Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and an apparatus. The method comprises: a first apparatus generates a first signal on the basis of a first pattern, and sends the first signal to a second apparatus; and the second apparatus analyzes the first signal, wherein the first apparatus supports a WLAN protocol, the second apparatus supports a cellular communication protocol, a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol, the first signal is used for requesting a resource and occupies N time-frequency units, the first pattern is used for indicating M time-frequency units amongst the N time-frequency units, the N time-frequency units correspond to the same time domain, M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N. In the method, the first signal can be identified by both apparatuses (for example, the first apparatus and the second apparatus) that support different communication protocols, such that the first apparatus can request the resource from the second apparatus by means of the first signal. Thus, the second apparatus dominates or coordinates scheduling of resources, so as to reduce resource conflicts as much as possible and improve quality of communication.

Description

Communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] The present application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411077349.5, filed on August 6, 2024, and entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0004] Due to the increasing scarcity of spectrum resources, communication systems supporting different communication protocols (such as cellular and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi / WIFI)) are allowed to share unlicensed spectrum. For example, cellular communication systems and WIFI communication systems are allowed to share unlicensed spectrum.

[0005] Communication systems deployed on unlicensed spectrum usually use a competitive approach to use / share wireless resources. That is, network element devices in a wireless communication system use the same or similar principles to compete fairly and use unlicensed spectrum resources. For example, when a device uses time-frequency resources on the unlicensed frequency band, it needs to perform listen-before-talk (LBT) detection. Through the detection result of LBT, it is determined that the device can use the time-frequency resources when the time-frequency resources are idle.

[0006] In the case of coexistence of cellular communication systems and WIFI communication systems, LBT performed by WIFI devices can affect the services of cellular communication systems, and there is a possibility of resource conflict, resulting in waste of air interface resources. SUMMARY

[0007] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for providing a spectrum sharing mechanism to reduce resource conflicts between at least two communication systems and improve communication quality.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be applied to a device supporting a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, e.g., the method is applied to a WIFI device, a component (e.g., a circuit, a chip, or a chip system) in the WIFI device, or a module or unit that implements part or all of the functionalities of the WIFI device. For ease of description, the method is described below as being applied to a first device. The first device supports a WLAN protocol. The first device can be a WIFI device itself, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system) in the WIFI device, or a logic node, a logic module, or software that implements all or part of the functionalities of the WIFI device. For example, the first device can be an access point (AP), or a chip or a chip system in the AP.

[0010] The communication method includes: generating, by the first device, a first signal based on a first pattern, and sending the first signal to a second device. The second device supports a cellular communication protocol. A subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol. The first signal is used to request a resource. The first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units. The N time-frequency units correspond to a same time domain. M and N are positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0011] The scheme provides the first signal for a scenario where communication systems supporting different communication protocols coexist. The first signal can be recognized by devices (e.g., the first device and the second device) supporting different communication protocols, so that the first device and the second device can communicate based on the first signal. For example, the first device can request a resource from the second device through the first signal. Through the scheme, the scheduling of the resource can be dominated or coordinated by the second device, so as to minimize resource conflicts and improve communication quality.

[0012] Optionally, the first signal is a bit pulse signal. M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units are coded as 1, and the remaining N-M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units are coded as 0. The M time-frequency units coded as 1 in the N time-frequency units are indicated by the first pattern, so as to realize the indication of the first signal.

[0013] In an implementation manner, a subcarrier spacing of the first signal is a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

[0014] In an implementation manner, the first pattern belongs to a first pattern set. The first pattern set further includes a second pattern. The first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

[0015] In the scheme, a plurality of patterns with different lengths can be defined, and any of the plurality of patterns can be used to generate the first signal. The pattern with a shorter length is nested in the pattern with a longer length. In this way, the first signal is generated based on the pattern with a longer length, wherein a part of the length corresponding to the first signal can represent a resource requirement, and another part of the length can be used for other purposes, for example, the other part can represent a priority of the resource requirement, which helps the second device to reasonably schedule resources according to the first signal and try to meet the actual requirement of the first device for the resources. Alternatively, different first devices can use patterns with the same length, so that even if a plurality of first devices do not request resources from the second device at the same time, since the first signals sent by the plurality of first devices are aligned in the frequency domain, the second device can be ensured to detect the signals in a certain frequency domain, so as to know that there is a first device requiring resources. Alternatively, different first devices can use patterns with different lengths, and since the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, the first signal generated based on the pattern with the longest length can be ensured to be detected.

[0016] For example, the resource requirement priority corresponding to the first pattern is a first priority, the resource requirement priority corresponding to the second pattern is a second priority, and the first priority and the second priority are different. It can be seen that more content, for example, the resource requirement priority, can be represented by the nested plurality of patterns.

[0017] In an implementation manner, the first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern being a pattern with the shortest length in the first pattern set, and the lengths of the patterns in the first pattern set except the third pattern are integer multiples of the length of the third pattern.

[0018] In the first pattern set, the lengths of the patterns except the third pattern are integer multiples of the length of the third pattern, so that the performance balance between the patterns with different lengths can be ensured as much as possible.

[0019] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving, by the first device, first indication information from the second device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set, or the first indication information being used to indicate a pattern with the longest length in the first pattern set.

[0020] In the scheme, the first pattern set is configured by the second device, which is more flexible. Of course, the first pattern set can also be predefined.

[0021] In an implementation manner, the first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponds to one time-frequency unit, the bits corresponding to the M time-frequency units are 1, and the bits corresponding to the remaining N-M time-frequency units are 0.

[0022] In an implementation form, the method further includes: receiving, by the first device, second indication information from the second device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

[0023] In this scheme, the second device can indicate the pattern used by the first device to reduce the interference of the first signal between adjacent cells.

[0024] In an implementation form, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern includes: the second indication information being used to indicate a first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or the second indication information being used to indicate a first sub-pattern in a pattern, the first sub-pattern being the first pattern.

[0025] This scheme provides two implementation forms of the second device indicating the first pattern. For example, the first pattern can be a part (e.g., also referred to as a sub-pattern) of the pattern with the longest length. For another example, the first pattern can be one pattern in a plurality of patterns.

[0026] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be applied to a device supporting a cellular communication protocol, e.g., the method is applied to a network device, a component (e.g., a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the network device; or the method is applied to a module or unit that completes part or all functions of the network device. For convenience of description, the method is taken as an example applied to a second device supporting a cellular communication protocol in the following. The first device can be the network device itself, or a component (e.g., a processor, a chip or a chip system) in the network device, or a logical node, a logical module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the network device. For example, the second device can be the network device, or the second device can be a chip or a chip system in the network device. For example, the second device can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) or a radio unit (RU) that implements part of the functions of the network device.

[0027] The communication method includes: receiving, by the second device, a first signal from a first device, parsing the first signal, and determining that the first signal is generated based on a first pattern. The first device supports a WLAN protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to a cellular communication protocol are different. The first signal is used to request a resource, and the first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the N time-frequency units correspond to a same time domain. M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0028] In an implementation form, a subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

[0029] In an implementation manner, the first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, and the first pattern set further includes a second pattern, wherein the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

[0030] In an implementation manner, the first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern being a pattern with the shortest length in the first pattern set, and a length of a pattern other than the third pattern in the first pattern set being an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

[0031] In an implementation manner, the first pattern corresponds to a first priority of resource requirement, the second pattern corresponds to a second priority of resource requirement, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

[0032] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: sending, by the second device, first indication information to the first device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set, or the first indication information being used to indicate a pattern with the longest length in the first pattern set.

