamble is PIE encoding, the type of the second postamble can be indicated by the duty cycle of the bit or the length of the first value in the chip, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0219] Optionally, one type of the second preamble corresponds to one chip length of the second physical information, that is, one-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the second physical information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead.

[0220] Optionally, multiple types of the second preamble correspond to one chip length of the second physical information, that is, many-to-one. In this scheme, the chip length of the second physical information can be determined without additional indication, which can save the signaling overhead. Moreover, the type of the second preamble and the chip length of the second physical information can be decoupled, and the type of the second preamble can be designed independently.

[0221] Alternatively, optionally, one type of the second preamble corresponds to multiple chip lengths of the second physical information, that is, one-to-many, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In this scheme, the type of the second preamble and the chip length of the second physical information can be decoupled, and the type of the second preamble can be designed independently. Moreover, one type of the second preamble can correspond to multiple chip lengths of the second physical information. It should be noted that this scheme can also need further indication information to indicate one chip length of the multiple chip lengths of the second physical information.

[0222] Table 6 shows three possible examples of the fourth mapping relationship. It should be understood that the fourth mapping relationship can also be indicated or configured in other forms, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0223] Table 6

[0224] Alternatively, as a possible implementation, the terminal device determines that the chip length of the second preamble is equal to the second physical information chip length.

[0225] It should be noted that the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, and the fourth mapping relationship are represented in the form of a table as an example, and the first mapping relationship, the second mapping relationship, and the fourth mapping relationship can also be represented in other forms, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0226] Optionally, in the embodiments of the present application, the effective time of the chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information and the first rule. The first rule can be predefined by a protocol, or indicated or configured in other forms.

[0227] The effective time includes one or more of the following: an effective start time, an effective time interval, an effective end time, or an effective duration. The effective time interval indicates that the effective start time is after the effective time interval, and the effective duration indicates that the effective duration is valid from the effective start time.

[0228] In the embodiments of the present application, the chip length of the subsequent information determined according to the prior information can be single-effectively or long-term-effectively. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of single-effectively and multiple-effectively of the chip length of the subsequent information. As shown in FIG. 16, taking the first start indication or the first synchronization information as the prior information and the first physical information as the subsequent information as an example. The single-effectively means that the chip length of each first physical information is determined according to the first start indication or the first synchronization information before it; and the multiple-effectively means that the chip lengths of multiple first physical information are determined according to one first start indication or one first synchronization information before them, that is, the chip length indicated by the first start indication or the first synchronization information is used for multiple first physical information after the first start indication or the first synchronization information.

[0229] The first rule will be introduced from the effective start time, the effective time interval, the effective end time, or the effective duration respectively.

[0230] It should be noted that, for the convenience of understanding, the prior information is described in the form of the second indication information.

[0231] The effective start time of the second indication information, that is, the time when the chip length indicated by the second indication information starts to be valid:

[0232] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the R2D signal (including the R2D preamble information and / or the first physical information), the starting time of the second indication information taking effect can be the Xth R2D signal after the second indication information, for example, X = 1.

[0233] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the D2R signal (including the D2R preamble information and / or the second physical information), the starting time of the second indication information taking effect can be the Yth D2R signal after the second indication information, for example, Y = 1.

[0234] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of both the R2D signal and the D2R signal:

[0235] The starting time of the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal taking effect can be independent: the starting time of the chip length of the R2D signal taking effect can be the Xth chip length of the R2D signal after the second indication information, for example, X = 1; the starting time of the chip length of the D2R signal taking effect can be the Yth D2R signal after the second indication information, for example, Y = 1.

[0236] Alternatively, the starting time of the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal taking effect is the same, for example, both are the Xth R2D signal after the second indication information, or both are the Yth D2R signal after the second indication information.

[0237] It should be noted that for terminal devices with extremely low complexity, it is not possible to simultaneously receive the R2D signal and transmit the D2R signal, so even if it takes effect, it will not immediately receive the R2D signal or transmit the D2R signal. For example, the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal both take effect starting from the 1st first physical information after the second indication information, and the terminal device receives the first physical information using the chip length of the R2D signal, while for the chip length of the D2R signal, the terminal device uses the chip length of the D2R signal when transmitting the second physical information after receiving the first physical information.

[0238] For the time interval of the second indication information taking effect:

[0239] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the R2D signal, the time interval of taking effect is greater than or equal to 0.

[0240] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the D2R signal, the time interval of taking effect is greater than or equal to T R2D_min , where T R2D_min represents the minimum time interval between the R2D signal and the adjacent D2R signal. When the second indication information is a D2R signal, the time interval of taking effect is greater than or equal to 0.

[0241] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal at the same time:

[0242] The effective start time of the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal can be independent: the effective time interval of the chip length of the R2D signal is different from the effective time interval of the chip length of the D2R signal, for example, the effective time interval of the chip length of the R2D signal is greater than or equal to 0, and the effective time interval of the chip length of the D2R signal is greater than or equal to T R2D_min。

[0243] Alternatively, the chip length of the R2D signal and the chip length of the D2R signal are effective at the same time, and the effective time interval of the chip length of the R2D signal is the same as the effective time interval of the chip length of the D2R signal.

[0244] It should be noted that the effective time interval can refer to the length of the effective time interval, for example, seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, etc., or the length of the effective time interval can also be the number of time units, for example, the number of symbols, the number of frames, the number of subframes, the number of chips, etc. It can also be the number of bits, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0245] For the effective end time or the effective duration:

[0246] For single effective case:

[0247] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the R2D, the chip length is used for the Xth R2D after the second indication information, for example, X = 1.

