Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and an apparatus, which are capable of improving data processing efficiency. In the method, a second module can send a plurality of data packets to a plurality of first modules on the basis of a first allocation mode, data packets sent to different first modules being different; the second module can also send first information to a third module so as to indicate the first allocation mode; and after receiving the first information, the third module determines, on the basis of the first allocation mode, transmission opportunities corresponding to the plurality of first modules, wherein each first module is used for implementing an RLC function, for example, each first module is an RLC entity; the second module is an upper-layer module with respect to the first modules, for example, a PDCP entity; and the third module is a lower-layer module with respect to the first modules, for example, a MAC entity. That is to say, the functions of processing and sending data packets in parallel by a plurality of first modules are achieved. Thus, compared with traditional protocol stack serial processing flows, the present application can improve the data processing efficiency, thereby supporting high-rate and low-latency service scenarios.

Description

Communication method and apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411311116.7, filed on September 19, 2024, and entitled "Communication method and apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication, in particular to a communication method and apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a mobile communication scenario, the user plane protocol stack of a terminal and a network device usually includes a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access link control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer.

[0004] In a user plane data transmission process, downlink data of the network device is sequentially processed by the SDAP layer, the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, and the MAC layer, and then transmitted to the terminal through the physical layer; after the terminal receives the downlink data through the physical layer, each protocol layer is sequentially processed in the reverse order of the network device.

[0005] However, the processing efficiency of the current protocol stack processing procedure is low, which may not support high-rate low-latency services. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which can improve the data processing efficiency.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a first communication apparatus, or by a component of the first communication apparatus, such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the first communication apparatus, or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the first communication apparatus. The method includes: sending a plurality of data packets to N first modules according to a first allocation mode, wherein the data packets sent to different first modules are different, the first modules are used to implement RLC functions, and N is a positive integer greater than 1. Sending first information, the first information indicating the first allocation mode.

[0008] The first communication device can be a terminal, a second RAN node, a third RAN node, a second module in the second RAN node or the third RAN node. The second module is configured to implement a PDCP function, for example, the second module is a PDCP entity. The second RAN node does not include the first module, and the second RAN node can be a CU. The third RAN node includes the second module and the first module.

[0009] Based on the scheme, a plurality of first modules for implementing RLC functions are introduced. The upper module of the first module can send a plurality of data packets to different first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets can be processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules. In addition, the upper module of the first module can send information indicating the allocation mode to the lower module of the first module, so that the lower module of the first module can allocate transmission opportunities to the plurality of first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules can be sent to the lower module in parallel. That is, the function of processing and sending data packets in parallel through the plurality of first modules is realized, and therefore, compared with the traditional protocol stack serial processing flow, the data processing efficiency can be improved, for example, more data packets can be processed in a unit of time, thereby supporting a high-rate low-latency service scenario.

[0010] In a possible design, the first allocation mode indicates a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules, and the data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules is used to determine the data amount transmitted by the N first modules; or the first allocation mode indicates the data amount transmitted by the N first modules; or the first allocation mode indicates the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0011] Based on the possible design, the plurality of data packets of the upper module of the first module can be distributed to the plurality of first modules, so that the plurality of first modules can process the data packets in parallel, thereby improving the data processing efficiency.

[0012] In a possible design, the first information includes a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules; or the first information includes a data amount transmitted by the N first modules; or the first information includes an index of the first allocation mode.

[0013] In a possible design, according to the first allocation mode, the plurality of data packets are sent to the N first modules, including: determining data packets corresponding to the N first modules according to a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules or a data amount transmitted by the N first modules; and sending the data packets corresponding to the nth first module to the nth first module through a tunnel corresponding to the nth first module, where n=1,..., N.

[0014] In a possible design, the data packets corresponding to the nth first module are associated with a random number; and

[0015] n = 1, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located between 0 and p1; or,

[0016] n = 2, …, N-1, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located between and ; or,

[0017] n = N, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located between and 1;

[0018] wherein p n is the data shunting ratio corresponding to the nth first module.

[0019] In a possible design, the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules or the data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules are the same; the COUNT value of the data packet corresponding to the nth first module satisfies the following relationship:

[0020] COUNT value mod N = n

[0021] wherein n = 1, …, N, and mod represents a modulo operation.

[0022] Based on the above possible design, the plurality of data packets can be accurately shunted to the N first modules, so that the plurality of first modules can process the data packets in parallel, and the data processing efficiency is improved.