[0033] In an implementation manner, the first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponding to one time-frequency unit, and a bit corresponding to each of the M time-frequency units being 1, and a bit corresponding to each of the remaining N-M time-frequency units being 0.

[0034] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: sending, by the second device, second indication information to the first device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

[0035] In an implementation manner, the second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern by: the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or the first indication information being used to indicate a first sub-pattern in one pattern, the first sub-pattern being the first pattern.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and the implementation manners thereof can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and any implementation manner thereof, which will not be repeated here.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which has the function of implementing the behaviors in the method examples of the first aspect or the second aspect, and the beneficial effects can be referred to the related description of the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be repeated here. For example, the communication apparatus can be the first apparatus in the first aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the first apparatus to implement the method provided by the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be an AP or a chip or chip system in the AP. For another example, the communication apparatus can be the second apparatus in the second aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the second apparatus to implement the method provided by the second aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or chip system in the network device.

[0038] In a possible design, the communication apparatus includes a baseband apparatus and a radio frequency apparatus.

[0039] In a possible design, the communication apparatus includes corresponding means (or modules or units) for performing the method of the first aspect or the second aspect, which can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. For example, the communication apparatus includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module or a processor) and / or a transceiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiving module or a transceiver). The transceiving unit can implement the sending function and the receiving function. When the transceiving unit implements the sending function, it can be referred to as a sending unit (sometimes also referred to as a sending module). When the transceiving unit implements the receiving function, it can be referred to as a receiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional unit, which is referred to as a transceiving unit and can implement the sending function and the receiving function. Alternatively, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional units, and the transceiving unit is a general term for these functional units. These units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of the first aspect or the second aspect, and details can be referred to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0040] For example, the communication apparatus is configured to perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of the first aspect, the processing module is configured to generate the first signal based on the first pattern, and the transceiving module is configured to send the first signal to the second apparatus. The second apparatus supports a cellular communication protocol, and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol. The first signal is used to request a resource, and the first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the N time-frequency units correspond to the same time domain. M and N are positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0041] For another example, the communication apparatus is configured to implement the corresponding functions in the method examples of the second aspect, the transceiver is configured to receive the first signal from the first apparatus, and the processor is configured to parse the first signal and determine that the first signal is generated based on the first pattern. The first apparatus supports a WLAN protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to a cellular communication protocol. The first signal is used to request a resource, and the first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the N time-frequency units correspond to a same time domain. M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a processor configured to cause the communication apparatus to perform the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof. Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a communication interface. Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a memory configured to store a computer program (which can also be referred to as code or instruction), data, etc. The processor is coupled with the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program, data, etc. from the memory, the communication apparatus performs the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof.

[0043] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes an input / output interface and a logic circuit. The input / output interface is configured to input and / or output information. The input / output interface can be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or a related circuit, etc. The logic circuit is configured to perform the method in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0044] In the fourth aspect and the fifth aspect, the communication apparatus can be the first apparatus in the first aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the first apparatus to implement the method provided in the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be an AP or a chip / chip system in the AP. Alternatively, the communication apparatus can be the second apparatus in the second aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the second apparatus to implement the method provided in the second aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a network device or a chip or chip system in the network device. The chip can be a baseband chip and / or a radio frequency chip, and the chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0045] In an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, when the communication apparatus is an AP, the interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the AP, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the AP. When the communication apparatus is a network device, the interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the network device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the network device.

[0046] In an implementation process of the fifth aspect, when the communication apparatus is a chip or a chip system, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the logic circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a flip-flop, various logic circuits, etc. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example but not limited to, a receiver, the output signal output by the output circuit can be output to and transmitted by, for example but not limited to, a transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. The specific implementation of the input / output interface and the logic circuit is not limited in the present application.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system comprising a WIFI device and a network device, wherein the WIFI device is configured to implement the functions of the method in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the functions of the method in the second aspect.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium configured to store a computer program or instructions, which when executed, cause the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof to be implemented.

[0049] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the method in the first aspect or the second aspect or any implementation manner thereof to be implemented.

[0050] The beneficial effects of the third aspect to the eighth aspect and the implementation manners thereof can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect to the second aspect and any implementation manner thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0051] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first resource according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of resource mapping of a first signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of resource mapping of first signals transmitted by two first devices according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a relationship between subcarrier spacings corresponding to communication protocols supported by a first device and a second device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG. 7 is a structure diagram of the first signaling according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG. 8 is a resource mapping diagram of each pattern in the first pattern set according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG. 9 is a structure diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG. 10 is another structure diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a communication system supporting at least two communication protocols. For example, the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a scenario where a communication system supporting a cellular communication protocol and a communication system supporting a WLAN protocol coexist, or the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a scenario where a cellular communication system and a WIFI communication system coexist.

[0062] The cellular communication system can be a third generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system / new radio (NR) communication system, or a future mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system, or other similar communication system. Other similar communication systems can include a vehicle to everything (V2X) system, an internet of things (IoT) system, and the like. The WIFI communication system can be a system suitable for institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.11 protocol (for example, IEEE 802.11ax protocol or future 802.11 protocol).

[0063] Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows a communication system to which embodiments of the present application are applicable. The communication system includes a cellular communication system and a WIFI communication system. The cellular communication system includes a radio access network and a core network (not shown in FIG. 1). The radio access network can include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. FIG. 1 takes an example in which the radio access network includes one network device and two terminal devices (i.e., terminal device 1 and terminal device 2). The network device and the terminal devices can communicate with each other. The WIFI communication system includes at least one access point and at least one station. FIG. 1 takes an example in which the WIFI communication system includes one access point and two stations (i.e., station 1 and station 2). The access point and the stations can communicate with each other. In addition, in embodiments of the present application, the cellular communication system and the WIFI communication system can communicate with each other. For example, the network device and the access point can communicate with each other. For example, the access point can request resources from the network device.

[0064] The network architecture shown in FIG. 1 is merely illustrative, and the number of terminal devices and / or network devices can be fewer or more. The communication system described in embodiments of the present application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable. For example, the communication system can also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art can know that, as the network architecture evolves, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced by corresponding devices, components, modules, etc. in the other communication systems, without limitation.

[0065] For the convenience of understanding the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, the following first explains related technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0066] (1) Network device

[0067] In embodiments of the present application, the network device refers to a (radio) access network ((R)AN) device / RAN node. In embodiments of the present application, (R)AN and RAN are alternative. The RAN can be a 3GPP related cellular system, for example, a 5G / NR mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolved system. The RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a virtualized RAN (vRAN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN), etc. The RAN can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems. The RAN device can also be referred to as a RAN node, a RAN entity, or an access node, etc.

[0068] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node / host node, or a radio controller, etc. The RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the RAN node in the V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0069] In another possible scenario, a RAN node can be a module or unit that completes part of the function of a base station; or multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist a terminal device to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the function of a base station. For example, a RAN node can be a CU, a DU, or a RU, etc. The function of the CU can be implemented by one entity, or also can be implemented by different entities. For example, the function of the CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane are separated and implemented by different entities, respectively, as a control plane CU entity (that is, a CU-control plane (CP) entity) and a user plane CU entity (that is, a CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the function of the RAN node. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or also can be included in the same network element, for example, in a baseband unit (BBU). Any one of the CU (or the CU-CP, the CU-UP), the DU, and the RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0070] In different systems, the CU (or the CU-CP and the CU-UP), the DU, or the RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, the CU-CP, the CU-UP, the DU, and the RU are taken as examples for description in this application.