[0248] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the D2R, the chip length is used for the Yth D2R after the second indication information, for example, Y = 1.

[0249] When the second indication information indicates the chip length of the R2D and the chip length of the D2R at the same time, the chip length of the R2D is used for the Xth R2D after the second indication information, for example, X = 1; the chip length of the D2R is used for the Yth D2R after the second indication information, for example, Y = 1.

[0250] For long-term effective case:

[0251] The effective duration is a period of time, and there can be one or more PRDCHs or one or more PDRCH transmissions in the period of time. The effective end time or the effective duration is determined by at least one of the following ways:

[0252] Manner 1: The terminal device detects that the second indication information changes, for example, detects that the type of the first start indication changes, and then the terminal device updates the chip length according to the latest second indication information, and the new chip length starts to take effect at the start time of the second indication information taking effect.

[0253] Manner 2: The end of the current inventory or the completion of the current random process is the end time of the second indication information taking effect. That is, in one inventory process or one random access process, the chip length of the R2D signal or the PRDCH does not change, or the chip length of the D2R signal or the PDRCH does not change. It can also be understood that the taking effect duration is the duration occupied by one inventory or the duration occupied by one random access process.

[0254] Manner 3: For different types of terminal devices, the taking effect duration of the second indication information can be different. For example, the second indication information is carried in the paging message of AIoT, and the second indication information of part of the terminal devices is valid in the current inventory, while part of the terminal devices will be repeatedly inventoried, and for this part of the terminal devices, the second indication information is valid in multiple inventories.

[0255] Manner 4: The end time of taking effect or the taking effect duration is pre-defined by the protocol or indicated or configured by other manners, for example, indicated or configured by high layer signaling.

[0256] It should be noted that the chip length and the subcarrier spacing, and / or the FFT point number involved in the embodiments of the present application are related, and the chip length can refer to the time length or the number of time units, and the time unit can be related to the subcarrier spacing and / or the FFT point number, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0257] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application transmits or receives the prior information by the first device or the second device, so that the first device or the second device determines the chip length of the subsequent information according to the prior information, and then transmits or receives the subsequent information according to the chip length of the subsequent information, thereby providing a way to determine the chip length of the subsequent information.

[0258] In the embodiments of the present application, the sizes of different messages, the chip rate, and the channel environment of different terminal devices are different, and the number of repetitions required to meet the coverage is also different, so a way to determine the number of repetitions is needed.

[0259] For example, as shown in FIG. 17, it is a schematic diagram of an example of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. The method 1700 includes:

[0260] S1710, the terminal device sends the first information to the reader-writer. Correspondingly, the reader-writer receives the first information from the terminal device.

[0261] In the embodiments of the present application, the repetition number of the first information is determined according to the first correspondence relationship and / or the second correspondence relationship.

[0262] In the embodiments of the present application, the first information includes one or more of the following: the second preamble, the second intermediate preamble, the second physical information, or the second postamble.

[0263] The second intermediate preamble can be the D2R intermediate preamble introduced in the Related Art 4, and the second postamble can be the D2R postamble introduced in the Related Art 4, which will not be described herein.

[0264] In the embodiments of the present application, the first correspondence relationship can be a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information and the repetition number of the first information. In a possible implementation, the first correspondence relationship can be as shown in Table 7, where different levels represent different coverage ranges, and the level can be a path loss level, or a coverage level, or a distance level, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The repetition numbers of the multiple information included in the first information can be the same. Alternatively, when the first information is different information, the first information can have its own correspondence relationship between the level and the repetition number, and in this case, the repetition number of different information needs to be determined according to its own correspondence relationship.

[0265] Table 7

[0266] It should be noted that the first correspondence relationship can be predefined, or indicated or configured by other forms. Taking the path loss as an example, the path loss corresponding to each level can be a range, and the same repetition number is used within the range. In this way, the number of repetition numbers can be reduced, and the system overhead can be reduced.

[0267] In another possible implementation, the repetition numbers of the multiple information included in the first information can be different. Taking the first information including the second preamble and the second physical information as an example, the first correspondence relationship can be as shown in Table 8. Alternatively, when the first information is different information, the different information belongs to the same level, but the repetition numbers are different.

[0268] Table 8

[0269] In the embodiments of the present application, the second correspondence relationship can be a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information, the type of the terminal device, and the repetition number of the first information. Table 9 is a schematic of the second correspondence relationship. As shown in Table 8, when the type of the terminal device is type A (for example, type 1 described in the second related art), it corresponds to mode A, or when the type of the terminal device is type B (for example, type 2a described in the second related art), it corresponds to mode B, or when the type of the terminal device is type C (for example, type 2b described in the second related art), it corresponds to mode C.

[0270] Table 9

[0271] Alternatively, in a possible implementation, the maximum repetition number of mode A is X, the maximum repetition number of mode B is Y, and the maximum repetition number of mode C is Z, and the values of X, Y, and Z can be the same or different. Further, under the same level, the maximum repetition number of mode A is X, the maximum repetition number of mode B is Y, and the maximum repetition number of mode C is Z. The repetition number of the first information does not exceed the maximum repetition number.

[0272] Alternatively, as a possible implementation, the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application further includes: the reader sends first indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the reader.

[0273] In the embodiments of the present application, the first indication information is used to indicate the level of the first information. The repetition number of the first information is determined according to the first correspondence relationship and / or the second correspondence relationship, including: the repetition number of the first information is determined according to the level of the first information indicated by the first indication information.

