Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first node transmits first data to a second node on the basis of a first resource, and the second node transmits the first data to a terminal device. The first resource is used for transmitting first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection with the first node and the second node. In the method, a first node transmits, to a second node on the basis of a resource condition between a second node side and a terminal device, data to be transmitted to the terminal device. Compared with shunting by using a PDCP entity as an anchor point, shunting performed by a first node on the basis of a first resource can reduce congestion of first data at a second node, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the first data.

Description

Communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411306963.4, filed on September 14, 2024, and entitled “A communication method and apparatus”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0004] In order to improve the transmission efficiency or reliability of data, the data can be split. Currently, wireless bearer data is split with a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity as an anchor point. Splitting data with a PDCP entity as an anchor point can have low efficiency, and even the split data cannot be successfully transmitted. For example, in a dual connectivity scenario, the PDCP of the master node connected by the terminal device splits a part of the data to the secondary node accessed by the terminal device, but the air interface resources of the secondary node are limited, which can cause congestion of the part of data at the access network node, and further cause the part of data not to be timely transmitted.

[0005] To this end, it is proposed that the data can be split at a media / medium access control (MAC) entity, so as to split the data based on the underlying scheduling resources of the node, thereby improving the splitting efficiency. However, how to split the data at the MAC is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for improving the data transmission efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a network-side device (also referred to as a network device). The network device can be an access network device, or the network device is a module or unit that completes part of the functions of the access network device. For example, a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Alternatively, the network device can be a logical node, a logical module, or software or a chip (system) that implements all or part of the functions of the access network device. For convenience of description, the network device is taken as an example of a first node, for example, a first access network device.

[0009] The method comprises: sending, by a first node, first data to a second node according to first resources, the first resources being used for transmission of the first data between the second node and a terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection with the first node and the second node.

[0010] The air interface connection between the terminal device and the first node and the second node refers to dual connectivity (DC). For example, the first node can be a master node (MN) accessed by the terminal device, and the second node can be a secondary node (SN) accessed by the terminal device; or the first node can be an SN, and the second node can be an MN. The first data can be data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device. The first resources are used for transmission of the first data between the second node and the terminal device, which can also be described as the first resources being used for the first node to send the first data to the terminal device through the second node. The first node can offload the data to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node, and the second node can send the data to the terminal device. For example, the first node can offload the data to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node by taking a MAC entity as an anchor point. In the method, the first node sends the first data to the second node according to the first resources, which is equivalent to the first node sending the data to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node according to the resource condition between the second node and the terminal device. The first node offloads based on the first resources, and the offloaded data matches the first resources, which can avoid congestion of the first data at the second node due to mismatch of resources, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the first data.

[0011] Optionally, the first resources can be periodic resources or aperiodic resources.

[0012] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: determining, by the first node, the first resources according to first indication information from the second node. Alternatively, the method further comprises: receiving, by the first node, the first indication information from the second node, and determining the first resources according to the first indication information.

[0013] In this scheme, the first resource is determined by the second node and notified to the first node. Through this scheme, the first node can be aware of the resource condition between the second node and the terminal device, so as to facilitate the first node to offload the first data of a proper size to the second node, and to ensure that the first data is transmitted in time.

[0014] The first indication information can include information of the first resource. For example, when the first resource is a periodic resource, the first indication information can include a start position of the first resource and a period of the first resource, or the first indication information can include an end position of the first resource and the period of the first resource, or the first indication information can include a start position of transport block (TB) transmission and a transmission period of the TB. For another example, when the first resource is an aperiodic resource, the first indication information can include a start position of the first resource and an end position of the first resource.

[0015] Optionally, the second indication information further includes capability information of the terminal device and / or channel state information, the capability information can indicate whether the terminal device supports MAC-based cross-node transmission, and the channel state information is used to indicate a channel state between the second node and the terminal device.

[0016] In this scheme, in addition to indicating the first resource to the first node, the second node can also indicate some factors considered by the second node when determining the first resource, such as the capability of the terminal device, the channel state between the second node and the terminal device, and the like. This scheme can assist the first node to make a decision on how to offload. For example, when the channel state between the second node and the terminal device is poor, the first node can determine not to send the first data to the second node, so as to reduce the transmission failure rate of the first data as much as possible.

[0017] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node sending at least one first radio bearer information to the second node, the first radio bearer information including one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, quality of service (QoS) information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information.

[0018] In this scheme, the at least one first radio bearer information can be used by the second node to determine the first resource. The first node sends the at least one first radio bearer information to the second node, which can assist the second node to determine the first resource that can best match the actual transmission requirement of the data in the first node, for example, to best meet the QoS requirement of the first data.

[0019] Optionally, the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer includes one or more QoS flows associated with the first radio bearer, and a QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow; or the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer includes a QoS parameter corresponding to the first radio bearer.

[0020] Optionally, the logical channel configuration information includes one or more of the following: a logical channel group configuration, a logical channel priority, or a priority bit rate.

[0021] In an implementation manner, the first radio bearer information further includes split indication information, the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node transmits part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node replicates data of the first radio bearer and transmits the replicated data to the second node.

[0022] The first node transmitting part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node can be considered as the first node splitting part of data of the first radio bearer to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node. The first node replicating data of the first radio bearer and transmitting the replicated data to the second node can be considered as the first node replicating all data of the first radio bearer to be transmitted to the terminal device, and forwarding the replicated data to the terminal device through the second node. Based on this, the first node can further send split indication information to the second node to assist the second node to determine a more appropriate first resource.

[0023] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node sending second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split ratio, the split ratio including a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or the split ratio including a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0024] In this scheme, the first node can make the second node clear the split ratio requirement of the first node by sending the second indication information to the second node, thereby assisting the second node to determine a more appropriate first resource, so that the first resource can complete the transmission of the first data in time.

[0025] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node determining the first resource according to resource information from the second node, the resource information being used to indicate candidate resources of the second node. The candidate resources of the second node can be understood as resources that can be used by the second node.

[0026] In the scheme, the second node can inform the first node of the candidate resource of the second node, and the first node determines the first resource according to the candidate resource of the second node. For example, the first node can select part of the resource from the candidate resource of the second node as the first resource. Through the scheme, the first node can select a more appropriate first resource according to the actual needs of the offloading, so as to improve the transmission efficiency of the first data as much as possible.

[0027] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node sends third indication information to the second node, the third indication information being used to instruct the second node to reserve the first resource.

[0028] In the scheme, after the first node determines the first resource, the first node can instruct the second node to reserve the first resource, so that when the first data reaches the second node, the second node has enough resources to transmit the first data.

[0029] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node sends first information to the second node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being a data amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0030] In the scheme, the first node can send the first data amount of the first node to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node, so as to request the second node to allocate appropriate resources for the first node this time.

[0031] In an implementation manner, the method further includes: the first node generates the first data according to the second data amount or the first resource from the second node, the second data amount being a data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

[0032] In the scheme, the first node can obtain the second data amount supported by the second node for transmission or the first resource for transmitting the first data, so as to generate the first data based on the second data amount or the first resource.

[0033] In an implementation manner, the first node sends the first data to the second node according to the first resource includes: the first node generates the first data according to the reserved resource of the second node, and sends the first data to the second node, wherein the first resource is determined according to the reserved resource of the second node.

[0034] The scheme can be considered that the first node first packages the TB to be sent to generate the first data, and then sends the first data to the second node. The scheme does not need the first node and the second node to interact in advance to negotiate the first resource, and can minimize the transmission delay of the first data.

[0035] In an implementation, the method further includes: receiving, by the first node, fourth indication information from the second node, the fourth indication information indicating that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information indicating that the first time length and / or the first resource increase the transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a time delay caused by the first resource.

[0036] In a possible scenario, the second node currently has no candidate resource, and the second node can use a later resource to send the first data to the terminal device, which increases the transmission delay of the first data. In this case, the second node can send the fourth indication information to the first node, so that the first node is aware that the second node currently has no candidate resource or will increase the transmission delay of the first data, and adjusts the distribution strategy adaptively to reduce the transmission delay of the first data as much as possible.

[0037] In an implementation, the method further includes: receiving, by the first node, fifth indication information from the second node, the fifth indication information indicating that the second node has no candidate resource in a second time length.

[0038] In this scheme, the second node can explicitly inform the first node that the second node has no candidate resource in the second time length, so as to assist the first node to adjust the distribution measurement adaptively to reduce the transmission delay of the first data as much as possible. For example, the first node can choose not to send the first data to the second node, and directly send the first data to the terminal device.

[0039] In an implementation, the method further includes: sending, by the first node, sixth indication information to the second node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, and the sixth indication information including one or more of the following: new data indicator (NDI), redundancy version (RV), or process ID.

[0040] In a possible scenario, the first node does not consider the resource condition of the second node or generates a TB packet according to the reserved resource condition of the second node to send the first data to the second node. In this case, the first node can send the information such as NDI, RV, and process ID used for the physical layer processing of the second node to the second node, so as to facilitate the second node to perform the physical layer processing and send the first data to the terminal device.

[0041] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a network side device (also referred to as a network device). The network device can refer to the description of the network device in the first aspect, which will not be described herein. For convenience of description, the network device is taken as an example of the second node.

[0042] The method comprises: receiving, by the second node, at least one first radio bearer information from the first node, sending first indication information to the first node, and receiving first data from the first node. The first radio bearer information comprises one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information. The first indication information is used to indicate a first resource used for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node.

[0043] In an implementation manner, the first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, which is used to indicate that the first node sends part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information is used to indicate that the first node replicates data of the first radio bearer and sends the data to the second node.

[0044] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: receiving, by the second node, second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split ratio, the split ratio comprising a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node, or the split ratio comprising a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0045] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: receiving, by the second node, first information from the first node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being a data amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0046] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, information of a second data amount or information of the first resource to the first node, the second data amount being a data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

[0047] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, fourth indication information to the first node, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to indicate that a first time length and / or the first resource increase a transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a delay caused by the first resource.

[0048] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, fifth indication information to the first node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

[0049] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: receiving, by the second node, sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, and the sixth indication information comprising one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0050] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a network-side device (also referred to as a network device). The network device can refer to the description of the network device in the first aspect above, which will not be repeated here. For convenience of description, the network device is taken as an example of a second node below.

[0051] The method comprises: receiving, by the second node, third indication information from the first node, reserving a first resource, and receiving first data from the first node. The third indication information is used to instruct the second node to reserve the first resource, which is used for transmission of the first data between the second node and a terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node.