[0071] The CU and the DU can be configured according to the protocol layer function of the wireless network they implement: for example, the CU is configured to implement the function of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and the protocol layer above (such as the radio resource control (RRC) layer and / or the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, etc.); and the DU is configured to implement the function of the protocol layer below the PDCP layer (such as the radio link control (RLC), the media access control (MAC) layer, and / or the physical (PHY) layer, etc.). For specific description of the above-mentioned various protocol layers, reference can be made to the relevant technical specifications of 3GPP or the technical specifications of other applicable communication protocols.

[0072] The above-mentioned processing functions of the CU and the DU are merely examples according to the protocol layer division, and the division can be performed in other manners, which is not limited in the present application. For example, in one design, the CU or the DU can also be divided into partial processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, partial functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are arranged in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are arranged in the DU.

[0073] In another possible design, the functions of the PHY layer are jointly implemented by the DU and the RU, or described as moving part of the PHY layer functions of the DU to the RU. One DU can be connected with one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and the RU can be configured in multiple manners according to the design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement intermediate radio frequency functions. For another example, the DU is configured to implement high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement low-layer functions in the PHY layer or implement the low-layer functions and radio frequency functions. The high-layer functions in the PHY layer can include part of the functions of the PHY layer, which are closer to the MAC layer, and the low-layer functions in the PHY layer can include another part of the functions of the PHY layer, which are closer to the intermediate radio frequency side. The present application does not limit the specific functions of the DU and the RU. The interface between the DU and the RU can be referred to as a front-haul interface. In one design, the CU can have no PDCP layer, for example, the CU only includes the RRC layer. The CU-CP has no PDCP-C. The CU-UP can have no PDCP-U, or have no CU-UP. In one design, the DU can have no RLC layer, for example, the DU only has the MAC and higher PHY layers.

[0074] When the RAN is an O-RAN, it can also have an artificial intelligence (AI) function, for example, the O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (non-real time RIC / non-RT RIC / NRT RIC), or a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (near-real time RIC / near-RT RIC / nRT RIC). The non-real time RIC can be used to implement non-real time intelligent management of the RAN function, can implement a workflow including model training and model updating, and guide applications / functions in the nRT RIC based on a policy. The near-real time RIC can be used to implement near-real time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near-real time control and optimization of modules and resources of the O-RAN are implemented.

[0075] (2) Terminal device

[0076] All terminal devices capable of data communication with a base station can be regarded as terminal devices. The terminal device is also called a terminal, a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a user device, a mobile station, or a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied to various scenarios, for example, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, a computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a station (STA), a mechanical arm, a camera, a robot, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, or a smart home device (such as a television, an air conditioner, a sweeper, a sound box, a set-top box), a relay, a customer premise equipment (CPE), etc.

[0077] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system, for example, a water meter, an electricity meter, etc. IoT is an important part of the future information technology development, and its main technical feature is to connect objects through communication technology and network, so as to realize the intelligent network of man-machine interconnection and object-object interconnection.

[0078] The terminal device can also be referred to as a V2X device when applied to V2X, for example, a smart car or an intelligent car, an unmanned car or a driverless car or a pilotless car or an automobile, a road site unit (RSU), etc. As introduced above, various terminal devices, if located on a vehicle (for example, placed / installed in the vehicle), can be considered as a vehicle-mounted terminal device. The vehicle-mounted terminal device can be built-in as one or more components or units in a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle-mounted module group, a vehicle-mounted component, a vehicle-mounted chip or a vehicle-mounted unit of the vehicle, and the vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted module group, vehicle-mounted component, vehicle-mounted chip or vehicle-mounted unit. The vehicle-mounted terminal device can be a whole vehicle device, a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle, an on board unit (OBU), an RSU, a telematics box (T-box), a chip or an SoC, etc. The above-mentioned chip or SoC can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU or T-box.

[0079] (3) Access point / AP

[0080] An access point is a device deployed in a wireless communication network to provide wireless communication functions for its associated stations (STAs). The access point can be used as the hub of the communication system, and can be a base station, a router, a gateway, a repeater, a communication server, a switch or a bridge, etc. For convenience of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as access points, and the access points involved in the present application are access points suitable for IEEE 802.11 system standards. For example, the AP is a network side product supporting the MAC and PHY of the 802.11 system standard, such as a router, a repeater, etc.

[0081] (4) Pulse signal

[0082] A pulse signal is a signal formed by a plurality of pulses, wherein a pulse is a signal that occurs for a short time in the entire signal period with respect to a continuous signal, and there is no signal in most of the signal period. Alternatively, the pulse signal can be understood as a kind of discrete signal, which is continuously sent according to a certain voltage amplitude and a certain time interval. In the embodiments of the present application, the time interval between adjacent pulse signals can be the same or different. For example, the pulse signal occupies N time-frequency units, wherein the voltage amplitudes on the N time-frequency units can be the same or different.

[0083] (5) Time-frequency unit

[0084] The time-frequency unit is a unit composed of a time domain unit and a frequency domain unit. The time domain unit refers to a unit of time in general. The time domain unit can be a radio frame, a subframe, a slot, a mini-slot, an OFDM symbol, a millisecond (ms), or a fractional millisecond (for example, 1 / 32 ms). Alternatively, the time domain unit is a unit of time of multiple slots, multiple subframes, multiple mini-slots, multiple OFDM symbols, several milliseconds (ms), or several fractional milliseconds. One radio frame can include multiple subframes, one subframe can include one or more slots, and one slot can include at least one symbol. Alternatively, one radio frame can include multiple slots, and one slot can include at least one symbol. The frequency domain unit refers to a unit of frequency in general. The frequency domain unit can be several subcarriers.

[0085] (6) In the embodiments of the present application, “transmit” includes “send” and / or “receive”. “Send” and “receive” refer to the direction of signal transmission. For example, “sending information to XX” can be understood as that the destination of the information is XX, which can include direct transmission through the air interface, and also includes indirect transmission through the air interface by other units or modules. “Receiving information from YY” can be understood as that the source of the information is YY, which can include direct reception from YY through the air interface, and also includes indirect reception from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. “Send” can also be understood as the “output” of the chip interface, and “receive” can also be understood as the “input” of the chip interface. In other words, transmission and reception can be between devices, for example, between an access network device and a terminal device, or can be within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, wire or interface.

[0086] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, represents "a singular noun or a plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B exists alone, and A / B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents that the associated objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and (or) c means that a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist simultaneously, a and c exist simultaneously, b and c exist simultaneously, or a and b and c exist simultaneously, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present application, "when", "if" and "whether" all refer to the objective situation that the device will make corresponding processing, and are not limited in time, and do not require the device to have a judgment action when it is implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" can be replaced, "when" and "in the case of" can be replaced. "When" and "if" / "if" can be replaced.

[0088] In the embodiments of the present application, the words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are intended to present the relevant concept in a specific manner.

[0089] The present application refers to "first", "second" and the like ordinal numbers in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority or importance of the plurality of objects. For example, the first device and the second device refer to two different devices, and do not mean that the priority or importance of the two devices is different.