[0274] It should be noted that the repetition number can be dynamically indicated because the information bits of different messages are different.

[0275] For determination of the repetition number of Msg1: the repetition number of the second preamble is determined according to one or more of the following: a fixed value, the level of the terminal device indicated by the paging message of the AIoT, or the parameter of the second preamble.

[0276] For example, the paging message of the AIoT indicates the level of Msg1 of a single terminal device or a group of terminal devices; or the terminal device determines the repetition number of Msg1, and the parameter (for example, the chip length) of the second preamble has a mapping relationship with the repetition number of Msg1. The reader determines the repetition number of Msg1 according to the chip length. Alternatively, a fixed repetition number is used, for example, the maximum repetition number is used for Msg1.

[0277] The determination of the number of repetitions of the Msg3: The number of repetitions of the second physical information is determined by the reader based on the measurement of the second preamble before the second physical information or the second physical information.

[0278] For example, the reader can determine the level of the Msg3 based on the measurement of the Msg1. Therefore, the reader indicates the level of the Msg3 through the Msg2.

[0279] Optionally, in the embodiments of the present application, the effective time of the first indication information can also be defined, that is, the effective time of the number of repetitions determined by the first indication information. The effective time includes one or more of the following: an effective start time, an effective time interval, an effective end time, or an effective time length. The effective time interval represents the effective start time after the effective time interval, and the effective time length represents the time effective within the effective time length from the effective start time. The effective time can be predetermined by the protocol or indicated or configured by other forms.

[0280] It should be noted that the reader can indicate the level of the first information through the first start indication, the first synchronization information, or the first physical information. For example, the level of the first information can be indicated implicitly by the type of the first start indication, the type of the first synchronization information, or the control signaling included in the first physical information. Or, the level of the first information can be indicated implicitly by the chip length, the coding mode, the modulation mode, the code rate, and the like.

[0281] It should be noted that the level of the first information described above can also be expressed as the level of the terminal device, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0282] It should be noted that the number of repetitions of 1 means that the transmission is 1, that is, there is no repetition, the number of repetitions of 2 means that the transmission is 2, and so on.

[0283] It should be noted that the first correspondence and the second correspondence described above are represented by way of example in the form of a table, and the first correspondence and the second correspondence can also be represented by other forms, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0284] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device sends the first information to the reader, including: when at least one repetition of the first information overlaps with the unavailable symbol, the terminal device sends the first information to the reader based on the second rule. Correspondingly, the reader receives the first information from the terminal device based on the second rule.

[0285] In a possible implementation, the repetition granularity is block-level repetition, as shown in FIG. 18, and the second rule includes one or more of the following:

[0286] At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and bits in the Xth block level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol are discarded; for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the D2R signal of repetition 2 is incomplete.

[0287] At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Xth block level repetition is not transmitted until the next available symbol transmits the Xth block level repetition; for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the block of repetition 2 encounters symbol 4, and then repetition 2 starts from symbol 5.

[0288] At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and bits in the Xth block level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol are continued to be transmitted at the next available symbol; for example, as shown in FIG. 18, chips 5-8 in the block of repetition 2 encounter symbol 4, and then chips 5-8 in the block of repetition 2 are continued to be transmitted at symbol 5.

[0289] At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Xth block level repetition is discarded; for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the number of repetitions is reduced by one.

[0290] Wherein, X is a positive integer.

[0291] It should be noted that, since the block level repetition can be repeated before encoding or modulation, or repeated after encoding or modulation, the code rate and modulation mode of the block can be the same or different each time the repetition is performed, and embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0292] In another possible implementation, the repetition granularity is bit level repetition, as shown in FIG. 18, the second rule includes one or more of the following:

[0293] At least one bit in the Yth bit level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Yth bit level repetition is not transmitted until the next available symbol continues to transmit the Yth bit level repetition; for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the number of repetitions is not changed.

[0294] At least one bit in the Yth bit level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Yth bit level repetition is discarded; for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the number of repetitions is reduced by one.

[0295] Wherein, Y is a positive integer.

[0296] It should be noted that, when the D2R adopts Miller coding, since the mapping relationship between the bit and the chip is not fixed according to the Miller coding rule, the current bit and chip mapping relationship is related to the previous bit, and therefore, when the bit level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, the mapping relationship between the first bit after the unavailable symbol and the chip also needs to be specified, that is, the mapping relationship between the first bit after the unavailable symbol and the chip is associated with the last bit of the nearest available symbol.

[0297] S1720, the reader determines the repetition number of the first information according to the first correspondence relationship and / or the second correspondence relationship.

[0298] Further, the reader can demodulate the first information.

[0299] Optionally, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application further includes: the terminal device sends the first information to the reader based on the repetition number of the first information and the repetition rule. Correspondingly, the reader receives the first information from the terminal device based on the repetition number of the first information and the repetition rule.

[0300] In a possible implementation, the repetition rule is continuous repetition.

[0301] For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the second preamble is repeated N times, and then the second physical information is repeated M times.

[0302] For example, as shown in FIG. 21, the second physical information is repeated first, and then the second postamble is repeated.

[0303] In another possible implementation, the repetition rule is non-continuous repetition.

[0304] For example, as shown in FIG. 22, the second preamble and the second physical information are transmitted as a whole. The repeated second preambles are not continuous, and the second physical information is transmitted between adjacent second preambles.