[0052] In an implementation manner, the first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, which is used to instruct the first node to send part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information is used to instruct the first node to copy data of the first radio bearer and send it to the second node.

[0053] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: receiving, by the second node, second indication information from the first node, which is used to instruct a split ratio, the split ratio comprising a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node, or the split ratio comprising a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0054] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: receiving, by the second node, first information from the first node, which is used to instruct a first data amount, the first data amount being a data amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0055] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, information of a second data amount or information of the first resource to the first node, the second data amount being a data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

[0056] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, fourth indication information to the first node, the fourth indication information being used to instruct that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to instruct that the first time length and / or the first resource will increase a transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a delay caused by the first resource.

[0057] In an implementation manner, the method further comprises: sending, by the second node, fifth indication information to the first node, the fifth indication information being used to instruct that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

[0058] In an implementation form, the method further includes: receiving, by the second node, sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information including one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0059] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which has functions to implement the behaviors in the method examples of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect, and the beneficial effects can be referred to the related descriptions of the first aspect to the third aspect and will not be repeated here. For example, the communication apparatus can be the first node in the first aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the first node to implement the method provided by the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the first node. For another example, the communication apparatus can be the second node in the second aspect or the third aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the second node to implement the method provided by the second aspect or the third aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the second node.

[0060] In a possible design, the communication apparatus includes a baseband apparatus and a radio frequency apparatus.

[0061] In a possible design, the communication apparatus includes corresponding means or modules or units for performing the methods of the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect, and the modules or units or means 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, and 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), and 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 the transceiving unit can implement the sending function and the receiving function; or 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, the second aspect or the third aspect, and the specific implementation can be referred to the detailed descriptions in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0062] For example, the communication apparatus is used to implement the functions in the method examples of the first aspect. Correspondingly, the processing module is used to determine the first resource, and the transceiving module is used to send the first data to the second node. The first resource is used for transmission of the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection with the first node and the second node.

[0063] For another example, the communication apparatus is configured to implement the functions in the method examples of the second aspect. Accordingly, the transceiver is configured to receive the first radio bearer information from the first node, send the first indication information to the first node, and receive the first data from the first node. The first radio bearer information comprises one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information. The first indication information is used to indicate the first resource used for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node.

[0064] For another example, the communication apparatus is configured to implement the functions in the method examples of the third aspect. Accordingly, the transceiver is configured to receive the third indication information from the first node, the third indication information being used to indicate that the second node reserves the first resource used for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node. The processor is configured to reserve the first resource. The transceiver is further configured to receive the first data from the first node.

[0065] In the fifth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication apparatus, which comprises a processor configured to cause the method in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect, or any implementation manner thereof to be executed. Optionally, the communication apparatus further comprises a communication interface. Optionally, the communication apparatus further comprises 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 method in any of the first aspect to the third aspect, or any implementation manner thereof is caused to be executed by the communication apparatus.

[0066] In the sixth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication apparatus, which comprises 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 execute the method in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0067] In the fifth and sixth aspects, the communication apparatus can be the first node in the first aspect. Alternatively, the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the first node to implement the method provided by the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the first node. Alternatively, the communication apparatus can be the second node in the second or third aspect. Alternatively, the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the second node to implement the method provided by the second or third aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the second node. The chip can be a baseband chip and / or a radio frequency chip, and the chip system can be composed of the chip or can include the chip and other discrete devices.

[0068] In an implementation process of the sixth 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.

[0069] In an implementation process of the sixth 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.

[0070] In the seventh aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication system, which includes a first node, a second node and a terminal device, wherein the first node is configured to implement the functions of the method in the first aspect, and the second node is configured to implement the functions of the method in the second or third aspect.

[0071] In the eighth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method in the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect, or any implementation process thereof, to be implemented.

[0072] In the ninth aspect, the embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product containing instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method in the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect, or any implementation process thereof, to be implemented.

[0073] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect to the ninth aspect and the implementation manners thereof can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and any implementation manner thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0074] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic diagrams of two structures of O-RAN;

[0076] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are schematic diagrams of structures of protocol layers between a terminal device and an access network node;

[0077] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of transmission of downlink data between layers;

[0078] FIG. 5 is an example diagram of distribution of entities in a master node and a secondary node in dual connectivity;

[0079] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of three splitting modes in dual connectivity according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of another structure of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (also referred to as a new radio (NR) communication system), or a future communication network, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems can include a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a vehicle to everything (V2X) system, an internet of things (IoT) system, and the like.

[0084] Please refer to FIG. 1, a communication system to which embodiments of the present application are applicable is shown. The communication system includes a first access network node, a second access network node, and a terminal device. The terminal device can access the first access network node and the second access network node simultaneously. The terminal device accessing two access network nodes simultaneously includes that the terminal device has an air interface (Uu interface) connection with the two access network nodes, that is, the terminal device is connected with one access network node based on an air interface, and the terminal device is connected with another access network node based on an air interface. The terminal device accessing two access network nodes simultaneously is also referred to as dual connectivity (DC). The communication standards of the two access network nodes can be the same or different. For example, the communication standards supported by the two access network nodes are both LTE communication standards or NR communication standards. For another example, one of the two access network nodes supports LTE communication standards, and the other access network node supports NR communication standards. For another example, the communication standards supported by the two access network nodes are both next-generation communication standards of NR. For another example, one of the two access network nodes supports NR communication standards, and the other access network node supports next-generation communication standards of NR.

[0085] In DC, one of the access network nodes accessed by the terminal device is a master node (MN), and the other access network node accessed by the terminal device is a secondary node (SN). For example, the first access network node can be an MN, and the second access network node can be an SN. One or more cells served by the MN for the terminal device are referred to as a master cell group (MCG), and one or more cells served by the SN for the terminal device are referred to as a secondary cell group (SCG). The network architecture shown in FIG. 1 is only schematic, and the number of terminal devices and / or access network nodes can be smaller or larger. The communication system described in the embodiments of the present application is used to more clearly illustrate 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 core network devices, wireless relay devices, wireless backhaul devices, etc., which are not shown in FIG. 1. It can be known by those skilled in the art 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 the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are applied to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced by corresponding devices, components, modules in other communication systems, without limitation.

[0086] To facilitate understanding of the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, first, the terms related to the embodiments of the present application are explained.

[0087] (1) Access network node, also referred to as access network device or network device

[0088] In embodiments of the present application, the access network node refers to a (radio) access network ((R)AN) device / RAN node / RAN entity, unless otherwise specified. In embodiments of the present application, (R)AN and RAN are interchangeable. The RAN can be a third generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, for example, a 5G / new radio (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), etc. The RAN can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems.

[0089] 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 V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0090] In another possible scenario, a RAN node can be a module or unit that completes part of functions 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 functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node can be a CU, a DU, or a RU, etc. The functions of a CU can be implemented by one entity, or can also be implemented by different entities. For example, the functions of a CU can be further divided, i.e., the control plane and the user plane are separated and implemented by different entities, respectively, as a control plane CU entity (i.e., a CU-control plane (CP) entity) and a user plane CU entity (i.e., a CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with a DU to jointly complete the functions of a RAN node. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and 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.

[0091] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an ORAN system, a CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), a DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, a CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, a CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and a RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU are taken as examples for description in this application.

[0092] The CU and the DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement: for example, the CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer and above protocol layers (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 functions of the PDCP layer below protocol layers (such as the radio link control (RLC), the MAC layer, and / or the physical (PHY) layer, etc.). For specific descriptions 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.

[0093] The above-mentioned processing functions of the CU and the DU are merely examples according to the protocol layer division, and can be divided in other manners, which are not limited in the present application. For example, in one design, the CU or the DU can also be divided into partial processing functions of the 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.

[0094] 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 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 the intermediate 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 frequency side. The specific functions of the DU and the RU are not limited in the present application. 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 the higher PHY layer.

[0095] When the RAN is an O-RAN, it can also have an artificial intelligence (AI) function, for example, the O-RAN includes one or more AI modules. One AI module has one or more models. One model can infer an output including one parameter or multiple parameters. The learning process, the training process, or the inference process of different models can be deployed in different nodes or devices, or can be deployed in the same node or device. Among them, the CU and / or the DU can be provided with one or more AI modules. The CU-CP and / or the CU-UP can be provided with one or more AI modules. For example, please refer to FIG. 2A, which shows a schematic diagram of an architecture of an O-RAN. In 2A, the core network device and the terminal device can also deploy AI modules. Among them, the NG interface is the communication interface between the core network device and the access network node. The Uu interface, also known as the air interface, is the communication interface between the access network node and the terminal device. The F1 interface is the communication interface between the CU and the DU.

[0096] The AI module can also be an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (non-real time RAN intelligent controller, non-RT RIC / NRT RIC), or a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (near-real time RAN intelligent controller, near-RT RIC / nRT RIC). The non-real time RIC can be used to implement non-real time intelligent management of RAN functions, 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 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.

[0097] For example, please refer to FIG. 2B, which shows another schematic diagram of the architecture of the O-RAN.

[0098] The near-real time RIC can train an AI model and use the AI model for inference. For example, the near-real time RIC can obtain network side and / or terminal side information from at least one of the CU, the DU, or the RU, which can be used as training data or inference data. Optionally, the near-real time RIC can submit the inference result to at least one of the CU, the DU, the RU, or the terminal device. Optionally, the inference result can be exchanged between the CU and the DU. Optionally, the inference result can be exchanged between the DU and the RU, for example, the near-real time RIC submits the inference result to the DU, and the DU forwards the inference result to the RU.

[0099] The non-real time RIC is included outside the access network node and is used for model training and inference. Optionally, the non-real time RIC can be deployed in a core network device. The non-real time RIC can train an AI model and use the AI model for inference. For example, the non-real time RIC can obtain network side and / or terminal side information from at least one of the CU, the DU, or the RU, which can be used as training data or inference data. The inference result can be submitted to at least one of the CU, the DU, the RU, or the terminal device. Optionally, the inference result can be exchanged between the CU and the DU. Optionally, the inference result can be exchanged between the DU and the RU, for example, the non-real time RIC submits the inference result to the DU, and the DU forwards the inference result to the RU.

[0100] (2) Terminal device

[0101] In the embodiments of the present application, all the terminal devices capable of performing data communication with the base station can be regarded as terminal devices. The terminal device is also referred to as 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 sweeping machine, a sound box, a set-top box), a relay, a customer premise equipment (CPE), etc.

[0102] 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 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.