[0090] As spectrum resource is more and more scarce, communication systems supporting different communication protocols (such as cellular and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi / WIFI)) are allowed to share unlicensed spectrum. For example, cellular communication systems and WIFI communication systems are allowed to share unlicensed spectrum. Communication systems deployed on unlicensed spectrum usually use a competitive manner to use / share wireless resources. That is, network element devices in a wireless communication system use the same or similar principles to fairly compete for and use unlicensed spectrum resources. For example, a device needs to perform LBT detection when using time-frequency resources on the unlicensed frequency band. Through the detection result of LBT, it is determined that the device can use the time-frequency resources when the time-frequency resources are idle.

[0091] In the case of coexistence of cellular communication systems and WIFI communication systems, WIFI device LBT will affect the services of the cellular communication system, and there is a possibility of resource conflict, causing waste of air interface resources.

[0092] In view of this, the scheme of the embodiments of the present application is provided. In the embodiments of the present application, spectrum sharing is realized based on a coexistence signal. The coexistence signal refers to a signal that can be recognized by devices supporting a cellular communication protocol (for example, referred to as a cellular device) and devices supporting a WLAN protocol (for example, referred to as a WIFI device). In this way, when an access point has resource requirements, it can request resources from a network device based on the coexistence signal, and the network device can guide or coordinate the scheduling of resources, thereby minimizing resource conflicts and improving communication quality.

[0093] It should be understood that the communication protocols supported by the cellular device and the WIFI device are different, or the communication parameters of the cellular communication system and the communication parameters of the WIFI communication system are different. Therefore, the cellular device and the WIFI device interpret the same signal differently, or in other words, the cellular device cannot recognize the signal sent by the WIFI device, and the WIFI device cannot recognize the signal sent by the cellular device. For example, the subcarrier spacing of the cellular system is usually 15 kHz or 30 kHz, and the subcarrier spacing of the WIFI system is usually 78.125 kHz. The cellular device transmits a signal according to the subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz or 30 kHz, and the WIFI device interprets the received signal according to the subcarrier spacing of 78.125 kHz, which can cause incorrect interpretation of the signal.

[0094] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application propose that a pulse signal can be used as a coexistence signal between the cellular system and the WIFI system. For the pulse signal, the device can recognize it through energy detection, so that the cellular system and the WIFI system can both recognize the pulse signal. Based on this, a possible pulse signal can be designed for the WIFI device to request resources from the cellular device, so as to realize the scheduling of resources guided or coordinated by the cellular device, minimize resource conflicts, and improve communication quality.

[0095] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is described below.

[0096] In the following description, the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is taken as an example applied to the network architecture shown in FIG. 1, and the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be executed by a first device and a second device. The steps executed by the first device can be implemented by the AP itself or by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing unit or processor, etc.) in the AP. The steps executed by the second device can be implemented by the RAN device itself or by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing unit or processor, etc.) in the RAN device, or by a component (such as a CU, DU or RU) that completes part or all of the functions of the RAN device. The specific forms of the first device and the second device are not limited, for example, the first device can be a partial functional unit in a device, and the second device can be a device; or both the first device and the second device are partial functional units in a device or devices. In possible scenarios, the first device can be an access point shown in FIG. 1, or can also be a processor in the access point in FIG. 1; the second device can be a network device in FIG. 1, or can also be a CU / DU / RU in the network device in FIG. 1.

[0097] The first device supports a WLAN protocol, the second device supports a cellular communication protocol, and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol are different.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 2, it is a flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. FIG. 2 describes the method from the perspective of the interaction between the first device and the second device. It should be understood that the communication method can also be implemented by other devices, for example, by a chip or a communication device with communication function. In addition, the processing performed by a single execution subject can also be divided into processing performed by multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the second device can be divided into processing performed by at least one of a CU, a DU, a RU, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the flow of the communication method includes the following steps.

[0099] S201, the first device sends a first signal to the second device, and correspondingly, the second device receives the first signal from the first device.

[0100] The first signal can be used for the first device to request resources from the second device. When the first device has resource requirements, the first signal can be sent to the second device. The specific name of the first signal is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, for example, the first signal can also be called a request signal (RS) or a resource request signal.

[0101] The first device can transmit the first signal on the first resource, which can be (pre)configured or predefined. Alternatively, the first device can be scheduled by the second device or by another device. The first resource can be a periodic resource, and a period of the first resource can be predefined or (pre)configured.

[0102] For example, referring to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram of the first resource provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. FIG. 3 takes the first resource as an example, which is configured by a signal on a second resource. The second resource can be periodic. The first resource can also be a periodic resource. In a possible implementation, a first guard interval is reserved before the first resource, and a second guard interval is reserved after the first resource, as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the second guard interval is greater than the first guard interval, so that even if the first device and the second device have a time deviation, the first signal can be received by the second device within the first resource as much as possible.

[0103] The first signal can be a pulse signal, which can be interpreted / recognized based on energy detection, so that the first device and the second device can both recognize the first signal. It can be understood that the pulse signal uses the presence or absence of a signal on a subcarrier to represent digital information, and the bit information corresponding to the signal is mapped to at least one time-frequency unit through modulation. The bit information of the signal is determined by detecting whether there is a signal on the time-frequency unit. The time-frequency unit with a signal means that the signal amplitude on the time-frequency unit is not zero or is higher than a certain threshold, and such a time-frequency unit can be coded as 1; correspondingly, the time-frequency unit without a signal means that the signal amplitude on the time-frequency unit is zero or lower than a certain threshold, and such a time-frequency unit can be coded as 0.

[0104] The first signal can be generated based on a first pattern, or the first pattern can be used to generate the first signal. The first pattern can indicate the bit information corresponding to the first signal. Taking an example in which the first signal occupies N time-frequency units, that is, the first signal is mapped to N time-frequency units, wherein the time domain corresponding to the N time-frequency units is the same. In this case, the first pattern can indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N. When the first pattern indicates M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, it can be defaulted that the M time-frequency units can be coded as 1, and the remaining N-M time-frequency units are coded as 0. For example, the first signal corresponds to a first sequence, the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponds to one time-frequency unit, each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units corresponds to a bit of 1, and each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units corresponds to a bit of 0.

[0105] The first pattern indicates M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the M time-frequency units are coded as 1, and the remaining N-M time-frequency units are coded as 0; or the first pattern indicates M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the signal amplitudes on the M time-frequency units are not 0; or the first pattern indicates M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the signal amplitudes on the M time-frequency units are 1, and the signal amplitudes on the remaining N-M time-frequency units are 0. It should be noted that the signal amplitudes of 1 or 0 refer to the results of signal amplitude normalization.

[0106] The first device maps the first signal to the N time-frequency units according to the first pattern to form the pulse modulation signal when the first device transmits the first signal.

[0107] For example, referring to FIG. 4, a resource mapping diagram of the first signal provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. FIG. 4 takes the ratio of the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WIFI protocol to the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol as 3:2, or the ratio of the subcarrier bandwidth corresponding to the WIFI protocol to the subcarrier bandwidth corresponding to the cellular communication protocol as 2:3 as an example.