[0305] For example, as shown in FIG. 23, the second preamble is only transmitted before the first transmission of the second physical information, and the second intermediate preamble is transmitted between the repeated second physical information. Optionally, the reader and the terminal device segment the second physical information based on the length of the repeated second physical information, and the second intermediate preamble is transmitted between the segmented second physical information.

[0306] For example, as shown in FIG. 24, the second postamble and the second physical information are transmitted as a whole.

[0307] For example, as shown in FIG. 25, the second postamble does not need to be repeated, and the second intermediate preamble is transmitted between the repeated second physical information.

[0308] Similarly, for the second intermediate preamble, the second physical information can be repeated first, and then the second intermediate preamble is repeated, or the second intermediate preamble and the second physical information are transmitted as a whole.

[0309] Optionally, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application further includes: the terminal device sends the first information to the reader based on the frequency hopping rule. Correspondingly, the reader receives the first information from the terminal device based on the frequency hopping rule.

[0310] In the embodiments of the present application, the frequency hopping rule includes a repetition granularity of the first information and a frequency hopping manner under the repetition granularity.

[0311] In a possible implementation manner, the repetition granularity is block-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is intra-block frequency hopping, or inter-block frequency hopping.

[0312] For example, the intra-block frequency hopping is shown in FIG. 26. Taking two hops as an example, the time domain resources (symbols or chips) of each block are divided into two parts, which are respectively on two hops. The block is first mapped to hop 1, and then mapped to hop 2. According to the length of the block, the two hops can be in the same symbol or in different symbols.

[0313] For example, the inter-block frequency hopping is shown in FIG. 27. Taking two hops as an example, each block is transmitted on one hop, and different repetitions of the block hop between hops.

[0314] In another possible implementation manner, the repetition granularity is bit-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is first repetition and then frequency hopping, or first frequency hopping and then repetition.

[0315] For example, the bit-level frequency hopping is shown in FIG. 28. Taking two hops as an example, each bit of the effective load can hop.

[0316] For example, the bit-level frequency hopping is shown in FIG. 29. Taking two hops as an example, each bit is repeatedly transmitted on the same hop, and different bits are on different hops.

[0317] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is that the terminal device sends the first information to the reader-writer, the reader-writer receives the first information from the terminal device and determines the repetition number of the first information according to the first correspondence relationship and / or the second correspondence relationship, and a scheme for determining the repetition number of the first information is given.

[0318] It should be noted that the above scheme is also applicable to the repeated transmission of the R2D signal. The reader-writer indicates the level of the R2D signal to the terminal device, the terminal device determines the repetition number of the R2D signal according to the level of the R2D signal and the correspondence relationship, and receives the R2D signal. For details, reference can be made to the related description in the above embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0319] In the embodiments of the present application, the second intermediate pilot can be used for synchronization of D2R, and can also have other functions. A scheme is needed to indicate the function of the second intermediate pilot.

[0320] For example, as shown in FIG. 30, it is a schematic diagram of an example of the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The method 3000 includes:

[0321] S3010, the reader sends second signaling to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second signaling from the reader.

[0322] In the embodiments of the present application, the second signaling is used to indicate the state of the second intermediate pilot, and the state of the second intermediate pilot includes one or more of the following: no second intermediate pilot, the second intermediate pilot is used for synchronization of D2R, the second intermediate pilot is used for channel estimation of D2R, or the second intermediate pilot is used for interference measurement by the reader. The interference measurement can be measurement of interference from the CW signal or interference from the signal of other terminal devices. Different interference measurements can also be further indicated as different states.

[0323] In the embodiments of the present application, the second signaling can be high layer signaling or layer 1 (L1) signaling, wherein the second signaling can include one or more bits. Taking four states as an example, the second signaling is 2 bits, and in one possible implementation, the second signaling includes a first value (for example, 00) indicating no intermediate pilot, the second signaling includes a first value (for example, 01) indicating that the second intermediate pilot is used for synchronization of D2R, the second signaling includes a first value (for example, 10) indicating that the second intermediate pilot is used for channel estimation of D2R, and the second signaling includes a first value (for example, 11) indicating that the second intermediate pilot is used for interference measurement.

[0324] The effective duration of the state of the second intermediate pilot can be pre-defined by a protocol, or indicated or configured in other forms. For example, the second signaling is also used to indicate the effective duration of the second intermediate pilot.

[0325] For example, the state of the second intermediate pilot indicated by the second signaling is only used for the next D2R.

[0326] For another example, the state of the second intermediate pilot indicated by the second signaling is applied to all D2R or specific D2R within a period of time.

[0327] S3020, the terminal device determines the state of the second intermediate pilot according to the second signaling.

[0328] For example, if the second signaling received by the terminal device includes a first value (for example, 00), the terminal device does not send the second intermediate pilot between the second physical information.

[0329] For example, if the second signaling received by the terminal device includes a first value (for example, 01), the terminal device sends a second intermediate pilot sequence (for example, sequence 1) between two second physical information, and the reader performs time synchronization according to the sequence 1.

[0330] For example, the second signaling received by the terminal device includes a first value (for example, 10), and the terminal device transmits a midamble sequence (for example, sequence 2) between two second physical information, and the reader performs channel estimation according to the sequence 2.

[0331] For example, the second signaling received by the terminal device includes a first value (for example, 11), and the terminal device has a time interval between two second physical information, and no second midamble sequence is transmitted in the time interval, or a midamble sequence of all 0 (for example, sequence 3) is transmitted, and the reader performs interference measurement in the time interval.

[0332] It should be noted that the second signaling can also indicate the index of the second midamble sequence. For example, indicating sequence 1, the terminal device transmits the second midamble sequence (sequence 1) between two second physical information, and the reader performs time synchronization according to the sequence 1.