[0023] In a possible design, the method further includes: receiving second information. The second information is used to determine the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine the data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0024] In a possible design, the second information includes at least one of the following: the data processing capabilities of the N first modules, the expected data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, the expected data rates of the N first modules, or the expected cache spaces of the N first modules.

[0025] Based on the possible design, the second module can determine the allocation mode corresponding to the N first modules based on the data processing capabilities of the first modules, the expected data shunting ratios, and the like, improve the accuracy of the determined allocation mode, and avoid shunting too many data packets to a first module with low capability, so as to cause the processing efficiency to be reduced or the data transmission to be incorrect.

[0026] In a possible design, the method further includes: sending third information, where the third information is used to activate or deactivate the first module n, and the first module n is one of the N first modules.

[0027] Based on this possible design, the activation or deactivation of the first module can be implemented, so that the second module can flexibly adjust the number of the first module according to a service requirement. For example, in a case where a service latency requirement or a rate requirement is reduced, at least one first module can be deactivated to reduce device power consumption; in a case where a service latency requirement or a rate requirement is increased, at least one first module can be reactivated to further improve processing efficiency, so as to meet the latency and rate requirements of the service.

[0028] In a possible design, the third information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module n, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or an identifier of a tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

[0029] In a possible design, in a case where the third information is used to deactivate the first module n, the third information indicates that there is no user data to be transmitted through the first module n; or the third information indicates that a data volume corresponding to the first module n is 0.

[0030] In a possible design, the third information is a user data existence flag, and the user data existence flag is set to a first value. Based on this possible design, the deactivation indication of the first module can be implemented by using the user data existence flag, without carrying too much information, so that signaling overhead can be reduced.

[0031] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device, for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system of the second communication device, or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second communication device. The method includes: receiving first information, where the first information indicates a first allocation mode, and the first allocation mode is used to indicate data volume allocation of N first modules, and the first module is used to implement a radio link control (RLC) function, and N is a positive integer greater than 1; and determining transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules according to the first allocation mode.

[0032] For example, the second communication device can be a terminal, a first RAN node, a third RAN node, a third module in the first RAN node or the third RAN node. The third module is used to implement a MAC function, for example, the third module is a MAC entity. The first RAN node can further include the first module and does not include the second module, and the first RAN node can be a DU for example. The third RAN node includes the first module, the second module, and the third module.

[0033] Based on the scheme, a plurality of first modules for implementing RLC functions are introduced. An upper layer module of the first module can split a plurality of data packets to different first modules based on an allocation mode, so that the data packets can be processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules. In addition, a lower layer module of the first module allocates transmission opportunities for the plurality of first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules can be sent in parallel to the lower layer module. That is, the function of processing and sending data packets in parallel through the plurality of first modules is implemented, and therefore, compared with the traditional protocol stack serial processing process, the data processing efficiency can be improved, thereby supporting a high-rate low-latency service scenario.

[0034] In a possible design, the first allocation mode indicates data split ratios corresponding to the N first modules, and the data split ratios corresponding to the N first modules are used to determine data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules; or the first allocation mode indicates data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules; or the first allocation mode indicates numbers of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0035] In a possible design, the first information includes data split ratios corresponding to the N first modules; or the first information includes data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules; or the first information includes numbers of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0036] In a possible design, the method further includes: sending second information. The second information is used to determine data split ratios corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine numbers of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0037] In a possible design, the second information includes at least one of the following: data processing capabilities corresponding to the N first modules, expected data split ratios corresponding to the N first modules, expected data rates of the N first modules, or expected buffer spaces of the N first modules.

[0038] In a possible design, the method further includes: receiving third information, and the third information is used to activate or deactivate a first module n, where the first module n is one of the N first modules.

[0039] In a possible design, the third information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module n, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or an identifier of a tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

[0040] In a possible design, the third information is used to deactivate the first module n; the third information indicates that there is no user data transmitted through the first module n any more; or the third information indicates that a data amount corresponding to the first module n is 0.

[0041] In a possible design of the third information, the third information is a user data existence flag, and the user data existence flag is set to the first value.

[0042] In a possible design of the method, the method further includes: notifying the n th first module of a transmission opportunity corresponding to the n th first module.