[0108] Taking the first pattern or the first signal as {1010} as an example, the first pattern corresponds to 4 time-frequency units, which are time-frequency unit 0-time-frequency unit 3. On the first device side, each time-frequency unit where the first signal is located corresponds to 2 WIFI subcarriers; on the second device side, each time-frequency unit where the first signal is located corresponds to 3 cellular subcarriers. The first device transmits the first signal on the 4 time-frequency units, and the second device detects the first signal on the 4 time-frequency units. The process of detecting the first signal by the second device is an energy detection process, which can detect the amplitudes of the signals on each time-frequency unit. In a possible implementation manner, the amplitudes of the signals on the time-frequency unit 0-time-frequency unit 3 can be detected based on a certain threshold. If the amplitude of the signal on a time-frequency unit exceeds the threshold, the time-frequency unit is coded as 1; if the amplitude of the signal on a time-frequency unit is lower than the threshold, the time-frequency unit is coded as 0. Alternatively, during the detection process, the threshold can be gradually increased until the first signal can be detected.

[0109] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the first signal is sent by the first device, and the subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol. However, when the first signal is a pulse signal, the second device can recognize / detect the first signal through energy detection. In this way, the second device can recognize the first device, and the communication between the two devices can be implemented as long as the meaning or function of the first signal / first pattern is defined. For example, the first signal can be used to request resources, and the second device can determine that the first device needs resources when the second device detects the first signal. When the second device determines that the first device needs resources, the second device can schedule fewer resources to leave more available resources for the first device to use. The embodiments of the present application do not limit how the first device uses the available resources. For example, the first device can determine an idle resource from the available resources through LBT, and perform service transmission through the idle resource.

[0110] In addition, there can be multiple first devices requesting resources from the second device, and the multiple first devices can use the same first signal / first pattern. In this way, even if the multiple first devices do not send the first signal at the same time, the second device can still detect the first signal through energy detection and determine that the first device needs resources.

[0111] For example, referring to FIG. 5, a resource mapping diagram of the first signals sent by two first devices according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. In FIG. 5, two first devices are taken as an access point 1 and an access point 2. The patterns corresponding to the first signals sent by the access point 1 and the access point 2 are both {1010}. As can be seen from FIG. 5, although the access point 1 and the access point 2 send the first signal at different times, the second device can still detect {1010} through energy detection because the patterns corresponding to the first signals sent by the access point 1 and the access point 2 are both {1010}. Therefore, when there are multiple first devices that need resources, the multiple first devices can send the first signal using the same pattern.

[0112] It can be understood that FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 take the ratio between the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the communication protocol supported by the first device and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the communication protocol supported by the second device as an example of about 3:2. In actual scenarios, the ratio between the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the communication protocol supported by the first device and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the communication protocol supported by the second device should be based on actual application scenarios.

[0113] For example, please refer to FIG. 6, which is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the communication protocol supported by the first device and the second device according to an embodiment of the present application. In FIG. 6, the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol supported by the first device is 78.125 kHz, and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol supported by the second device is 15 kHz. The ratio between the two is about 125:24, or about 5:1. It can be agreed that the number of subcarriers on each time-frequency unit is on the first device side. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, one time-frequency unit corresponds to one subcarrier on the first device side, but one time-frequency unit corresponds to 5 or 6 subcarriers on the second device side. The second device can detect the first signal sent by the first device by checking the energy on each time-frequency unit.

[0114] In a possible implementation, a plurality of patterns can be predefined, and one pattern corresponds to one pulse signal. Alternatively, a plurality of pulse signals can be predefined. For example, the following plurality of patterns can be predefined: {1010}, {0101}, {10011}, {01010}, {100101}, {010101}, etc. The length of the pattern is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the lengths of the plurality of patterns can be the same or different. In this way, the first device can select a suitable pulse signal or pattern based on the size of the first resource, and request the resource from the second device, which is more flexible. For example, if the first resource occupies a large number of time-frequency units, a pulse signal or pattern with a longer length can be selected to request the resource from the second device; if the first resource occupies a small number of time-frequency units, a pulse signal or pattern with a shorter length can be selected to request the resource from the second device.

[0115] The first device can request the resource from the second device based on any pulse signal. Considering that there can be a plurality of first devices requesting the resource from the second device, and the second device detects the first signal from one or more first devices through energy detection, if the first signals adopted by the plurality of first devices are different, interference can occur between them, resulting in false detection of the first signal by the second device, or even failure to detect the first signal.

[0116] Therefore, it can be agreed that at least one first device in the same cell uses one pulse signal or obtains the first signal based on the same pattern, and the pulse signals or patterns adopted between different cells can be different, so as to reduce the interference between adjacent cells, thereby reducing the false detection of the first signal from the cell 1 or the cell 2.

[0117] In an implementation, the pattern used by the first device can be configured / indicated by the second device or other devices to reduce interference of the first signals between neighboring cells. For example, the second device can send second indication information to the first device, which can indicate the first pattern.

[0118] The second indication information can be carried in a first field in the first signaling, as shown in FIG. 7. The specific name of the first field is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the first field can be referred to as a pattern field. Optionally, the first signaling can further include a second field, which can be used for time synchronization and frequency synchronization between the first device and the second device. The specific name of the second field is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the second field can be referred to as a preamble field (as an example in FIG. 7). The specific implementation form of the first signaling is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, as long as the first device can identify / analyze the first signaling.

[0119] As an example, a plurality of patterns can be defined, and the set of the plurality of patterns can be referred to as a first pattern set. For example, the first pattern set includes a first pattern and a second pattern, and the like. The first indication information can be used to indicate a first pattern in the first pattern set / plurality of patterns. For example, the second indication information can include an index of the first pattern. For example, the second indication information occupies P bits, and one value / state of the P bits corresponds to one pattern, where P is a positive integer.

[0120] For example, please refer to Table 1, which shows the correspondence between P bits and a plurality of patterns. Table 1 takes P=2 as an example, and can indicate four patterns. As shown in Table 1, when the value of the P bits is 00, the index of the first pattern is 0, and the first device can determine the first pattern according to the index of the first pattern.

[0121] Table 1

[0122] As another example, one pattern (for example, referred to as the Xth pattern) can be defined, and the second indication information can be used to indicate a first sub-pattern in the Xth pattern, which is the first pattern. The second indication information can include a first value, and a second value can represent the length of the first sub-pattern. In this case, the starting position of the first sub-pattern can be defaulted as the starting position of the Xth pattern, so that the first sub-pattern / first pattern can be determined based on the second indication information and the Xth pattern.

[0123] Considering that different first devices perform different services, the demand for resources is also different, or the urgency of the demand for resources is different. In order to assist the second device to more reasonably schedule resources, the first device can inform the second device of the demand for resources, so that the second device can more reasonably schedule resources to try to meet the actual demand of each first device for resources.

[0124] The requirement for resources can also be carried in the first signal. In other words, the first signal can carry the actual requirement information of the first device for resources in addition to requesting resources from the second device. In a possible implementation, part of the bits in the first signal are used to request resources, and another part of the bits in the first signal are used to carry the actual requirement information of the first device for resources. Accordingly, part of a pattern is used to indicate requesting resources, and another part is used to indicate the actual requirement of the first device for resources.