[0103] The terminal device can also be referred to as a V2X device when it is 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 can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminal devices if they are located on a vehicle (for example, placed / installed in the vehicle). 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 a system on chip (SoC), etc. The above chip or SoC can be installed in the vehicle, the OBU, the RSU, or the T-box.

[0104] (3) Protocol layer structure between the access network device and the terminal device

[0105] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device follows a certain protocol layer structure. For example, please refer to FIG. 3A, which shows the structure of the user plane protocol layer between the access network device and the terminal device. The user plane protocol layer structure can include a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer and a PHY layer. In a possible implementation, an SDAP layer can also be included above the PDCP layer. Among them, the SDAP layer, the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer can also be collectively referred to as the access layer. For specific description of each protocol layer described above, please refer to the related technical specifications of 3GPP. For another example, please refer to FIG. 3B, which shows the structure of the control plane protocol layer between the access network device and the terminal device. The control plane protocol layer structure can include an RRC layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer and a PHY layer. Among them, the terminal device and the core network device include a non access stratum (NAS). It should be noted that the protocol layer structure between the access network device and the terminal device in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B is only schematic. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number and structure of the protocol layer between the access network device and the terminal device. For example, the PDCP layer and the RLC layer can be combined into one layer. In addition, in each embodiment of the present application, the "layer" can also be understood as "entity". For example, the "MAC layer" can also be replaced by "MAC entity", the "physical layer" can also be replaced by "physical entity", the "RRC layer" can also be replaced by "RRC entity", and so on.

[0106] Taking the data transmission between the access network device and the terminal device as an example, the data transmission needs to pass through the user plane protocol layer, such as the SDAP layer, the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer. For example, please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram of the transmission of downlink data between layers. The so-called downlink data is the data sent by the access network device to the terminal device. In FIG. 4, the downward arrow represents data sending, and the upward arrow represents data receiving.

[0107] After the SDAP layer entity obtains data from the upper layer, the data is mapped to the corresponding PDCP layer entity, the PDCP layer entity delivers the data to at least one RLC layer entity corresponding to the PDCP layer entity, and then the data is delivered to the corresponding MAC layer entity by the at least one RLC layer entity, and then the MAC layer entity generates a TB, and then the corresponding PHY layer entity performs wireless transmission. The data is encapsulated in each layer. The data received by a layer from the upper layer of the layer is regarded as a service data unit (SDU) of the layer, and becomes a PDU after encapsulation, and is then transmitted to the next layer. For example, the data received by the PDCP layer entity from the upper layer is referred to as a PDCP SDU, and the data transmitted by the PDCP layer entity to the lower layer is referred to as a PDCP PDU. The data received by the RLC layer entity from the upper layer is referred to as an RLC SDU, and the data transmitted by the RLC layer entity to the lower layer is referred to as an RLC PDU. The data can be transmitted between different layers through corresponding channels. For example, the data can be transmitted between the RLC layer entity and the MAC layer entity through a logical channel (LCH), and the data can be transmitted between the MAC layer entity and the physical layer entity through a transport channel.

[0108] Similar to the access network device, the access layer of the terminal device also has an SDAP layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, and a physical layer. The terminal device also has an application layer and a non-access layer. The application layer can be used to provide services to the application program installed in the terminal device. For example, the downlink data received by the terminal device can be transmitted to the application layer by the physical layer in turn, and then provided to the application program by the application layer. For another example, the application layer can obtain data generated by the application program (such as a video recorded by a user using the application program), and transmit the data to the physical layer in turn and send to other communication devices. The non-access layer can be used to forward user data, such as forwarding uplink data received from the application layer to the SDAP layer or forwarding downlink data received from the SDAP layer to the application layer.

[0109] (4) bearer, radio bearer (RB), RB configuration

[0110] In a wireless communication system, data is transmitted by using a bearer. The bearer can be understood as a channel for carrying data transmission.

[0111] A radio bearer (RB) carries signaling or user data over a radio interface in a wireless communication system. According to the content of the bearer, an RB is classified into a signaling radio bearer (SRB) and a data radio bearer (DRB). An SRB carries control plane (signaling) data, and a DRB carries user plane data. For example, the radio interface between a base station and a UE is a Uu interface, and a radio bearer between the base station and the UE can carry signaling or user data.

[0112] In the configuration process of a radio bearer, a UE needs to acquire RB configuration. The RB configuration, also referred to as RB configuration information, includes relevant configurations of different protocol layers in a radio interface protocol. The radio interface protocol includes rules for communication between two peer entities, where an entity represents a hardware or software process that transmits or receives data, and the protocol layering ensures the effectiveness of wireless transmission.

[0113] Generally, the radio interface protocol includes an RRC layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, and a PHY layer. Accordingly, the RB configuration information can include a series of resources allocated by a PDCP protocol entity, an RLC protocol entity, a MAC protocol entity, and a PHY, and the like. In some embodiments, the PDCP layer and the protocol layers above are referred to as high layers, and the RLC layer and the protocol layers below are referred to as low layers. The RB configuration can include high layer configuration information and low layer configuration information.

[0114] It should be noted that the radio interface is also referred to as a wireless communication interface or a communication interface, and the radio interface protocol is also referred to as a protocol stack, and the names are not limited in the present application. In the present application, data in a broad sense includes control plane data and user plane data, and data in a narrow sense includes user plane data. The control plane data includes signaling. The user plane data is also referred to as user data or service data.

[0115] (5) QoS, QoS flow, QoS profile

[0116] In order to provide different service qualities for different services, a wireless communication system provides QoS management. QoS management is an end-to-end (E2E) process that requires the cooperation of various nodes of a network experienced by a service between an initiator and a responder, thereby guaranteeing the service quality.

[0117] QoS management is based on QoS flow, which is an end-to-end concept. The sending end maps service data into an end-to-end QoS flow. The QoS flow corresponds to QoS parameters, including but not limited to: 5QI (5G QoS Identifier), allocation and retention priority (ARP), guaranteed bit rate (GFBR), maximum flow bit rate (MFBR), aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), reflective QoS attribute (RQA), notification control, maximum packet loss rate (MPLR), latency, and a series of performance requirement parameters.

[0118] RB configuration is determined according to the QoS parameters corresponding to the QoS flow. The QoS flow has a mapping relationship with the RB, which is contained in the RB configuration information. The access network device or the terminal device can determine the channel for carrying data transmission according to the RB configuration information, thereby controlling the sending or receiving of service data.

[0119] (6) Radio bearer configuration process

[0120] The sending end can send the radio bearer configuration to the receiving end, so that the receiving end can receive data from the sending end. Generally, the sending end generates QoS parameters according to the requirements of the application layer, and maps the data arriving at the application layer into a QoS flow according to the QoS parameters. Then, the QoS flow enters the access layer (AS) for transmission in the form of RB. As shown in the foregoing FIG. 5, the AS layer includes an SDAP layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, and a PHY layer. The RB configuration information includes SDAP configuration, PDCP configuration, RLC configuration, and LCH configuration. Among them, the SDAP configuration includes the mapping relationship of the QoS flow to the RB. The sending end sends the data to be sent through the SDAP layer, the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer according to the RB configuration, and then sends it to the receiving end through the sending antenna.

[0121] (7) Dual connectivity / DC

[0122] Dual connectivity refers to that a terminal device accesses two access network devices at the same time. Based on the radio access technologies (RATs) of the access network devices, DC can be further divided into the following types.

[0123] (7-1) Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access and New Radio Dual Connectivity (E-UTRAN R dual connectivity, EN-DC).

[0124] EN-DC can also be understood as DC with the core network being an evolved packet core (EPC). In the EN-DC mode, the MN is an LTE base station connected to the 4G core network, and the SN is an NR base station. In EN-DC, there is an X2 interface between the LTE base station and the NR base station, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an S1 interface between the LTE base station and the EPC, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an S1-U interface between the NR base station and the EPC, only a user plane connection. Among them, the LTE base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, which is called MCG. The NR base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, which is called SCG.

[0125] (7-2) Next Generation Access Network - New Radio - Dual Connectivity (NG-RAN E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity, NGEN-DC).

[0126] In NGEN-DC, the core network is a 5G core network (5GC), the MN is an LTE base station connected to the 5GC, and the SN is an NR base station. There is an Xn interface between the LTE base station and the NR base station, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the LTE base station and the 5GC, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, only a user plane connection. Among them, the LTE base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, which is called MCG. The NR base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, which is called SCG.

[0127] (7-3) New Radio Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Dual Connectivity (NR-E-UTRA dual connectivity, NE-DC).

[0128] In NE-DC, the MN is an NR base station connected to a 5G core network, and the SN is an LTE base station. There is an Xn interface between the NR base station and the LTE base station, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the NR base station and the 5GC, only a user plane connection. Among them, the NR base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, which is called MCG. The LTE base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one LTE cell, which is called SCG.

[0129] (7-4) New radio-dual connectivity (NR-DC).

[0130] In NR-DC, the MN is an NR base station connected to a 5G core network, and the SN is also an NR base station. The interface between the NR master base station and the NR secondary base station is the Xn interface, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG interface between the NR master base station and the 5GC, at least a control plane connection, and there can also be a user plane connection. There is an NG-U interface between the NR secondary base station and the 5GC, only a user plane connection. Among them, the NR master base station can provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, which is called MCG. The NR secondary base station can also provide air interface resources for the UE through at least one NR cell, which is called SCG.

[0131] (8) Type of bearer in dual connectivity

[0132] The DRB type in dual connectivity is divided into master cell group bearer (MCG bearer), secondary cell group bearer (SCG bearer), and split bearer.

[0133] Among them, the MCG bearer is that the RLC entity / MAC entity of the DRB is only on the MN. For example, after the MN receives service data corresponding to the MCG bearer from the core network, the MN transmits the data processed by the PDCP entity of the MN to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the MN for further processing. For another example, after the SN receives service data corresponding to the MCG bearer from the core network, the SN transmits the data processed by the PDCP entity of the SN to the MN through the interface (such as Xn interface or X2 interface or F1 interface) between the MN and the SN, and then the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the MN further process the data.

[0134] SCG bearer refers to that the RLC entity / MAC entity of the DRB is only on the SN. For example, after the MN receives the service data corresponding to the SCG bearer from the core network, the MN transmits the data processed by the PDCP entity of the MN to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the SN through the interface between the MN and the SN, and then the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the SN further process the data. For another example, after the SN receives the service data corresponding to the SCG bearer from the core network, the SN transmits the data processed by the PDCP entity of the SN to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the SN for processing.