[0333] It should be noted that the second signaling can be included in the paging message of AIoT, or included in Msg2 or Msg4, and specifically, carried in the first physical information or the first preamble.

[0334] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the application includes that the reader transmits second signaling to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second signaling and determines the state of the second midamble according to the second signaling. The scheme gives the function of the second midamble.

[0335] In the embodiment of the application, AIoT does not have a dedicated control channel (no PDCCH similar to NR), and it is necessary to identify which control information is placed in the physical layer and which is placed in the high layer, so as to reduce the L1 control signaling. Therefore, it is necessary to divide the first physical channel.

[0336] For example, as shown in FIG. 31, it is a schematic diagram of an example of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the application. The method 3100 includes:

[0337] S3110, the reader transmits first physical information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first physical information from the reader.

[0338] In the embodiment of the application, the first physical information is carried in the first physical channel, and the first physical channel includes a first control domain and a first data domain. FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of the first physical channel provided in the embodiment of the application.

[0339] In the embodiment of the application, the first control domain includes one or more of the following: control information for demodulating information carried by the first data domain, the type of the first physical channel, the format indication of the first control domain and / or the first data domain, or the length of the first physical channel.

[0340] For example, the control information used to demodulate the information carried by the first data field can be control information indicating the number of information bits of the first data field, control information indicating the modulation and coding mode of the first data field, or control information indicating the chip length of the first data field, etc.

[0341] For example, the type of the first physical channel can be a unicast channel or a broadcast channel, so that the terminal device determines whether the current first control field is dedicated control information or common control information.

[0342] For example, the format indication of the first control field and / or the first data field can be an indication of whether the first control field carries control information for R2D or control information for D2R.

[0343] It should be noted that the length of the first physical channel described herein does not consider the first post-amble (i.e., the R2D post-amble).

[0344] In the embodiments of the present application, the first data field includes one or more of the following: control information used to demodulate the second physical information, a first parameter, or the length of a channel carrying the second physical information.

[0345] For example, the control information used to demodulate the second physical information can be control information indicating the number of information bits of the second physical information, control information indicating the modulation and coding mode of the second physical information, or control information indicating the chip length of the second physical information or the number of repetitions of the second physical information, etc.

[0346] It should be noted that the length of the channel carrying the second physical information described herein does not consider the second post-amble (i.e., the D2R post-amble).

[0347] The first parameter includes one or more of the following: a parameter of the second pre-amble, a parameter of the second mid-amble, or a parameter of the second post-amble.

[0348] For example, the parameter of the second pre-amble can include the chip length of the second pre-amble, or the number of repetitions, etc.

[0349] For example, the parameter of the second mid-amble can include the chip length of the second mid-amble, or the number of repetitions, or the state, etc.

[0350] For example, the parameter of the second post-amble can include the chip length of the second post-amble, or the number of repetitions, etc.

[0351] S3120, the terminal device demodulates the first physical information.

[0352] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application comprises the following steps: a reader sends first physical information to a terminal device; the terminal device receives the first physical information from the reader and demodulates the first physical information. The first physical information is carried in a first physical channel, the first physical channel comprises a first control domain and a first data domain, and a division format of the first physical channel is given.

[0353] In the embodiments of the present application, due to the change of channel quality, the terminal device can not detect the first post-amble, and the terminal device cannot determine when the first physical information ends. Similarly, due to the change of channel quality or insufficient power of the terminal device, the second post-amble can also be missed, and the reader cannot determine when the second physical information ends. Therefore, a method for reducing the probability of missing the first post-amble or the second post-amble is needed, and the behavior of the reader and the terminal device when the missing occurs is also needed.

[0354] The method for reducing the probability of missing the first post-amble or the second post-amble can be realized by designing the length of the first post-amble or the second post-amble and repeatedly sending, etc. However, the first post-amble or the second post-amble still has a certain probability of missing.

[0355] For example, as shown in FIG. 33, it is a schematic diagram of an example of the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The method 3300 comprises the following steps:

[0356] S3310, the reader receives the second physical information and the second post-amble from the terminal device.

[0357] In the embodiments of the present application, when the first condition is met, the reader stops receiving the second physical information and the second post-amble.

[0358] In the embodiments of the present application, the first condition comprises one or more of the following: the length of the second physical information exceeds a threshold, or the repetition number of the second physical information exceeds a threshold.

[0359] Optionally, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application further comprises: the reader discards the second physical information and does not send response information. Alternatively, the reader demodulates the second physical information based on the threshold of the length of the second physical information or the threshold of the repetition number of the second physical information.

[0360] The threshold of the length of the second physical information can be predefined, and the length can be the number of symbols, the number of chips, or the number of bits.

[0361] S3320, the terminal device receives the first physical information and the first post-amble from the reader.

[0362] In the embodiments of the present application, when the second condition is met, the terminal device stops receiving the first physical information and the first post-amble.

[0363] In the embodiments of the present application, the second condition comprises one or more of the following: the length of the first physical information exceeds a threshold, or the repetition number of the first physical information exceeds a threshold.

[0364] Optionally, the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application further comprises: the terminal device discards the first physical information and does not send response information, or sends first confirmation information (for example, negative acknowledgement information (NACK)), or the terminal device demodulates the first physical information based on the threshold of the length of the first physical information or the threshold of the repetition number.

[0365] The threshold of the length of the first physical information can be predefined, and the length can be the number of symbols, the number of chips, or the number of bits.