[0125] For multiple patterns, in order to accurately determine whether each first device requests resources and ensure that the first signal generated based on the pattern with the longest length can be detected by the second device, a pattern with a shorter length can be nested in a pattern with a longer length. For example, the patterns included in the first pattern set can be nested patterns with different lengths. For example, the first pattern set includes a first pattern and a second pattern, if the length of the first pattern is less than the length of the second pattern, the first pattern is nested in the second pattern. If the length of the first pattern is greater than the length of the second pattern, the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

[0126] The first signal is generated based on the pattern with the longer length, wherein a part of the length of the first signal can represent a requirement for resources, and another part can represent a priority of the requirement for resources, which helps the second device to reasonably schedule resources according to the first signal and try to meet the actual requirement of the first device for resources. Alternatively, different first devices can use patterns with the same length, so that even if multiple first devices do not request resources from the second device at the same time, since the first signals sent by the multiple first devices are aligned in the frequency domain, the second device can be ensured to detect the signals in a certain frequency domain, so as to know that there is a first device that needs resources. Alternatively, different first devices can use patterns with different lengths, and since the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, the first signal generated based on the pattern with the longest length can also be ensured to be detected.

[0127] Alternatively, it can be agreed that the pattern with the shortest length can be used to request resources, and the patterns with the remaining lengths can be used for other purposes in addition to requesting resources. Taking the other purpose as an example of indicating a priority of a requirement for resources, for example, assuming that the first pattern is the pattern with the shortest length in the first pattern set, the same part of the second pattern as the first pattern is used to request resources, and the part of the second pattern other than the part of the first pattern can be used to indicate a priority of a requirement for resources. Different lengths of patterns indicate different priorities of requirements for resources. For example, the first pattern corresponds to a first priority of a requirement for resources, and the second pattern corresponds to a second priority of a requirement for resources, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

[0128] It should be noted that the application embodiments do not limit the manner of dividing the resource demand priority. For example, the resource demand priority can be divided according to the service priority, and the higher the service priority, the higher the resource demand priority. For another example, the resource demand priority can be divided according to the resource demand amount, and the greater the resource demand amount, the higher the resource demand priority.

[0129] In a possible implementation, the first pattern set can be predefined or configured. For example, the first pattern set can be configured / indicated by the second device or configured / indicated by another device. For example, the second device can send first indication information to the first device, and the first indication information can indicate the first pattern set or indicate the longest pattern in the first pattern set.

[0130] The first indication information can include the index of each pattern included in the first pattern set, thereby indicating the first pattern set. Alternatively, the first indication information can include the index of the longest pattern in the first pattern set, and the length of the nested pattern is agreed, and the first indication information can also indicate the first pattern set.

[0131] It can be agreed that when each pattern is mapped on a frequency domain unit, the mapping is performed in the order from high to low or from low to high in frequency, so that even if the multiple first devices transmit the first signals based on patterns of different lengths, the first pattern can be nested in the second pattern, and it can be ensured that the first signal generated based on the longest pattern is detected.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 8, a resource mapping diagram of each pattern in the first pattern set provided by the application embodiments is shown. FIG. 8 takes the first pattern set including the first pattern, the second pattern, and the fourth pattern as an example. The first pattern is {1010}, the second pattern is {10100101}, and the third pattern is {101001010110}. As can be seen from FIG. 8, the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, and the second pattern is nested in the fourth pattern.

[0133] Based on the first pattern set shown in FIG. 8, even if the multiple first devices do not transmit the first signals at the same time, the second device can still determine that the multiple first devices have resource demands. For example, the second device can still detect the part representing the resource demand in the first signal transmitted by each first device. As shown in FIG. 8, the first signal corresponding to the first pattern transmitted by the access point 1 is {1010}, and the second pattern corresponding to the first signal transmitted by the access point 1 is {10100101}. As can be seen from FIG. 8, although the access point 1 and the access point 2 transmit the first signals at different times, the second device can still detect the first pattern {1010} through energy detection because the first pattern is nested in the second pattern. Therefore, when multiple first devices have resource demands, the multiple first devices can transmit the first signals by using the same pattern.

[0134] Furthermore, assuming the shortest pattern in the first pattern set is the third pattern, the lengths of all patterns in the first pattern set except the third pattern are integer multiples of the length of the third pattern, as shown in Figure 8. This ensures a better balance in performance among patterns of different lengths. It should be understood that the first pattern can be any pattern in the first pattern set.

[0135] S202, The second device analyzes the first signal and determines that the first signal is generated based on the first pattern.

[0136] The process of the second device parsing the first signal can also be viewed as the process of the second device detecting the first signal. The second device detects the first signal by determining the amplitude of the signal in each of the N time-frequency units carrying the first signal, in order to decode the N time-frequency units. It can be understood that the decoding result of the N time-frequency units is a first pattern. The second device can determine the purpose of the first signal based on the first pattern. For example, if the first pattern is used to represent a request for resources, then the second device can determine that the first device has resource requirements, and can free up more available resources for the first device to use, thereby reducing resource conflicts and improving communication quality.

[0137] Of course, if the first signal is also used to indicate resource demand priority, the second device can determine the resource demand priority based on the first pattern determined by parsing the first signal. Then, the second device can rationally allocate resources according to the resource demand priority. For example, if the resource demand priority indicates a large resource demand, the second device can allocate more available resources to minimize the impact on the communication of the first device. Conversely, if the resource demand priority indicates a small resource demand, the second device can allocate fewer available resources to minimize the impact on the communication of the second device.

[0138] Optionally, when multiple first devices request resources and the resource request priorities of the multiple first devices are different, the second device may schedule resources based on the highest priority among the resource request priorities of the multiple first devices.

[0139] This application proposes using pulse signals as a coexistence signal between cellular and Wi-Fi systems. Devices can identify pulse signals through energy detection, thus allowing both cellular and Wi-Fi systems to recognize them. Based on this, possible pulse signals can be designed for Wi-Fi devices to request resources from cellular devices, thereby enabling cellular devices to lead or coordinate resource scheduling, minimizing resource conflicts, and improving communication quality.

[0140] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application is introduced by taking the first device and the second device as examples. In the present application, each embodiment can be implemented independently or in combination based on certain internal relations. In each embodiment, different implementation manners can be implemented in combination or independently. In order to implement the functions in the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the steps performed by the first device can be implemented by the first device itself, or can be implemented by a functional entity comprising the first device, or can be implemented by different functional entities constituting the first device. The steps performed by the second device can be implemented by the second device itself, or can be implemented by different functional entities constituting the second device, or can be implemented by a functional entity comprising the second device. For example, the second device is an access network device, which can be a CU-DU-RU architecture, the CU or the DU can parse the received first signal, and the RU can receive the first signal. In order to implement the functions in the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the first device and the second device can comprise hardware structures and / or software modules, and the above functions are implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules. Whether a certain function in the above functions is implemented in the form of hardware structure, software module, or hardware structure plus software module depends on the specific application of the technical solution and the design constraint conditions.

[0141] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiments, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiments of the present application is introduced below in conjunction with the drawings. The content in the foregoing can be used in the subsequent embodiments, and the repeated content will not be described again.

[0142] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 900 according to the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 900 can be configured to implement the functions or steps of the first device in the above-described various method embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 900 can be the AP in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 900 can be a chip (system) in the AP; or the communication apparatus 900 can be a software module in the AP. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 900 can be configured to implement the functions or steps of the second device in the above-described various method embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 900 can be the network device in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 900 can be a chip (system) in the network device; or the communication apparatus 900 can be a software module in the network device. The communication apparatus 900 can include a processing module 910 and a transceiver module 920. Optionally, the communication apparatus 900 can further include a storage module, which can be configured to store instructions (codes or programs) and / or data. The storage module can be, for example, a memory. The processing module 910 and the transceiver module 920 can be coupled to the storage module. For example, the processing module 910 can read the instructions (codes or programs) and / or data in the storage module to implement corresponding methods. When the communication apparatus 900 is a chip in the AP, the storage module can be a storage module in the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. For example, the storage module can also be a storage module outside the chip in the network device, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc. The above-described various units can be independently arranged, or partially or entirely integrated.