[0043] The technical effects brought by any possible design of the second aspect can refer to the technical effects brought by the corresponding design of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0044] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is configured to implement various methods. The communication apparatus includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the methods, and the modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by executing corresponding software with hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0045] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus can include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be configured to implement the processing functions in any of the aspects and any possible implementation manner thereof. The transceiver module can include a receiving module and a sending module, which are configured to implement the receiving function and the sending function in any of the aspects and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0046] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can be composed of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the communication apparatus is caused to perform the method in any of the aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to communicate with a module outside the communication apparatus. The processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions, so that the communication apparatus performs the method in any of the aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes at least one processor. The processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory, so that the communication apparatus performs the method in any of the aspects and any possible design thereof. The memory can be coupled with the processor, or can be independent of the processor.

[0050] In a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus (which can be a chip or a chip system) is provided, and the communication apparatus includes a processor configured to implement the functions of any of the above aspects and any of their possible designs.

[0051] In some possible designs, the communication apparatus includes a memory configured to store necessary program instructions and data.

[0052] In some possible designs, when the apparatus is a chip system, the apparatus can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0053] The communication apparatus of the third aspect to the seventh aspect can be the first communication apparatus of the first aspect, or an apparatus included in the first communication apparatus, such as a chip or a chip system; or the communication apparatus can be the second communication apparatus of the second aspect, or an apparatus included in the second communication apparatus, such as a chip or a chip system.

[0054] In an eighth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which can be the first communication apparatus, or a module or unit (such as a chip or a chip system or a circuit) that is one-to-one corresponding to the module or unit that performs the method / operation / step / action described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be matched with the first communication apparatus; or the communication apparatus can be the second communication apparatus, or a module or unit (such as a chip or a chip system or a circuit) that is one-to-one corresponding to the module or unit that performs the method / operation / step / action described in the second aspect, or a module or unit that can be matched with the second communication apparatus.

[0055] It can be understood that, when the communication apparatus of any of the third aspect to the eighth aspect is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication apparatus can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication apparatus can be understood as inputting information.

[0056] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a communication apparatus, causes the communication apparatus to perform the method of any of the above aspects and any of their possible designs.

[0057] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, and the computer program product includes instructions, which, when executed on a communication apparatus, causes the communication apparatus to perform the method of any of the above aspects and any of their possible designs.

[0058] In an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is configured to implement the method of the first aspect and any possible design of the first aspect, and the second communication device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect and any possible design of the second aspect.

[0059] The technical effects brought by any of the designs of the third aspect to the eleventh aspect can be referred to the technical effects brought by different designs of the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0060] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a radio access network side protocol stack according to the present application;

[0061] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an RLC layer according to the present application;

[0062] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a capability requirement of an IMT evolution network architecture according to the present application;

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication system according to the present application;

[0064] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an O-RAN system according to the present application;

[0065] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a protocol layer architecture of a CU-DU according to the present application;

[0066] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another protocol layer architecture of a CU-DU according to the present application;

[0067] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a protocol layer architecture of an access network device in an O-RAN system according to the present application;

[0068] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a flow of a communication method according to the present application;

[0069] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a protocol stack of a sending end and a receiving end according to the present application;

[0070] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a principle of data splitting according to the present application;

[0071] FIG. 12-13 are schematic diagrams of a flow of another communication method according to the present application;

[0072] FIG. 14-16 are schematic diagrams of a structure of a communication device according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means that the objects before and after the " / " are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural.

[0074] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or the like means any combination of the items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0075] In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same function and role. Those skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second" and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0076] In the embodiments of the present application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or design presented as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. The embodiments described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application are not necessarily to be understood as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0077] It can be understood that the "embodiments" mentioned throughout the specification mean that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It can be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence of each process does not mean the execution order, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0078] It can be understood that in the present application, "when" and "if" both refer to making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, not limited to time, and do not require judgment actions when implementing, nor mean that there are other limitations.

[0079] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented independently in some scenarios, solve corresponding technical problems, and achieve corresponding effects, without relying on other features, such as the scheme currently based on, and can be combined with other features according to needs in some scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatuses given in the embodiments of the present application can also implement these features or functions, and details are not described herein.

[0080] In the present application, the same or similar parts between various embodiments can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified. In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referred to, unless otherwise specified and logically conflicted. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship. The following description of the embodiments of the present application does not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0081] In order to facilitate the understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, first, a brief introduction of the related technologies of the present application is given as follows.

[0082] 1. Protocol stack on the side of the radio access network:

[0083] The protocol stack on the side of the radio access network can be divided into a user plane protocol stack and a control plane protocol stack. The user plane protocol stack can include a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer, etc. Among them, the physical layer belongs to the first layer (also referred to as layer one (L1)), the MAC layer, the RLC layer, the PDCP layer, and the SDAP layer belong to the second layer (also referred to as layer two (L2)). In addition, the radio resource control (RRC) layer of the control plane belongs to the third layer (also referred to as layer three (L3)).