[0135] Split bearer refers to that the RLC entity / MAC entity of the DRB is on both the MN and the SN. For example, after the MN receives the service data corresponding to the split bearer from the core network, the MN transmits part of the data processed by the PDCP entity of the MN to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the SN through the interface between the MN and the SN, and transmits the other part of the data or the same data to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the MN, so that the RLC / MAC entity of the MN and the RLC / MAC entity of the SN can process the data at the same time. For another example, after the SN receives the service data corresponding to the split bearer from the core network, the SN transmits part of the data processed by the PDCP entity of the SN to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the MN through the interface between the MN and the SN, and transmits the other part of the data or the same data to the RLC entity and the MAC entity of the SN, so that the RLC / MAC entity of the MN and the RLC / MAC entity of the SN can process the data at the same time.

[0136] In the MCG bearer, the PDCP can be configured as E-UTRA PDCP or NR PDCP. In EN-DC, the PDCP of the MCG split bearer supports LTE communication technology / is configured as E-UTRA PDCP, or the PDCP of the MCG split bearer supports NR communication technology / is configured as NR PDCP, and in other DC scenarios, the PDCP of the MCG split bearer is configured as NR PDCP. The PDCP of the SCG split bearer is configured as NR PDCP.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 5, each access network node in DC has different PDCP entities. Based on the different nodes where the data is located in the PDCP entities of the access network nodes, the DRB is divided into the following bearer types: MN terminated bearer and SN terminated bearer.

[0138] For a bearer whose PDCP entity is terminated at the MN, it is called MN terminated bearer. At this time, downlink data arrives at the MN directly from the core network, is processed by the PDCP / SDAP entity of the MN, and is then sent to the terminal device via the RLC / MAC entity; uplink data is sent to the core network after being processed by the PDCP / SDAP entity of the MN. Similarly, for a bearer whose PDCP is terminated at the SN, it is called SN terminated bearer. At this time, downlink data arrives at the SN directly from the core network, is processed by the PDCP / SDAP entity of the SN, and is then sent to the terminal device via the RLC / MAC entity; uplink data is sent to the core network after being processed by the PDCP / SDAP entity of the SN.

[0139] It should be noted that the type of bearer can also be distinguished according to the combination of the node in which the RLC / MAC is located and the node in which the PDCP entity is located. For example, the type of radio bearer can be divided into MN terminated MCG bearer, MN terminated SCG bearer, MN terminated split bearer, SN terminated MCG bearer, SN terminated SCG bearer, and SN terminated split bearer.

[0140] (9) In the embodiments of the present application, “transmit” includes “send” and / or “receive”. Among them, “send” and “receive” represent 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 can also include indirect reception from YY through the air interface from 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 carried out between devices, for example, between an access network device and a terminal device, or can be carried out within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, wire or interface.

[0141] In the embodiments of this application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, represents "a singular noun or a plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent the following cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, B exists alone, and A / B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects. For example, A / B means A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and (or) c means the following combinations: a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist together, a and c exist together, b and c exist together, or a and b and c exist together, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0142] In the embodiments of this application, "when", "if" and "whether" all mean that the device will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, not limited by time, and also does not require the device to have a judgment action when it is implemented. If there is no special instruction, "if" and "whether" can be replaced, and "when" and "in the case of" can be replaced. "When" and "if" / "whether" can be replaced.

[0143] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration, in possession of the relevant concept. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design schemes.

[0144] In the embodiments of this application, the ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, time sequence, priority or importance of the plurality of objects. For example, the first indication information and the second indication information refer to two different indication information, and do not mean that the priority or importance of the two indication information is different.

[0145] In order to improve the transmission efficiency or reliability of data, the data can be split. At present, wireless bearer data is split with PDCP as an anchor point. However, PDCP does not know the scheduling information of the MAC layer, and naturally cannot split according to the scheduling information of the MAC layer, which may result in low splitting efficiency. For example, in a dual connection scenario, the PDCP of the MN splits a part of the data to the SN, but the air interface resources of the SN are limited, which may cause congestion of the data in the SN and unable to complete the transmission of the data in time.

[0146] In view of this, embodiments of the present application propose a scheme of splitting data at the MAC. The method provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve data transmission efficiency or reliability.

[0147] The method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports multiple data splitting modes with the MAC layer as an anchor point, for example, including four data splitting modes as shown in (a)-(d) in FIG. 6.

[0148] (a) The radio bearer data is configured to be duplicated or split at the MN MAC as an anchor point.

[0149] After the data is duplicated at the MAC of the MN, the data is transmitted to the UE through the MN and the SN; or the data is split to the MN or the SN according to certain rules at the MN MAC.

[0150] (b) The radio bearer data is configured to be duplicated or split at the SN MAC as an anchor point.

[0151] After the data is duplicated at the MAC of the SN, the data is transmitted to the UE through the MN and the SN; or the data is split to the MN or the SN according to certain rules at the SN MAC.

[0152] (c) The radio bearer data is configured to be duplicated or split at the MN MAC as an anchor point and split to the SN.

[0153] (d) The radio bearer data is configured to be duplicated or split at the SN MAC as an anchor point and split to the MN.

[0154] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application is described below.

[0155] In the following description, the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application is applied to the network architecture shown in FIG. 1, and the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application can be executed by a first node, a second node and a terminal device. The steps executed by the first node can be implemented by a first RAN device, or by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing units or processors, etc.) in the first RAN device, or by a component (such as a CU, DU or RU) that completes part or all of the functions of the first RAN device. The steps executed by the second node can be implemented by a second RAN device, or by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing units or processors, etc.) in the second RAN device, or by a component (such as a CU, DU or RU) that completes part or all of the functions of the second RAN device. The steps executed by the terminal device can be implemented by the terminal device itself, or by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing units or processors, etc.) in the terminal device.

[0156] The first node is an MN of the terminal device, and the second node is an SN of the terminal device; or the first node is an SN of the terminal device, and the second node is an MN of the terminal device.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 7, a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. FIG. 7 introduces the method from the perspective of interaction between a first node, a second node, and a terminal device. It should be understood that the communication method can also be implemented by other devices, such as a chip or a communication device with a 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 first node / second node can be divided into processing performed by at least one of a CU, a DU, a RU, and the like. As shown in FIG. 7, the flow of the communication method includes the following steps. The steps shown in dashed lines in FIG. 7 are not necessarily performed steps, but optional steps.

[0158] S71, the first node sends first data to the second node according to a first resource.

[0159] The first node is a node connected to the terminal device. The first node can copy or split the data to be transmitted to the terminal device to the second node, and then transmit the data to the terminal device through the second node, so as to improve the data transmission efficiency or enhance the reliability of data transmission. The first node can copy or split the data to be transmitted to the terminal device at the MAC layer. For example, the first node is an MN, which can split the data to be transmitted to the terminal device based on the manners (a) or (c) in FIG. 6. For another example, the first node is an SN, which can split the data to be transmitted to the terminal device based on the manners (b) or (d) in FIG. 6.

[0160] For convenience of description, the data split / sent by the first node to the second node is taken as first data. The first data can be data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device, or the first data can be part of the data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device, or the first data belongs to one or more radio bearers of the terminal device. Before splitting the data to be transmitted to the terminal device, the first node needs to determine a resource for transmitting the first resource between the second node and the terminal device. For convenience of description, the resource for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device is referred to as the first resource. The first resource is used for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device. Alternatively, the first resource can be used for the first node to transmit the first data to the terminal device through the second node. Optionally, in addition to being used for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device, the first resource can also be used for transmitting other data between the second node and the terminal device.

[0161] The first node can determine the first resource when sending the first data to the second node. After the first node determines the first resource, the first node can send the first data to the second node according to the first resource. It should be noted that the first node sending the first data to the second node according to the first resource includes the first node determining the first resource and determining the first data, and sending the first data to the second node. The order of the first node determining the first resource and determining the first data is not limited. For example, the first node can determine the first resource and the first data at the same time. The first node sending the first data to the second node according to the first resource can also be replaced by the first node determining the first resource and sending the first data to the second node.

[0162] The first node determining the first resource can also be replaced by the first node obtaining the first resource. In a possible scenario, the second node has no candidate resource for transmitting data with the terminal device, and then the first node determining the first resource includes the first node determining that the second node has no candidate resource. The second node having a candidate resource can be understood as the second node having a resource that can be used, and correspondingly, the second node having no candidate resource can be understood as the second node having no resource or no resource that can be used.

[0163] The first resource can be a periodic resource or a non-periodic resource. The first node can determine the first resource by the following way one or way two. The way one and the way two are introduced in turn as follows.

[0164] The way one: the first node requests the first resource from the second node, and the second node indicates the first resource to the first node in response to the request of the first node.

[0165] In the way one, the first node requests the first resource from the second node, the second node determines the first resource, and notifies the first node of the first resource. According to whether the first resource is a periodic resource, the way of the first node requesting the first resource from the second node is also different, which is introduced as follows.

[0166] Case 1: the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0167] The process of the case 1 can include S701a-S702a.

[0168] S701a, the first node can send information of at least one first radio bearer (also referred to as at least one first radio bearer information) to the second node.

[0169] Accordingly, the second node receives the at least one first radio bearer information. The at least one first radio bearer information can be used to request the second node to allocate resources. The content included in the at least one first radio bearer information can assist the second node to determine the reasonable first resources. The second node receives the at least one first radio bearer information, and determines the first resources according to the at least one first radio bearer information.

[0170] The radio bearer information can include one or more of the following: a radio bearer identity, QoS information associated with the radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information. For example, the first radio bearer information includes one or more of the following: a radio bearer identity, quality of service (QoS) information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information. The QoS information associated with the first radio bearer can include one or more QoS flows associated with the first radio bearer and a QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow. For example, the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer includes a QoS flow identity and 5QI information. The 5QI information can also be replaced by a QoS parameter identity, and one 5QI corresponds to one set of QoS parameters. Alternatively, the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer can include a radio bearer identity and a QoS parameter corresponding to the first radio bearer. The logical channel configuration information can include one or more of the following: logical channel group configuration, logical channel priority, or prioritized bit rate.

[0171] The second node can determine the first resources according to the at least one radio bearer information. For example, the second node can determine the first resources according to the QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow in the at least one first radio bearer information. The first resources match the QoS parameter to try to meet the QoS requirements of each first radio bearer.