[0366] It should be noted that the time sequence of S3310 and S3320 is not in any particular order.

[0367] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application provides a scheme for determining missed detection of the first post-amble or the second post-amble, and provides a corresponding solution, which can avoid the reader directly receiving the second physical information, or avoid the terminal device directly receiving the first physical information.

[0368] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus can be any one of the devices or network elements in the above method embodiments, or an apparatus including any of the above devices or network elements, or a component that can be used for any of the devices or network elements. It can be understood that, in order to implement the above functions, the communication apparatus comprises a corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed in the present text, the present application can be realized in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is driven by hardware or computer software to drive hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0369] The communication apparatus comprises a transceiver module 3410 and a processing module 3420. The transceiver module 3410, which can also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement the transceiving function, for example, can be a transceiving circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0370] All the related content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be cited to the function description of the corresponding function module, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the communication device can further include a storage module 3430, which can be used to store instructions or and / or data, and the processing module 3420 can read the instructions or and / or data in the storage module 3430.

[0371] In the embodiments of the present application, the first communication node is in the form of dividing various function modules in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to a specific ASIC, a circuit, a processor and a memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can think that the communication device can be in the form of the communication device 1400 shown in FIG. 14.

[0372] For example, the processor 1401 in the communication device 1400 shown in FIG. 14 can execute the communication method in the above method embodiments by invoking the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1403, so that the communication device 300 executes the communication method in the above method embodiments.

[0373] Specifically, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 3410 and the processing module 3420 in FIG. 34 can be realized by the processor 1401 in the communication device 1400 shown in FIG. 14 invoking the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1403. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 3420 in FIG. 34 can be realized by the processor 1401 in the communication device 1400 shown in FIG. 14 invoking the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1403, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 3410 in FIG. 34 can be realized by the communication interface 1404 in the communication device 1400 shown in FIG. 14.

[0374] It should be understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be realized in software, hardware or a combination of both. When any of the above modules or units is realized in software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in the memory, and the processor can be used to execute the program instructions and realize the above method flow. The processor can be built in the SoC (system on chip) or the ASIC, or be a separate semiconductor chip. The processor further includes the necessary hardware accelerator, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA), PLD (programmable logic device), or logic circuit realizing special logic operation, in addition to the core for executing software instructions to perform operation or processing.

[0375] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, a FPGA, a PLD, a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator, or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run necessary software or not to perform the above method flows.

[0376] Optionally, the embodiments of the present application further provide a communication apparatus (for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system), which comprises a processor, and is configured to implement the method in any of the above method embodiments. In a possible design, the communication apparatus further comprises a memory. The memory is configured to store necessary program instructions and data. The processor can invoke the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication apparatus to perform the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory can also not be in the communication apparatus. When the communication apparatus is a chip system, the communication apparatus can be composed of a chip, or can comprise a chip and other discrete devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not make a specific limitation in this regard.

[0377] Optionally, the embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions run on a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus can perform the method in any of the above method embodiments or any implementation manner thereof.

[0378] Optionally, the embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which comprises the communication apparatus in the above method embodiments.

[0379] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs).

[0380] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0381] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: sending or receiving prior information; and sending or receiving subsequent information; wherein a chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The prior information is a first start indication; The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, comprising: The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to a first mapping relationship and the first start indication; The first mapping relationship comprises a mapping relationship between a plurality of types of the first start indication and a plurality of chip lengths of the subsequent information; The subsequent information comprises one or more of the following: first synchronization information, first physical information, a second preamble, or second physical information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The type of the first start indication is determined by one or more of the following: The length of the first start indication, the length of a first value in the first start indication, or the ratio of the length of the first value to the length of a second value in the first start indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The prior information is first synchronization information; The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, comprising: The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to a second mapping relationship and the first synchronization information; The second mapping relationship comprises a mapping relationship between a plurality of types of the first synchronization information and a plurality of chip lengths of the subsequent information; The subsequent information comprises one or more of the following: first physical information, a second preamble, or second physical information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The type of the first synchronization information is determined by one or more of the following: The length of the first synchronization information, the duty cycle of the first synchronization information, or the length of a first value of the first synchronization information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The prior information is first physical information; The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, comprising: The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the first physical information and a third mapping relationship; The third mapping relationship comprises a mapping relationship between a plurality of types of the subsequent information and a plurality of chip lengths of the subsequent information; The subsequent information comprises one or more of the following: a second preamble or second physical information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The type of the subsequent information comprises one or more of the following: The modulation mode of the subsequent information, the coding mode of the subsequent information, the code rate of the subsequent information, or the number of information bits of the subsequent information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The prior information is a second preamble; The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the prior information, comprising: The chip length of the subsequent information is determined according to the second preamble and a fourth mapping relationship; The fourth mapping relationship comprises a relationship between a plurality of types of the second preamble and a plurality of chip lengths of the second physical information; The subsequent information is second physical information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The type of the second preamble comprises one or more of the following: The length of the second preamble, the duty cycle of the second preamble, or the length of a first value in the second preamble.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, An effective time of a chip length of the post-information is determined according to the pre-information and a first rule; the effective time includes one or more of the following: an effective start time, an effective time interval, an effective end time, or an effective duration, and the effective time interval indicates that the effective start time is after the effective time interval.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method is applied to a reader-writer, or the method is applied to a terminal device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The reader-writer includes one or more of the following: an access network device, a relay, an integrated access backhaul node, a terminal device, or a transponder.