[0143] The processing module 910 can be a processor or a controller, for example, can be a general central processing unit (CPU), a general processor, a digital signal processing (DSP), an application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logical blocks, modules and circuits described in combination with the disclosure. The processor can also be a combination of computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, combinations of DSP and microprocessor, etc. The transceiver module 920 is a transceiver, interface circuit, bus, pin or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the transceiver module 920 is an interface circuit of the chip for receiving signals from other chips or devices, or is an interface circuit of the chip for transmitting signals to other chips or devices.

[0144] In an implementation manner, the communication device 900 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the first device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 900 can be an access point, can be a component (for example, a chip or a circuit) in the access point, can be a part of a chip or a chip set in the access point for executing related method functions, or can be a software module in the first device capable of implementing the above communication method, without limitation. For details, reference can be made to the related content of the above method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0145] For example, the processing module 910 is configured to generate a first signal based on a first pattern. The transceiver module 920 is configured to transmit the first signal to a second device. The second device supports a cellular communication protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to a WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol. The first signal is used to request a resource, and the first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the N time-frequency units correspond to a same time domain. M and N are both positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0146] As an optional implementation manner, the subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

[0147] As an optional implementation manner, the first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, and the first pattern set further includes a second pattern. The first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

[0148] As an optional implementation, the resource requirement priority corresponding to the first pattern is a first priority, and the resource requirement priority corresponding to the second pattern is a second priority, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

[0149] As an optional implementation, the first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern being the shortest pattern in the first pattern set, and the length of the pattern other than the third pattern in the first pattern set being an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

[0150] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 920 is further configured to receive first indication information from the second device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set, or the first indication information being used to indicate the longest pattern in the first pattern set.

[0151] As an optional implementation, the first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, and the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponding to one time-frequency unit, and the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units being 1, and the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units being 0.

[0152] As an optional implementation, the transceiver is further configured to receive second indication information from the second device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

[0153] As an optional implementation, the second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern, including: the second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern in the plurality of patterns; or the second indication information is used to indicate a first sub-pattern in one pattern, the first sub-pattern being the first pattern.

[0154] In an implementation, the communication device 900 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the second device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 900 can be a network device, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) in the network device, or a part of the chip or chip set in the network device for executing related method functions, or a software module in the second device capable of implementing the above communication method, without limitation. For details, reference can be made to the related content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0155] For example, the transceiving module 920 is configured to receive a first signal from a first device. The processing module 910 is configured to parse the first signal, and determine that the first signal is generated based on a first pattern. The first device supports a WLAN protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to a cellular communication protocol. The first signal is used to request a resource, and the first signal occupies N time-frequency units. The first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the M time-frequency units correspond to a same time domain. M and N are positive integers, and M is less than N.

[0156] As an optional implementation, the subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

[0157] As an optional implementation, the first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, and the first pattern set further includes a second pattern. The first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

[0158] As an optional implementation, the first pattern set includes a third pattern, and the third pattern is a pattern with the shortest length in the first pattern set. The lengths of the patterns in the first pattern set except the third pattern are integer multiples of the length of the third pattern.

[0159] As an optional implementation, a resource requirement priority corresponding to the first pattern is a first priority, a resource requirement priority corresponding to the second pattern is a second priority, and the first priority is different from the second priority.

[0160] As an optional implementation, the transceiving module 920 is further configured to send first indication information to the first device. The first indication information is used to indicate the first pattern set, or the first indication information is used to indicate a pattern with the longest length in the first pattern set.

[0161] As an optional implementation, the first pattern corresponds to a first sequence. The first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponds to one time-frequency unit, and the bits corresponding to the M time-frequency units are 1, and the bits corresponding to the remaining N-M time-frequency units are 0.

[0162] As an optional implementation, the transceiving module 920 is further configured to send second indication information to the first device. The second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern.

[0163] As an optional implementation, the second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern in the following manners: the second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or the second indication information is used to indicate a first sub-pattern in one pattern, and the first sub-pattern is the first pattern.

[0164] When the communication apparatus 900 is a chip type apparatus or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0165] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 1000 can be the first device or the second device in the above embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 1000 can be an access point or a chip (system) in the access point in FIG. 1. For another example, the communication apparatus 1000 can be a network device or a chip (system) in the network device in FIG. 1. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices. For specific functions, refer to the description in the method embodiments.

[0166] The communication apparatus 1000 includes one or more processors 1001 for implementing or supporting implementation of the functions of the first device or the second device of the method according to the embodiments of the present application. For specific functions, refer to the detailed description in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The processor 1001 can also be referred to as a processing unit or a processing module, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1001 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor. For example, it includes a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video coding and decoding processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor, etc. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication apparatus 1000 (such as a terminal device or a network device), execute software programs and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices, or can be integrated into one or more processors, such as integrated into one or more application specific integrated circuits.

[0167] In one design, the processor 1001 can include a program 1003 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 1001, so that the communication apparatus 1000 performs the method described in the following embodiments. In another possible design, the communication apparatus 1000 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG. 10) for implementing the functions of the first device or the second device in the above embodiments.

[0168] In one design, the communication device 1000 can include one or more memories 1002 having program 1004 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions) stored thereon, which can be run on the processor 1001 to cause the communication device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0169] In one possible design, the processor 1001 and / or the memory 1002 can also store data. The processor and the memory can be separately provided or integrated together.

[0170] In one possible design, the communication device 1000 can also include a transceiver 1005 and / or an antenna 1006. The processor 1001 can also be referred to as a processing unit, which controls the communication device 1000. The transceiver 1005 can also be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, a transceiving circuit, or a transceiver, etc., which is used to implement the transceiving function of the communication device 1000 through the antenna 1006.

[0171] In one possible design, the communication device 1000 can also include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, an internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It can be understood that, in some embodiments, the communication device 1000 can include more or less components, or some components can be integrated, or some components can be split. These components can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0172] The communication device in the above embodiments can be an access point / network device, can be a circuit, can be a chip applied in an access point / network device, or can be other combined devices, components, etc. with the terminal device. When the communication device is an access point / network device, the transceiver module can be a transceiver, can include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, such as a CPU. When the communication device is a chip system, the communication device can be an FPGA, can be a special ASIC, can be a SoC, can be a CPU, can be a network processor (NP), can be a DSP, can be a micro controller unit (MCU), can be a programmable logic device (PLD), or can be other integrated chips. The processing module can be a processor of the chip system. The transceiver module or the communication interface can be an input / output interface or an interface circuit of the chip system. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in a memory, can be directly read from the memory, or can be read from the memory through other devices) and transmit the code instructions to the processor; the processor can be used to run the code instructions to perform the method in the above method embodiments. For another example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver.

[0173] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which includes at least one access point and at least one network device. The access point is a device used to implement the functions of the first device in the above communication method. The network device is a device used to implement the functions of the second device in the above communication method.

[0174] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which includes instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method performed by the first device or the second device in the above communication method.

[0175] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which includes computer program codes. When the computer program codes are executed, the computer is caused to perform the method performed by the first device or the second device in the above communication method.