[0172] Optionally, the first node can also indicate the split type of the radio bearer to the second node to assist the second node to determine the reasonable first resource. For example, taking the first radio bearer as an example, the first node can send split indication information to the second node, which can be used to indicate that the first node sends part of the data of the first radio bearer to the second node; or the split indication information can indicate that the first node replicates all the data of the first radio bearer and sends the replicated data to the second node. Wherein, after the data of the radio bearer is split, part of the data of the first radio bearer is sent to the second node between the first node and the terminal device, and between the second node and the terminal device. In comparison, the first node sending part of the data of the first radio bearer to the second node can be regarded as a split type (for example, referred to as a first type) of the first node. The first node replicating all the data of the first radio bearer and sending the replicated data to the second node can be regarded as another split type (for example, referred to as a second type) of the first node. Optionally, the first type and the second type can be predefined, and the split indication information can include identification information of the first type or identification information of the second type.

[0173] Wherein, the split indication information can be contained in the corresponding radio bearer information. For example, for the first radio bearer, the split indication information can be contained in the first radio bearer information; for the second radio bearer, the split indication information can be contained in the second radio bearer information.

[0174] For each radio bearer, the first node can send the split indication information corresponding to the radio bearer to the second node to indicate the split type of the plurality of radio bearers. It should be noted that the split indication information corresponding to at least one first radio bearer can be sent to the second node separately. In other words, the split indication information is sent through one signaling, and the at least one first radio bearer information is sent through another signaling.

[0175] If the first node sends the split indication information, the second node can also determine the first resource according to the split indication information. For example, the second node determines the available resource according to the QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow, and then determines the first resource from the available resource according to the split indication information. For example, when the split indication information indicates the first type described above, the second node can determine that the period of the first resource is longer; when the split indication information indicates the second type described above, the second node can determine that the period of the first resource is shorter.

[0176] In addition, the first node can further indicate the splitting ratio to the second node. For example, the splitting ratio comprises a splitting ratio of the at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or for example, the splitting ratio comprises a splitting ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node. Illustratively, the first node can send second indication information to the second node, and the second indication information can indicate the splitting ratio. The second indication information and the splitting indication information can be carried in one signaling, for example, the second indication information and the splitting indication information can be included in the first radio bearer information. Alternatively, the second indication information can be sent to the second node separately.

[0177] If the first node sends the second indication information, the second node can further determine the first resource according to the second indication information. For example, the second node determines the available resource according to the QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow, and then determines the first resource according to the splitting ratio. For example, when the splitting ratio is large, the second node can determine a first resource with a long period; when the splitting ratio is small, the second node can determine a first resource with a short period.

[0178] Further, the second node can further determine the first resource according to one or more of the following: candidate resources of the second node, a channel state between the second node and the terminal device, or information of the terminal device, etc. The candidate resources of the second node can also be understood as the available resources of the second node. The information of the terminal device comprises capability information of the terminal device, which can indicate one or more capabilities of the terminal device, for example, whether the terminal device has the capability to support MAC-based cross-node transmission. The information of the terminal device can also comprise other information in addition to the capability information of the terminal device, for example, the number of antennas of the terminal device, etc. The channel state between the second node and the terminal device can be characterized by one or more of the following: precoding matrix indication (PMI), channel quality indicator (CQI), rank indication (RI).

[0179] For example, the second node can select a first resource with a better channel state to reduce error transmission. For example, the second node currently has more candidate resources, and the second node can determine a first resource with a short period to allocate more resources to the first node and give priority to the transmission of the first data as much as possible.

[0180] Optionally, considering that the first node sends the first data in the form of TB at the MAC layer, when the second node determines the first resource, the second node can determine the size of the TB, and the first resource can be characterized by the size, period and starting position of the TB.

[0181] S702a, the second node sends first indication information to the first node, and correspondingly, the first node receives the first indication information from the second node.

[0182] After determining the first resource, the second node can send the first indication information to the first node, where the first indication information can indicate the first resource. The first node receives the first indication information and can determine the first resource. The specific implementation of how the first indication information indicates the first resource is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0183] For example, the first indication information can include a starting position of the first resource and period information of the first resource. The first node receives the first indication information and can determine the first resource according to the starting position of the first resource and the period information of the first resource. Alternatively, the first indication information can include an ending position of the first resource and period information of the first resource. The first node receives the first indication information and can determine the first resource according to the ending position of the first resource and the period information of the first resource.

[0184] Optionally, the first indication information is contained in an RRC container or is an RRC container used to indicate the first resource. Optionally, the first indication information is carried in an RRC message or is an RRC message.

[0185] For another example, the first indication information can include a starting position of TB transmission and a transmission period of the TB. In addition, the second node can also indicate to the first node how to group the TB, for example, the second node can also indicate to the first node a size of the TB. The first node receives the first indication information and the size of the TB and can determine that the first resource supports the first node to group the TB according to the size of the TB, the starting position of the TB transmission and the transmission period of the TB.

[0186] Optionally, the first indication information further includes capability information of the terminal device and / or channel state information between the second node and the terminal device, so that the first node is aware of the information referenced by the second node when determining the first resource, and the first node is assisted to make a decision on how to split.

[0187] It should be noted that in possible scenarios, the second node can actively indicate the first resource to the first node, and the first node does not need to perform S701a, so S701a is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7.

[0188] When the first node and the second node are in a CU-DU split architecture, the at least one first radio bearer information can be determined by the CU of the first node, and the at least one first radio bearer information is sent by the CU of the first node to the CU of the second node. The CU of the second node receives the at least one first radio bearer information, and can submit the at least one first radio bearer information to the DU of the second node, and the DU of the second node determines the first resource according to the at least one first radio bearer.

[0189] The DU of the second node determines the first resource, generates the first indication information, and sends the first indication information to the CU of the second node. The CU of the second node receives the first indication information, and sends the first indication information to the CU of the first node. The CU of the first node receives the first indication information, and sends the first indication information to the DU of the first node. The DU of the first node receives the first indication information, and performs data splitting at the MAC according to the first indication information to generate the first data.

[0190] Based on the first mode, the second node can determine the periodic first resource, and indicate the first resource to the first node through the first indication information, so that the first node subsequently performs splitting according to the first resource. Based on the first mode, the first node does not need to request the resource from the second node multiple times, and signaling overheads can be reduced. In addition, additional time delay caused by multiple interactions between the first node and the second node to negotiate the resource can be avoided, so as to improve the transmission efficiency of the data split by the first node to the second node as much as possible.

[0191] Case 2: The first resource is aperiodic resource.

[0192] In order to realize fast transmission of the first data and reduce transmission time delay, the first node can request the second node for the first resource used for the data transmission each time the first node transmits data. In this case, the first resource can be considered as aperiodic resource, which is more flexible.

[0193] For case 2, the first node can request the second node to allocate the resource during the data transmission process; and the second node indicates the data amount or the resource supported by the second node for the current data transmission to the first node in response to the request of the first node. The process of case 2 can include S701b-S704b.

[0194] S701b, the first node can send first information to the second node, and correspondingly, the second node receives the first information from the first node.

[0195] The first information can indicate the first data amount, and the first data amount is the data amount of the data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device. The first information can be used to request the resource from the second node. The second node receives the first information from the first node, and can consider that the first node requests the resource from the second node.

[0196] Optionally, the first data amount is an amount of data of at least one logical channel to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the first information can comprise an identifier of the at least one logical channel and indication information of the data amount of each logical channel.

[0197] Optionally, the first data amount is an amount of data of at least one logical channel group to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the first information can comprise an identifier of the at least one logical channel group and indication information of the data amount corresponding to each logical channel group.

[0198] S702b, the second node sends the first node the second information or the third information, and correspondingly, the first node receives the second information or the third information from the second node.

[0199] The second node receives the first information and can determine the size of the data amount that needs to be offloaded by the first node to the second node. The second node determines the data amount supported by the second node for transmission according to the candidate resource and notifies the first node, so that the first node generates a TB at the MAC layer according to the second data amount. For example, the second node can send the first node the second information, which can be used to indicate the second data amount, which is the data amount supported by the second node for transmission. The second data amount can be the data amount of each logical channel supported by the second node for participating in the current transmission, or the second data amount can be the data amount of each logical channel group supported by the second node for participating in the current transmission. The second information can comprise the data amount corresponding to each logical channel / logical channel group participating in the current transmission, or the second information comprises a first value, which is a ratio of the second data amount to the first data amount. The first node receives the second information, generates a TB at the MAC layer according to the second data amount, or generates first data at the MAC layer according to the second data amount.

[0200] Alternatively, the second node receives the first information, determines the first resource according to the candidate resource of the second node, and notifies the first node. For example, the second node sends the first node the third information, which can comprise information of the first resource. The first node receives the third information, determines the first resource, generates a TB at the MAC layer according to the first resource, or generates first data at the MAC layer according to the first resource.

[0201] Optionally, the third information further comprises channel state information between the second node and the terminal device and the like. When the first node generates the first data according to the second data amount or the first resource, the first node can also generate the first data according to the channel state information.

[0202] To enable the second node to process the received first data at the physical layer, the first node can further send some information for the physical layer processing of the second node to the second node. For example, the first node can further send sixth indication information to the second node, which can be used for the physical layer processing of the second node. For example, the sixth indication information can comprise one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID. Wherein, the sixth indication information can be sent to the second node together with the first data, or the sixth indication information can be sent to the second node before the first data is sent.

[0203] The second node receives the first data and the information for the physical layer processing of the second node, can determine the first resource available for transmitting the first data from the candidate resources, and transmit the first data to the terminal device using the first resource.

[0204] S703b, the second node sends fourth indication information to the first node, and correspondingly, the first node receives the fourth indication information from the second node.

[0205] In a possible scenario, when the second node currently has no candidate resource, the second node does not send the second information or the third information to the first node. In this case, the second node can use the later resource, and thus, the second node can indicate to the first node that the transmission of the first data will be delayed. For example, the second node can send fourth indication information to the first node, which can indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, and implicitly indicate that the transmission of the first data will be delayed. Or, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data. Or, the fourth indication information comprises a first time length, which is the delay caused by the first resource, and implicitly indicates that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data. Or, the fourth indication information comprises a first time length, and further indicates that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data.

[0206] S704b, the second node sends fifth indication information to the first node, and correspondingly, the first node receives the fifth indication information from the second node.

[0207] In a possible scenario, the second node has no available resource within a time length. In this case, the second node can send fifth indication information to the first node, which can indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length. The first node receives the fifth indication information, and can determine to send the first data to the terminal device by the first node. For example, the first node receives the fifth indication information, and sends the first data to the terminal device using the resource between the first node and the terminal device.