13. A method of communication, comprising: The method is applied to a terminal device, including: sending first information; wherein the number of repetitions of the first information is determined according to a first correspondence relationship and / or a second correspondence relationship; The first information includes one or more of the following: a second preamble, a second intermediate code, a second physical information, or a second postamble.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first correspondence relationship is a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information and the number of repetitions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The second correspondence relationship is a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information, the type of the terminal device, and the number of repetitions.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the level of the first information; The number of repetitions is determined according to the first correspondence relationship and / or the second correspondence relationship, including: The number of repetitions is determined according to the level of the first information indicated by the first indication information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The number of repetitions of the second preamble is determined according to one or more of the following: a fixed value, a level of the terminal device indicated by an AIoT paging message, or a parameter of the second preamble.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The number of repetitions of the second physical information is determined by the reader-writer based on the measurement of the second preamble or the second physical information before the second physical information.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, Based on the number of repetitions and a repetition rule, the first information is repeatedly sent, and the repetition rule includes continuous repetition and / or non-continuous repetition.

20. The method of any one of claims 13-19, wherein, The method further includes: sending the first information based on a frequency hopping rule; wherein the frequency hopping rule includes a repetition granularity of the first information and a frequency hopping manner corresponding to the repetition granularity.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The repetition granularity is block-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is intra-block frequency hopping, or inter-block frequency hopping; The repetition granularity is bit-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is repetition followed by frequency hopping, or frequency hopping followed by repetition.

22. The method of any one of claims 13-21, wherein, The method of sending first information includes: When at least one repetition of the first information overlaps with an unavailable symbol, the first information is sent based on a second rule.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The repetition granularity is block-level repetition, and the second rule includes one or more of the following: If at least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, the bits in the Xth block-level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol are discarded; If at least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, the Xth block-level repetition is not transmitted until the next available symbol transmits the Xth block-level repetition; At least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and bits in the Xth block-level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol continue transmission at the next available symbol; At least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Xth block-level repetition is discarded; The X is a positive integer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein, The repetition granularity is bit-level repetition, and the second rule includes one or more of the following: In the Yth bit-level repetition, an unavailable symbol is encountered, and the Yth bit-level repetition is not transmitted until the next available symbol continues to transmit the Yth bit-level repetition; In the Yth bit-level repetition, an unavailable symbol is encountered, and the Yth bit-level repetition is discarded; The Y is a positive integer.

25. A method of communication, comprising: The method is applied to a reader-writer, and includes: receiving first information; The repetition number of the first information is determined according to a first correspondence relationship and / or a second correspondence relationship. The first information includes one or more of the following: a second preamble, a second intermediate code, a second physical information, or a second postamble.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The first correspondence relationship is a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information and the repetition number.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein, The second correspondence relationship is a correspondence relationship between the level of the first information, the type of the terminal device, and the repetition number.

28. The method of any one of claims 25-27, wherein, The method further includes: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the level of the first information; The repetition number is determined according to a first correspondence relationship and / or a second correspondence relationship, including: The repetition number is determined according to the level of the first information indicated by the first indication information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, The repetition number of the second preamble is determined according to one or more of the following: a fixed value, the level of the terminal device indicated by an environment Internet of Things (AIoT) paging message, or a parameter of the second preamble.

30. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The repetition number of the second physical information is determined by the reader-writer based on measurement of the second preamble or second physical information before the second physical information.

31. The method of any one of claims 25-30, wherein, Based on the repetition number and a repetition rule, the first information is repeatedly received, and the repetition rule includes continuous repetition and / or discontinuous repetition.

32. The method of any one of claims 25-31, wherein, The method further includes: receiving the first information based on a frequency hopping rule; The frequency hopping rule includes a repetition granularity of the first information and a frequency hopping manner corresponding to the repetition granularity.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein: The repetition granularity is block-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is intra-block frequency hopping or inter-block frequency hopping; The repetition granularity is bit-level repetition, and the frequency hopping manner is frequency hopping after repetition or repetition after frequency hopping.

34. The method of any one of claims 25-33, wherein, The receiving of the first information includes: When at least one repetition of the first information overlaps with an unavailable symbol, the first information is received based on a second rule.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, The repetition granularity is block-level repetition, and the second rule includes one or more of the following: At least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and bits in the Xth block-level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol continue transmission at the next available symbol; At least one bit in the Xth block-level repetition encounters an unavailable symbol, and the Xth block-level repetition is not transmitted until the next available symbol continues to transmit the Xth block-level repetition; At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition meets an unavailable symbol, and bits in the Xth block level repetition that overlap with the unavailable symbol continue transmission at a next available symbol; At least one bit in the Xth block level repetition meets an unavailable symbol, and the Xth block level repetition is discarded; The X is a positive integer.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein, The repetition granularity is bit level repetition, and the second rule includes one or more of the following: At least one bit in the Yth bit level repetition meets an unavailable symbol, and the Yth bit level repetition does not transmit until a next available symbol continues to transmit the Yth bit level repetition; At least one bit in the Yth bit level repetition meets an unavailable symbol, and the Yth bit level repetition is discarded; The Y is a positive integer.

37. The method of any one of claims 25-36, wherein, The reader includes one or more of the following: an access network device, a relay, an integrated access backhaul node, a terminal device, or a transponder.

38. A method of communication, comprising: Applied to a reader, including: Transmitting first physical information, the first physical information being carried in a first physical channel, the first physical channel including a first control domain and a first data domain.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein, The first control domain includes one or more of the following control information: Control information for demodulating information carried by the first data domain, a type of the first physical channel, a format indication of the first control domain and / or the first data domain, or a length of the first physical channel.