[0176] The embodiments of the present application provide a chip system, which includes a processor, and can further include a memory, and is used to implement the functions of the first device or the second device in the above communication method. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0177] To achieve the functions of the communication apparatus in FIG. 9-10, the embodiment of the present application further provides a chip comprising a processor for supporting the communication apparatus to achieve the functions of the first device or the second device involved in the method embodiments.

[0178] In a possible design, the chip is connected with a memory or the chip comprises the memory, and the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions and data necessary for the communication apparatus.

[0179] It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of the above processes does not mean the sequence of execution, and the execution sequence of the processes should be determined according to their functions and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0180] Those skilled in the art can realize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. The skilled person 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.

[0181] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, apparatus and unit can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0182] In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method can be implemented by other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, apparatuses or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0183] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, i.e. they can be located in one place or distributed on a plurality of network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment of the present application.

[0184] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part of the technical solutions of the present application that essentially contributes or the part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0185] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a first device, characterized in that, The method comprises: generating a first signal based on a first pattern, the first signal being used for requesting resources, the first signal occupying N time-frequency units, the first pattern being used for indicating M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, the N time-frequency units corresponding to a same time domain, the M and the N being positive integers, and the M being smaller than the N; sending the first signal to a second device, wherein the first device supports a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, the second device supports a cellular communication protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, A subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, the first pattern set further comprising a second pattern, the first pattern being nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern being nested in the first pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first pattern set comprises a third pattern, the third pattern being a pattern with a shortest length in the first pattern set, and a length of a pattern other than the third pattern in the first pattern set being an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

5. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein, A resource requirement priority corresponding to the first pattern is a first priority, a resource requirement priority corresponding to the second pattern is a second priority, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

6. The method of any one of claims 3-5, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving first indication information from the second device, the first indication information being used for indicating a pattern with a longest length in the first pattern set, or the first indication information being used for indicating the first pattern set.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponding to one time-frequency unit, a bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units being 1, and a bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units being 0.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving second indication information from the second device, the second indication information being used for indicating the first pattern.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The second indication information used for indicating the first pattern comprises: The second indication information is used for indicating the first pattern in a plurality of patterns, or The second indication information is used for indicating a first sub-pattern in one pattern, wherein the first sub-pattern is the first pattern. 10.A communication method applied to a second device, the method comprising: The method comprises: receiving a first signal from a first device, the first signal being used for requesting resources, wherein the first device supports a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, the second device supports a cellular communication protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol; parsing the first signal to determine that the first signal is generated based on a first pattern, wherein the first signal occupies N time-frequency units, the first pattern is used for indicating M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, the N time-frequency units corresponding to a same time domain, the M and the N being positive integers, and the M being smaller than the N.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, A subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, the first pattern set further includes a second pattern, the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern is the shortest pattern in the first pattern set, and the length of the pattern other than the third pattern in the first pattern set is an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first priority of resource demand, the second pattern corresponds to a second priority of resource demand, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

15. The method of any one of claims 12-14, wherein, The method further includes: sending first indication information to the first device, the first indication information being used to indicate the longest pattern in the first pattern set; or the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set.

16. The method of any one of claims 10-15, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponds to one time-frequency unit, the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units is 1, and the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units is 0.

17. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The method further includes: sending second indication information to the first device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern, including: The second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or, The second indication information is used to indicate a first sub-pattern in a pattern, wherein the first sub-pattern is the first pattern.

19. A communications device, characterized by Including: a processing module, configured to generate a first signal based on a first pattern, the first signal being used to request a resource, the first signal occupying N time-frequency units, the first pattern being used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, the N time-frequency units corresponding to the same time domain, and the M and the N being positive integers, and the M being less than the N; a transceiver module, configured to send the first signal to a second device, wherein the communication device supports a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, the second device supports a cellular communication protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, The first signal has a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, the first pattern set further includes a second pattern, the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, The first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern is the shortest pattern in the first pattern set, and the length of the pattern other than the third pattern in the first pattern set is an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 or 22, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first priority of resource demand, the second pattern corresponds to a second priority of resource demand, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

24. The apparatus of any one of claims 21-23, wherein, The transceiver module is further configured to: receive first indication information from the second device, the first indication information being used to indicate a pattern with the longest length in the first pattern set, or the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set.

25. The apparatus of any one of claims 19-24, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponding to one time-frequency unit, the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units being 1, and the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units being 0.

26. The apparatus of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The transceiver module is further configured to: receive second indication information from the second device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein, The second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern, including: The second indication information is used to indicate the first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or, The second indication information is used to indicate a first sub-pattern in a pattern, wherein the first sub-pattern is the first pattern.

28. A communications device, characterized by including: The transceiver module is configured to receive a first signal from a first device, the first signal being used to request a resource, wherein the first device supports a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol, the communication device supports a cellular communication protocol, and a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol is different from a subcarrier spacing corresponding to the cellular communication protocol. The processing module is configured to parse the first signal and determine that the first signal is generated based on a first pattern, wherein the first signal occupies N time-frequency units, the first pattern is used to indicate M time-frequency units in the N time-frequency units, and the N time-frequency units correspond to the same time domain.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein, The subcarrier spacing of the first signal is the subcarrier spacing corresponding to the WLAN protocol.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The first pattern belongs to a first pattern set, the first pattern set further includes a second pattern, the first pattern is nested in the second pattern, or the second pattern is nested in the first pattern.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein, The first pattern set includes a third pattern, the third pattern being the shortest pattern in the first pattern set, and the length of each pattern in the first pattern set except the third pattern is an integer multiple of the length of the third pattern.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 or 31, wherein, The resource requirement priority corresponding to the first pattern is a first priority, the resource requirement priority corresponding to the second pattern is a second priority, and the first priority and the second priority are different.

33. The apparatus of any one of claims 30-32, wherein, The transceiver module is further configured to: send first indication information to the first device, the first indication information being used to indicate a pattern with the longest length in the first pattern set; or, the first indication information being used to indicate the first pattern set.

34. The apparatus of any one of claims 28-33, wherein, The first pattern corresponds to a first sequence, wherein the first sequence occupies N bits, one bit corresponding to one time-frequency unit, the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the M time-frequency units being 1, and the bit corresponding to each time-frequency unit in the remaining N-M time-frequency units being 0.

35. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The transceiver module is further configured to: send second indication information to the first device, the second indication information being used to indicate the first pattern.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein, The second indication information is used for indicating the first pattern, comprising: The second indication information is used for indicating the first pattern in a plurality of patterns; or The second indication information is used for indicating a first sub-pattern in a pattern, wherein the first sub-pattern is the first pattern.

37. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises at least one processor configured to cause the method of any one of claims 1-9 to be performed, or the method of any one of claims 10-18 to be performed.

38. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium is used for storing a computer program, when the computer program is run on a computer, causing the method of any one of claims 1-9 to be performed, or the method of any one of claims 10-18 to be performed.

39. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises a computer program, when the computer program is run on a computer, causing the method of any one of claims 1-9 to be performed, or the method of any one of claims 10-18 to be performed.

40. A chip, comprising: The computer program product comprises a computer program, when the computer program is run on a computer, causing the method of any one of claims 1-9 to be performed, or the method of any one of claims 10-18 to be performed. The computer program product comprises a computer program, when the computer program is run on a computer, causing the method of any one of claims 1-9 to be performed, or the method of any one of claims 10-18 to be performed.

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