[0208] When S702b is executed, S703b and S704b can not be executed. When S702b is not executed, S703b can be executed, S704b can be executed, or S703b and S704b can be executed.

[0209] It should be noted that the process of case 1 can not be executed, or the process of case 2 can not be executed. In addition, case 1 and case 2 can be combined, for example, for case 1, the first node can request the second node for resources once, and subsequently, the first node can request the second node for resources again in the process of data transmission. Or, the first node sends at least one first radio bearer information to the second node first, and subsequently, the first node can send the first information to the first node.

[0210] Method two: the first node determines the first resource and instructs the second node to reserve the first resource.

[0211] In method two, the first resource is determined by the first node, and the first node instructs the second node to reserve the first resource after determining the first resource. In this way, when the first data arrives at the second node, the first data can be allocated appropriate resources in time based on the first resource reserved by the second node, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the first data.

[0212] The first resource can be a periodic resource or a non-periodic resource. The first node can determine the first resource from the candidate resources of the second node and instruct the second node to reserve the first resource. For example, the process of method two can include S701c-S703c.

[0213] S701c, the first node can send a first request message to the second node, and correspondingly, the second node receives the first request message from the first node.

[0214] The first request message can be used to request the candidate resources of the second node. The second node receives the first request message and sends resource information to the first node in response to the first request message, and the resource information can be used to indicate the candidate resources of the second node.

[0215] S702c, the first node determines the first resource according to the resource information.

[0216] For example, the first node can determine the first resource from the candidate resources of the second node according to at least one first radio bearer information. The way in which the first node determines the first resource from the candidate resources of the second node according to at least one first radio bearer information is similar to the way in which the second node determines the first resource according to at least one first radio bearer information, which will not be described here.

[0217] Optionally, the second node can send more information to the first node in addition to the resource information, to assist the first node in determining the first resource. For example, the second node can send channel state information between the second node and the terminal device, information of the terminal device (e.g., capability information of the terminal device, number of antennas of the terminal device), etc., to the first node. The first node can refer to these information when determining the first resource. For example, the first node can determine a resource with better channel state from the candidate resources of the second node as the first resource.

[0218] S703c, the first node sends third indication information to the second node, and correspondingly, the second node receives the third indication information from the first node.

[0219] After the first node determines the first resource, the first node sends third indication information to the second node. The third indication information can indicate that the second node reserves the first resource. Optionally, the third indication information can include information of the first resource, to indicate that the second node reserves the first resource. For example, the first resource is a periodic resource, the third indication information can include start position of the first resource and period information of the first resource, or the third indication information can include end position of the first resource and period information of the first resource, or the third indication information can include start position of the TB and transmission period of the TB. The second node receives the third indication information, and can determine the first resource according to the third indication information, and reserve the first resource. Alternatively, the third indication information and the information of the first resource can be sent to the second node separately, and the second node receives the third indication information and the information of the first resource, and reserves the first resource.

[0220] It should be noted that when the first node and the second node are in a CU-DU separated architecture, the at least one first radio bearer information can be determined by the CU of the first node. After the CU of the first node determines the at least one first radio bearer information, the CU of the first node sends a first request message to the CU of the second node. The CU of the second node receives the first request message, and generates resource information according to resource conditions of the DU of the second node. Alternatively, the CU of the second node receives the first request message, and sends the first request message to the DU of the second node. The DU of the second node generates resource information according to resource conditions of the DU of the second node, and sends the resource information to the CU of the second node.

[0221] The CU of the second node sends the resource information to the CU of the first node. The CU of the first node determines the first resource according to the resource information. The CU of the first node indicates the first resource to the CU of the second node. The CU of the second node indicates the first resource to the DU of the second node, to instruct the DU of the second node to reserve the first resource.

[0222] Based on the second manner, the first node can determine the periodic first resource based on the candidate resource of the second node, and indicate the second node to reserve the first resource through the third indication information, so that the first node subsequently performs offloading according to the first resource. Based on the second manner, the first node does not need to request resources from the second node multiple times, and signaling overhead can be reduced. In addition, additional delay caused by multiple interactions between the first node and the second node to negotiate resources can be avoided, so as to improve the transmission efficiency of data offloaded by the first node to the second node as much as possible.

[0223] It should be noted that in possible scenarios, the second node can actively inform the first node of the candidate resource, and therefore, S701c is not a necessary step, which is shown in a dashed line in FIG. 7. In addition, the flow of the first execution manner can not execute the flow of the second manner; or the flow of the second manner can not execute the flow of the first manner.

[0224] In the above first manner or second manner, the first node and the second node interact multiple times to negotiate the first resource, the first node performs TB packeting based on the first resource, and generates and sends the first data.

[0225] As an alternative solution, the first node can send the first data to the second node first, without the first node and the second node needing to negotiate the first resource in advance, so as to achieve fast transmission of the first data as much as possible. For example, the first node can generate the first data according to the reserved resource of the second node, and send the first data to the second node; the second node receives the first data and decides how to send the first data.

[0226] In a possible implementation, the second node can indicate the resource reserved by the second node to the first node. Optionally, the second node can also indicate the amount of data that can be transmitted by the resource reserved by the second node to the first node. The first node can perform TB packeting in the MAC entity according to the resource reserved by the second node, generate the first data, and send the first data to the second node. In order to enable the second node to process the received first data in the physical layer, the first node can also send some information for physical layer processing of the second node to the second node. For example, the first node can also send sixth indication information to the second node, which can be used for physical layer processing of the second node. For example, the sixth indication information can include one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0227] The second node receives the first data and the information for physical layer processing of the second node, can determine the first resource that can be used to transmit the first data from the candidate resource, and use the first resource to send the first data to the terminal device.

[0228] In a possible scenario, the candidate resources of the second node are not sufficient for successful transmission of the first data, or the second node does not have enough candidate resources to transmit the first data. In this case, the second node can use a later resource as the first resource. The second node can indicate to the first node that the transmission of the first data will be delayed. For example, the second node can send fourth indication information to the first node, which can indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resources, and implicitly indicate that the transmission of the first data will be delayed. Alternatively, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data. Alternatively, the fourth indication information includes a first time length, which is the time delay caused by the first resource, and implicitly indicates that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data. Alternatively, the fourth indication information includes a first time length, and also indicates that the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data.

[0229] In a possible scenario, the second node has no available resources within a time length. In this case, the second node can send fifth indication information to the first node, which can indicate that the second node has no candidate resources within a second time length. The first resource is determined by the first node determining that there is no candidate resource within the second time length. The first node receives the fifth indication information, and can determine to send the first data to the terminal device by the first node. For example, the first node receives the fifth indication information, and sends the first data to the terminal device using the resource between the first node and the terminal device.

[0230] Optionally, the second node does not need to indicate the candidate resources of the second node to the first node. The first node can predict the candidate resources of the second node. For example, the second node can be (pre)configured to periodically feed back the candidate resources, periodically feed back whether the transmission is successful, periodically feed back the time delay caused by the available resources, and the like, so that the first node can better predict the candidate resources of the second node. Wherein, the first node can predict the candidate resources of the second node based on an AI / ML model.

[0231] It should be noted that when the first node and the second node are in a CU-DU separation architecture, if the second node does not have enough resources to transmit the first resource, or the candidate resources of the second node are not sufficient to transmit the first data, or the resource used by the second node can cause the first data to be transmitted with an increased delay, the DU of the second node can feed back to the CU of the second node. For example, the DU of the second node can send fourth indication information and / or fifth indication information to the CU of the second node. The CU of the second node receives the fifth indication information or the sixth indication information, and sends the fourth indication information and / or the fifth indication information to the DU of the first node. The DU of the first node receives the fourth indication information and / or the fifth indication information, and predicts the candidate resources of the second node. The DU of the first node can predict the candidate resources of the second node based on an AI / ML model.

[0232] The case 1 in the aforementioned manner one can be used for initial transmission data, and the manner two can also be used for initial transmission data. The case 2 in the aforementioned manner one can be used for retransmission data, and the scheme that the first node generates first data according to the reserved resource condition of the second node in priority and then sends the first data to the second node can be used for retransmission data. Alternatively, for (a) and (b) in FIG. 6, retransmission data is not transmitted across nodes, but only in the node.

[0233] S72, the second node sends the first data to the terminal device.

[0234] After the first node determines the first resource according to the aforementioned manner one or manner two, the first node generates first data according to the first resource, and sends the first data to the second node. Alternatively, the first node generates first data by performing TB packetization according to the reserved resource condition of the second node in priority, and then sends the first data to the second node. The second node receives the first data, and sends the first data to the terminal device.

[0235] Optionally, the terminal device can also feed back to the first node whether the first data is successfully received. For example, the terminal device sends uplink control information (UCI) through a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) of the first node, and the UCI can be used to indicate whether the first data is successfully transmitted. If the UCI indicates that the first data is not successfully transmitted, the first node can perform retransmission of the first data. The retransmission data will always be transmitted in the first node.

[0236] S73, the terminal device receives seventh indication information.

[0237] The seventh indication information can include (or be) scheduling information of the terminal device, for example, the seventh indication information can indicate the first resource. For example, the seventh indication information includes information of the first resource. For example, the first resource is a periodic resource, and the seventh indication information can include starting position information of the first resource and periodic information of the first resource. Alternatively, the seventh indication information can include ending position information of the first resource and periodic information of the first resource. The terminal device receives the seventh indication information, and determines to receive the first data on the first resource according to the seventh indication information.

[0238] The terminal device can receive the seventh indication information from the first node or from the second node. According to different indications of the first resource by the first indication information, the specific implementation manners of the terminal device receiving the seventh indication information are also different, which are illustrated below.

[0239] Example 1: The first resource is determined by the second node and indicated to the first node through the first indication information.

[0240] In example 1, the seventh indication information can be sent to the terminal device by the first node, or can be sent to the terminal device by the second node.

[0241] For example, the first resource is a periodic resource, the second node determines the first resource based on the aforementioned manner one, sends the first indication information to the first node, and further sends the seventh indication information to the terminal device. The first indication information can include the start position of the first resource and the periodic information of the first resource, or the first indication information can include the end position of the first resource and the periodic information of the first resource. The seventh indication information can be carried in an RRC message, or the seventh indication information is an RRC message.

[0242] For another example, the first resource is a periodic resource, the second node determines the first resource based on the aforementioned manner one, and sends the first indication information to the first node. The first node receives the first indication information and sends the seventh indication information to the terminal device. The seventh indication information can be carried in an RRC message, or the seventh indication information is an RRC message.