40. The method of claim 38 or 39, wherein, The first data domain includes one or more of the following control information: control information for demodulating second physical information, a first parameter, or a length of a channel carrying the second physical information; The first parameter includes one or more of the following: a parameter of the second preamble, a parameter of the second midamble, or a parameter of the second end.

41. The method of any one of claims 38-40, wherein, The reader includes one or more of the following: an access network device, a relay, an integrated access backhaul node, a terminal device, or a transponder.

42. A method of communication, comprising: Applied to a terminal device, including: Receiving first physical information, the first physical information being carried in a first physical channel, the first physical channel including a first control domain and a first data domain.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein, The first control domain includes one or more of the following control information: Control information for demodulating information carried by the first data domain, a type of the first physical channel, a format indication of the first control domain and / or the first data domain, or a length of the first physical channel.

44. The method of claim 42 or 43, wherein, The first data domain includes one or more of the following control information: control information for demodulating second physical information, a first parameter, or a length of a channel carrying the second physical information; The first parameter includes one or more of the following: a parameter of the second preamble, a parameter of the second midamble, or a parameter of the second end.

45. A method of communication, the method comprising: Applied to a reader, including: Receiving second physical information and a second postamble; Satisfying a first condition, stopping receiving the second physical information and the second postamble; The first condition includes one or more of the following: a length of the second physical information exceeds a threshold, or a repetition number of the second physical information exceeds a threshold.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein, The method further includes: Discarding the second physical information and not sending response information, or demodulating the second physical information based on a threshold of a length of the second physical information or a threshold of a number of repetitions.

47. The method of claim 45 or 46, wherein, The reader-writer comprises one or more of the following: an access network device, a relay, an integrated access backhaul node, a terminal device, or a transponder.

48. A method of communication, the method comprising: The method is applied to a terminal device, and comprises: receiving first physical information and a first post-amble; satisfying a second condition, and stopping receiving the first physical information and the first post-amble; The second condition comprises one or more of the following: a length of the first physical information exceeding a threshold, or a number of repetitions of the first physical information exceeding a threshold.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein, The method further comprises: Discarding the first physical information and not sending response information, or sending a NACK, or demodulating the first physical information based on a threshold of a length of the first physical information or a threshold of a number of repetitions.

50. A method of communication, the method comprising: The method is applied to a reader-writer, and comprises: sending second signaling, the second signaling being used to indicate a state of a second mid-amble, the state of the second mid-amble comprising one or more of the following: There is no second mid-amble, the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform synchronization of D2R, the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform channel estimation of D2R, or the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform interference measurement.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein, The second signaling is further used to indicate a valid time length of the state of the second mid-amble.

52. The method of claim 50 or 51, wherein, The reader-writer comprises one or more of the following: an access network device, a relay, an integrated access backhaul node, a terminal device, or a transponder.

53. A method of communication, the method comprising: The method is applied to a terminal device, and comprises: receiving second signaling, the second signaling being used to indicate a state of a second mid-amble, the state of the second mid-amble comprising one or more of the following: There is no second mid-amble, the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform synchronization of D2R, the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform channel estimation of D2R, or the second mid-amble being used for the reader-writer to perform interference measurement.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein, The second signaling is further used to indicate a valid time length of the state of the second mid-amble.

55. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus comprises a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

56. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus comprises a processor; the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

57. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 to be implemented.

58. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 to be implemented.

59. A communication system, characterized by The communication system comprises the communication apparatus as claimed in claim 55 and as claimed in claim 56.

60. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus comprises a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24, or a module for performing the method according to any one of claims 25 to 37.

61. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor; the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 13-24, or is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 25-37.

62. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 13-24 to be implemented, or cause the method according to any one of claims 25-37 to be implemented.

63. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 13-24 to be implemented, or cause the method according to any one of claims 25-37 to be implemented.

64. A communication system, characterized by The communication system comprises the communication device as claimed in claim 60 and as claimed in claim 61.

65. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises means for performing the method according to any one of claims 38-41, or comprises means for performing the method according to any one of claims 42-44.

66. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor; the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 38-41, or is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 42-44.

67. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 38-41 to be implemented, or cause the method according to any one of claims 42-44 to be implemented.

68. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 38-41 to be implemented, or cause the method according to any one of claims 42-44 to be implemented.

69. A communication system, characterized by The communication system comprises the communication device as claimed in claim 65 and as claimed in claim 66.

70. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises means for performing the method according to any one of claims 45-47, or comprises means for performing the method according to claim 48 or 49.

71. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor; the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 45-47, or is configured to perform the method according to claim 48 or 49.

72. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising, The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 44-47 to be implemented, or cause the method according to claim 48 or 49 to be implemented.

73. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 44-47 to be implemented, or cause the method according to claim 48 or 49 to be implemented.

74. A communication system, characterized by The communication system comprises the communication device as claimed in claim 70 and as claimed in claim 71.

75. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises modules for performing the method according to any one of claims 50 to 52, or the communication device comprises modules for performing the method according to claim 53 or 54.

76. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises a processor; the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 50 to 52, or the processor is configured to perform the method according to claim 53 or 54.

77. A computer readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 50 to 52 to be implemented, or cause the method according to claim 53 or 54 to be implemented.

78. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 50 to 52 to be implemented, or cause the method according to claim 53 or 54 to be implemented.

79. A communication system, characterized by The communication system comprises a communication device as claimed in claim 75 and a communication device as claimed in claim 76.

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