[0243] Optionally, if the first indication information is contained in an RRC container or the first indication information is an RRC container, the seventh indication information can be an RRC container. The first node receives the first indication information and sends the RRC container to the terminal device.

[0244] For another example, the first resource is a periodic resource, the second node determines the first resource based on the aforementioned manner one, and indicates the TB size, the start position of the TB transmission, and the transmission period of the TB to the first node. In this case, the second node can further send the seventh indication information to the terminal device. The seventh indication information can be carried in an RRC message, or the seventh indication information is an RRC message. The seventh indication information can include the start position of the first resource and the periodic information of the first resource. Alternatively, the seventh indication information can include the end position of the first resource and the periodic information of the first resource.

[0245] Example 2: The first resource is determined by the first node.

[0246] For example, the first node determines the first resource by the aforementioned manner two, and can send the seventh indication information to the terminal device. The seventh indication information can be carried in a DCI, or the seventh indication information is a DCI.

[0247] Optionally, the seventh indication information can further indicate that the first resource is a resource between the second node and the terminal device.

[0248] Optionally, the seventh indication information can include not only the first resource, but also a resource (for example, referred to as a second resource) between the first node and the terminal device. In this case, the seventh indication information can further indicate that the first resource is the resource between the second node and the terminal device, and / or indicate that the first resource is the resource between the first node and the terminal device.

[0249] It should be noted that the execution order of S702 and S703 is not limited. For example, S702 can be executed before S703, or can be executed after S703.

[0250] In the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the first node replicates or splits the data to be transmitted to the terminal device in the MAC entity, and transmits the data to the terminal device through the second node. The first node can determine the splitting strategy according to the resource condition of the second node, so that the splitting can be more reasonable, for example, when the candidate resource of the second node is small, less data can be split to the second node. Compared with splitting based on PDCP as an anchor point, the data transmission efficiency can be improved.

[0251] The above embodiments provided by the present application are introduced by taking the first node, the second node and the terminal device as an example. In the present application, each embodiment can be independently implemented or implemented based on certain internal relationship; different implementation manners in each embodiment can be combined or independently implemented. In order to realize the functions in the above method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the steps executed by the first node can be realized by the first node itself, or can be realized by different functional entities constituting the first node. For example, the first node is an access network device, which can be a CU-DU-RU architecture, the DU can generate the first indication information, and the RU can transmit the first indication information. The steps executed by the second node can be realized by the second node itself, or can be realized by different functional entities constituting the second node. In order to realize the functions in the above method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the second node and the terminal device and the first node can include hardware structures and / or software modules, and the above functions are realized in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules. Whether a certain function in the above functions is executed 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.

[0252] 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 with reference to the drawings. The contents in the above can be used in the subsequent embodiments, and the repeated contents will not be described herein.

[0253] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 800 provided in embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 800 can correspond to implement the functions or steps implemented by the first node, the terminal device or the second node in the above-mentioned various method embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 800 can be the first access network node in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 800 is a chip (system) in the first access network node; or the communication apparatus 800 is a software module of the second node. Or the communication apparatus 800 can correspond to implement the functions or steps implemented by the second node in the above-mentioned various method embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 800 can be the second access network node in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 800 is a chip (system) in the second access network node; or the communication apparatus 800 is a software module of the second access network node. Or the communication apparatus 800 can correspond to implement the functions or steps implemented by the terminal device in the above-mentioned various method embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 800 can be the terminal device in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 800 is a chip (system) in the terminal device; or the communication apparatus 800 is a software module of the terminal device. The communication apparatus 800 can include a processing module 810 and a transceiver module 820. Optionally, it can also include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions (codes or programs) and / or data. The storage module can be, for example, a memory. The processing module 810 and the transceiver module 820 can be coupled with the storage module. For example, the processing module 810 can read the instructions (codes or programs) and / or data in the storage module to implement the corresponding method. When the communication apparatus 800 is a chip in the first node, the second node or the terminal device, 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 located outside the chip in the first node, the second node or the terminal 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-mentioned various units can be independently set, or partially or wholly integrated.

[0254] The processing module 810 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 circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute 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 one or more microprocessor combinations, combinations of DSP and microprocessor, etc. The transceiver module 820 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 820 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.

[0255] In an implementation manner, the communication device 800 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the first node in the above method embodiments. The communication device 800 can be the first node, can be a component (for example, a chip or a circuit) in the first node, can be a part of a chip or a chip set in the first node for executing related method functions, or can be a software module in the first node 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.

[0256] For example, the processing module 810 is configured to determine a first resource, the first resource being used for transmitting first data between a second node and a terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection with the first node and the second node. The transceiver module 820 is configured to transmit the first data to the second node.

[0257] Optionally, the first resource can be a periodic resource or a non-periodic resource.

[0258] As an optional implementation manner, the processing module 810 is specifically configured to determine the first resource according to first indication information from the second node. The transceiver module 820 is configured to receive the first indication information from the second node.

[0259] Optionally, the first indication information can comprise information of the first resource. For example, the first resource is a periodic resource, and the first indication information can comprise a start position of the first resource and a period of the first resource, or the first indication information can comprise an end position of the first resource and the period of the first resource, or the first indication information can comprise a start position of transport block (TB) transmission and a transmission period of the TB. For another example, the first resource is an aperiodic resource, and the first indication information can comprise a start position of the first resource and an end position of the first resource.

[0260] Optionally, the first indication information further comprises capability information of the terminal device and / or channel state information, the capability information can indicate whether the terminal device supports MAC-based cross-node transmission, and the channel state information is used to indicate a channel state between the second node and the terminal device.

[0261] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the second node, at least one first radio bearer information, the first radio bearer information comprising one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information.

[0262] Optionally, the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer comprises one or more QoS flows associated with the first radio bearer and a QoS parameter corresponding to each QoS flow, or the QoS information associated with the first radio bearer comprises a QoS parameter corresponding to the first radio bearer.

[0263] Optionally, the logical channel configuration information comprises one or more of the following: logical channel group configuration, logical channel priority, or priority bit rate.

[0264] As an optional implementation, the first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node sends part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node replicates data of the first radio bearer and sends the data to the second node.

[0265] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the second node, second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a split ratio, the split ratio comprising a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node, or the split ratio comprising a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0266] As an optional implementation, the processing module 810 is configured to determine the first resource according to resource information from the second node, the resource information being used to indicate candidate resources of the second node. The candidate resources of the second node can be understood as resources that can be used by the second node.

[0267] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send third indication information to the second node, where the third indication information is used to instruct the second node to reserve the first resource.

[0268] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send first information to the second node, where the first information is used to indicate the first data amount, and the first data amount is the data amount of the data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0269] As an optional implementation, the processing module 810 is further configured to generate the first data according to the second data amount or the first resource, where the second data amount is the data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

[0270] As an optional implementation, the processing module 810 is specifically configured to generate the first data according to the reserved resource of the second node, and send the first data to the second node, where the first resource is determined according to the reserved resource of the second node.

[0271] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive fourth indication information from the second node, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first time length and / or the first resource will increase the transmission delay of the first data, and the first time length is the delay caused by the first resource.

[0272] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive fifth indication information from the second node, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within the second time length.

[0273] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send sixth indication information to the second node, where the sixth indication information is used for physical layer processing of the second node, and the sixth indication information includes one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0274] In an implementation, the communication apparatus 800 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the second node in the above method embodiments. The communication apparatus 800 can be the second node, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) in the second node, or a part of a chip or chip set in the second node for executing related method functions, or a software module in the second node capable of implementing the above communication method, without limitation. For details, reference can be made to the related contents of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0275] For example, the transceiver 820 is configured to receive at least one first radio bearer information from the first node, send a first indication information to the first node, and receive first data from the first node. The first radio bearer information includes one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information. The first indication information indicates a first resource for transmitting the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node.

[0276] As an optional implementation, the first radio bearer information further includes split indication information, which indicates that the first node sends part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or indicates that the first node replicates data of the first radio bearer and sends the data to the second node.

[0277] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive second indication information from the first node, which indicates a split ratio. The split ratio includes a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node, or includes a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0278] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive first information from the first node, which indicates a first data amount. The first data amount is a data amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0279] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, information of a second data amount or information of the first resource. The second data amount is a data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

[0280] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, fourth indication information. The fourth indication information indicates that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or indicates that the first time length and / or the first resource will increase a transmission delay of the first data. The first time length is a delay caused by the first resource.

[0281] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, fifth indication information. The fifth indication information indicates that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

[0282] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information comprising one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0283] For example, the transceiver 820 is configured to receive third indication information from the first node. The processing module 810 is configured to reserve the first resource. The transceiver 820 is further configured to receive first data from the first node. The third indication information is used to instruct the second node to reserve the first resource, the first resource being used for transmission of the first data between the second node and the terminal device. The terminal device has an air interface connection between the second node and the first node.

[0284] As an optional implementation, the first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, the split indication information being used to instruct the first node to send part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to instruct the first node to copy data of the first radio bearer and send the data to the second node.

[0285] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to instruct a split ratio, the split ratio comprising a split ratio of at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or the split ratio comprising a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

[0286] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to receive first information from the first node, the first information being used to instruct a first data amount, the first data amount being an amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

[0287] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, information of a second data amount or information of the first resource, the second data amount being an amount of data supported for transmission by the second node.

[0288] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to instruct that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to instruct that the first time length and / or the first resource will increase transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a delay caused by the first resource.

[0289] As an optional implementation, the transceiver 820 is further configured to send, to the first node, fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

[0290] As an optional implementation, the transceiver module 820 is further configured to receive sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information comprising one or more of the following: NDI, RV, or process ID.

[0291] When the communication apparatus 800 is a chip type apparatus or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module can be an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0292] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 900 can be the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the above embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 900 can be the first node or a chip (system) in the first node in FIG. 1. For another example, the communication apparatus 900 can be the second node or a chip (system) in the second node in FIG. 1. For another example, the communication apparatus 900 can be the terminal device or a chip (system) in the terminal 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. The specific functions can be referred to the description of the method embodiments.

[0293] The communication apparatus 900 includes one or more processors 901 configured to implement or support implementation of the functions of the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the methods provided by the embodiments of the present application. For details, refer to the detailed description in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The processor 901 can also be referred to as a processing unit or a processing module, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 901 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 configured to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be configured to control the communication apparatus 900 (e.g., the first node, the second node or the terminal device), execute software programs and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices, or can be integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated into one or more application specific integrated circuits.

[0294] In one design, the processor 901 can include a program 903 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions at times) that can be run on the processor 901 to cause the communication apparatus 900 to perform the methods described in the following embodiments. In yet another possible design, the communication apparatus 900 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG. 9) for implementing the functions of the first node, the second node, or the terminal device in the above-described embodiments.

[0295] In one design, the communication apparatus 900 can include one or more memories 902 having a program 904 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions at times) stored thereon that can be run on the processor 901 to cause the communication apparatus 900 to perform the methods described in the above-described method embodiments.

[0296] In one design, the processor 901 and / or the memory 902 can include an AI module 907, an AI module 908 for implementing AI-related functions. The AI module can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI module can include a RIC module. For example, the AI module can be a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0297] In one possible design, the processor 901 and / or the memory 902 can also store data. The processor and the memory can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0298] In one possible design, the communication apparatus 900 can also include a transceiver 905 and / or an antenna 906. The processor 901 can also be referred to as a processing unit, which controls the communication apparatus 900. The transceiver 905 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 functions of the communication apparatus 900 through the antenna 906.

[0299] In one possible design, the communication apparatus 900 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 apparatus 900 can include more or fewer 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.

[0300] The communication apparatus in the above embodiments can be the first node or the second node or the terminal device, can be a circuit, or can be a chip or other combination device, component, etc. having the first node or the second node or the terminal device. When the communication apparatus is the first node or the second node or the terminal device, the transceiver module can be a transceiver and can include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, for example, a CPU. When the communication apparatus is a chip system, the communication apparatus can be an FPGA, can be a special ASIC, can also be a SoC, can also be a CPU, can also be a network processor (NP), can also be a DSP, can also be a micro controller unit (MCU), can also be a programmable logic device (PLD) or other integrated chip. 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 and 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.

[0301] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, including a first node, a second node and at least one terminal device. The first node is a first node for implementing the functions related to the above communication method, the second node is a second node for implementing the functions related to the above communication method, and the terminal device is a terminal device for implementing the functions related to the above communication method.

[0302] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium including instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method executed by the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the above communication method.

[0303] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product including computer program code, which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method executed by the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the above communication method.

[0304] The chip system comprises a processor, and can further comprise a memory, and is used for implementing the functions of the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the foregoing communication method. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can comprise the chip and other discrete devices.

[0305] To implement the functions of the communication apparatus in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the embodiment of the present application further provides a chip comprising a processor, which is used for supporting the communication apparatus to implement the functions related to the first node, the second node or the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments. In a possible design, the chip is connected with a memory or the chip comprises the memory, and the memory is used for storing the computer programs or instructions and data necessary for the communication apparatus.

[0306] It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process described above does not mean the sequence of execution, and the execution sequence of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0307] 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. A person skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0308] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the system, apparatus and unit described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0309] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely schematic, 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 or components shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0310] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, i.e. may be located in one place, or may be distributed on multiple network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment scheme.

[0311] If the functions are realized 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 scheme of the application that essentially contributes or part of the technical scheme 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 application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various program code storage media.

[0312] 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 characterized by comprising: The method comprises: sending first data to a second node according to a first resource, the first resource being used for transmitting the first data between the second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and a first node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the first resource according to first indication information, the first indication information being from the second node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending at least one first radio bearer information to the second node, the first radio bearer information comprising one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, first radio bearer associated quality of service (QoS) information, or logical channel configuration information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, the split indication information being used to instruct the first node to send part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to instruct the first node to copy data of the first radio bearer and send the data to the second node.

5. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The method further comprises: sending second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split proportion, the split proportion comprising a split proportion of the at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or the split proportion comprising a split proportion of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the first resource according to resource information from the second node, the resource information being used to indicate candidate resources of the second node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further comprises: sending third indication information to the second node, the third indication information being used to instruct the second node to reserve the first resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending first information to the second node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being an amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: generating the first data according to a second data amount from the second node or the first resource, the second data amount being an amount of data supported for transmission by the second node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending the first data to the second node according to the first resource, comprising:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, generating the first data according to a reserved resource of the second node, and sending the first data to the second node, the first resource being determined based on the reserved resource of the second node. The method further comprises:

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, receiving fourth indication information from the second node, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to indicate a first time length and / or that the first resource will increase a transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a delay caused by the first resource. The method further comprises:

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein, receiving fifth indication information from the second node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length. The method further comprises: The sixth indication information is used for physical layer processing of the second node, and the sixth indication information includes one or more of the following: a new data indicator (NDI), a redundancy version (RV), or a process ID.

14. A communication method, comprising: The method comprises: receiving at least one first radio bearer information from a first node, the first radio bearer information including one or more of the following: a radio bearer identifier, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information; sending first indication information to the first node, the first indication information being used to indicate first resources, the first resources being used for transmission of first data between the second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and the first node; receiving the first data from the first node.

15. A method of communication, comprising: The method comprises: receiving third indication information from a first node, the third indication information being used to indicate that the second node reserves first resources, the first resources being used for transmission of first data between the second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and the first node; reserving the first resources; receiving the first data from the first node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first radio bearer information further includes split indication information, the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node sends part of the first radio bearer data to the second node, or the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node copies the first radio bearer data and sends it to the second node.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split ratio, the split ratio including a split ratio of the at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or the split ratio including a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

18. The method of any one of claims 15-17, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving first information from the first node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being a data amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The method further comprises: sending information of a second data amount or information of the first resources to the first node, the second data amount being a data amount supported by the second node for transmission.

20. The method of any one of claims 15-18, wherein, The method further comprises: sending fourth indication information to the first node, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resources, or the fourth indication information being used to indicate a first time length and / or that the first resources will increase transmission latency of the first data, the first time length being latency caused by the first resources.

21. The method of any one of claims 16-18, wherein, The method further comprises: sending fifth indication information to the first node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resources within a second time length.

22. The method of any one of claims 15-21, wherein, The method further comprises: receive sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information comprising one or more of the following: new data indication (NDI), redundancy version (RV), or process ID.

23. A communications device, characterized by comprise: a processing unit, configured to determine a first resource, the first resource being used for transmission of first data between a second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and a first node a transceiver unit, configured to transmit the first data to the second node according to the first resource.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, the processing unit is specifically configured to: determine the first resource according to first indication information from the second node.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit at least one first radio bearer information to the second node, the first radio bearer information comprising one or more of the following: radio bearer identifier, first radio bearer associated quality of service (QoS) information, or logical channel configuration information.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein, the first radio bearer information further comprises split indication information, the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node transmits part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node replicates data of the first radio bearer and transmits the data to the second node.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 or 26, wherein, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit second indication information to the second node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split proportion, the split proportion comprising a split proportion of the at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; or, the split proportion comprises a split proportion of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, the processing unit is further configured to: determine the first resource according to resource information from the second node, the resource information being used to indicate candidate resources of the second node.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit third indication information to the second node, the third indication information being used to indicate that the second node reserves the first resource.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit first information to the second node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being an amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein, the processing unit is further configured to: generate the first data according to a second data amount from the second node or the first resource, the second data amount being an amount of data supported to be transmitted by the second node.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein, the first resource is determined based on reserved resources of the second node; the processing unit is specifically configured to generate the first data according to the reserved resources of the second node; the transceiver unit is configured to transmit the first data to the second node.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein, the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive fourth indication information from the second node, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to indicate a first time length and / or the first resource increasing transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being a delay caused by the first resource.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 or 33, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: receive fifth indication information from the second node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

35. The apparatus of any one of claims 23-34, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: send sixth indication information to the second node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information including one or more of the following: new data indication (NDI), redundancy version (RV), or process identification (process ID).

36. A communications device, characterized by The method comprises: receiving, by a transceiver, at least one first radio bearer information from a first node, sending, by the transceiver, first indication information to the first node, and receiving, by the transceiver, first data from the first node, wherein the first radio bearer information includes one or more of the following: radio bearer identification, QoS information associated with the first radio bearer, or logical channel configuration information; the first indication information is used to indicate a first resource, the first resource being used for transmission of the first data between a second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and the first node; determining, by a processing unit, the first indication information.

37. A communications device, characterized by The method comprises: receiving, by a transceiver, third indication information from a first node, and receiving, by the transceiver, first data from the first node, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate that a second node reserves a first resource, the first resource being used for transmission of the first data between the second node and a terminal device, the terminal device having an air interface connection between the second node and the first node; reserving, by a processing unit, the first resource.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein, The first radio bearer information further includes split indication information, the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node sends part of data of the first radio bearer to the second node, or the split indication information being used to indicate that the first node copies data of the first radio bearer and sends the data to the second node.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 or 38, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: receive second indication information from the first node, the second indication information being used to indicate a split ratio, the split ratio including a split ratio of the at least one first radio bearer between the first node and the second node; Or, the split ratio includes a split ratio of the first radio bearer between the first node and the second node.

40. The apparatus of any one of claims 37-39, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: receive first information from the first node, the first information being used to indicate a first data amount, the first data amount being an amount of data to be transmitted by the first node to the terminal device.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein, The transceiver is further configured to: send, to the first node, information of a second data amount or information of the first resource, the second data amount being an amount of data supported for transmission by the second node.

42. The apparatus of any one of claims 37-40, wherein, The transceiver unit is further configured to: send fourth indication information to the first node, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the second node currently has no candidate resource, or the fourth indication information being used to indicate a first time length and / or the first resource increasing transmission delay of the first data, the first time length being delay caused by the first resource.

43. The apparatus of any one of claims 38-40, wherein, The transceiver unit is further configured to: send fifth indication information to the first node, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the second node has no candidate resource within a second time length.

44. The apparatus of any one of claims 37-43, wherein, The transceiver unit is further configured to: receive sixth indication information from the first node, the sixth indication information being used for physical layer processing of the second node, the sixth indication information including one or more of the following: new data indication (NDI), redundancy version (RV), or process identification (process ID).

45. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises at least one processor configured to cause the method of any one of claims 1-13 to be performed by the communication device, or the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 14-22.

46. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium is configured to store a computer program which, when executed on a computer, causes the method of any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or causes the method of any one of claims 14-22 to be performed.

47. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises a computer program which, when executed on a computer, causes the method of any one of claims 1-13 to be performed, or causes the method of any one of claims 14-22 to be performed.

48. A chip system, characterized by The chip system comprises: a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and run instructions from the interface, when the processor executes the instructions, the method of any one of claims 1-13 is implemented, or the method of any one of claims 14-22 is implemented.

Images