[0084] As shown in FIG. 1, in the user plane protocol stack, the SDAP layer is above the PDCP layer, the PDCP layer is above the RLC layer, the RLC layer is above the MAC layer, and the MAC layer is above the physical layer. For downlink transmission, downlink data first arrives at the SDAP layer of the access network device, is transmitted to the corresponding PDCP layer after mapping by the SDAP layer, is transmitted to the RLC layer and the MAC layer after processing by the PDCP layer, and is sent from the physical layer after corresponding processing, and is transmitted to the terminal side through the air interface. After the terminal receives the data packet through the air interface, the terminal performs corresponding processing on the data packet in reverse order to the access network device. The processing of the data packet by each protocol layer is implemented by a multifunctional entity corresponding to the protocol layer, for example, the processing of the PDCP layer is implemented by a corresponding PDCP layer entity.

[0085] Generally, the service of transmitting user data between the terminal and the access network device provided by layer two can be referred to as a radio bearer (RB). For example, the service of transmitting user data between the terminal and the access network device can be implemented by each protocol layer belonging to layer two. That is, the processing of the data packet by each protocol layer can be figuratively combined and referred to as a radio bearer, and each data packet in the radio bearer needs to pass through the processing of each protocol layer of layer two.

[0086] For example, each radio bearer configuration includes a PDCP entity, and is associated with an RLC entity, and one RLC entity corresponds to one logical channel (LCH). The logical channel can be understood as a channel between the RLC layer and the MAC layer.

[0087] Currently, for data processing in a single quality of service (QoS) flow, the data of the QoS flow is sequentially processed in series after being mapped to a data radio bearer (DRB) at the SDAP layer, the PDCP layer, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer.

[0088] 2. RLC layer:

[0089] For example, the functions of the RLC layer (referred to as RLC functions) include at least one of the following:

[0090] a) transmitting upper layer protocol data units (PDUs): including transparent transmission, and transmission after packetization / packet decompression;

[0091] b) Segmenting / reassembling RLC service data units (SDUs): The RLC layer at the transmitting end can segment RLC SDUs, and the RLC layer at the receiving end can reassemble segmented RLC SDUs;

[0092] c) Resegmentation of RLC SDU segments: When a certain RLC SDU segment needs to be retransmitted, resegmentation of the RLC SDU segment can be needed;

[0093] d) Duplicate packet detection;

[0094] e) RLC SDU discard: When the PDCP layer instructs the RLC layer to discard a certain RLC SDU, the RLC layer triggers RLC SDU discard processing;

[0095] f) RLC re-establishment: In the handover procedure, the RRC layer can require the RLC layer to re-establish;

[0096] g) Automatic repeat request (ARQ) error correction;

[0097] h) Protocol error detection.

[0098] Generally, the working modes of the RLC layer include transparent mode (TM), unacknowledged mode (UM), and acknowledged mode (AM).

[0099] TM corresponds to a TM RLC entity, referred to as a TM entity. In this mode, the RLC layer does not perform any processing, and only provides a pass-through function for data.

[0100] UM corresponds to a UM RLC entity, referred to as a UM entity. In this mode, the RLC layer provides all RLC functions except retransmission and resegmentation. Since there is no retransmission function even if a data packet is transmitted incorrectly in this mode, this mode provides an unreliable transmission service.

[0101] AM corresponds to an AM RLC entity, referred to as an AM entity. In this mode, all RLC functions are provided, including the ARQ function. Since detection and retransmission can be performed, this mode provides a reliable transmission service.

[0102] An exemplary structure of the RLC layer can be shown in FIG. 2. A channel between the RLC entity and the upper layer (PDCP) entity is an RLC channel, and a channel between the RLC entity and the lower layer (MAC) entity is a logical channel. There are three modes of data transmission, TM, UM, and AM, and based on the mode of data transmission, the RLC entity is divided into a TM RLC entity, a UM RLC entity, and an AM RLC entity.

[0103] In wireless communication, after a terminal enters an RRC connected state, when there is a service to be transmitted, the access network device configures a radio bearer for the terminal for service transmission. The configuration of the radio bearer includes configuration information of the RLC. According to the QoS requirement of the service, the RLC layer can be configured as one of three working modes, TM, UM, and AM.

[0104] The TM entity, the UM entity, and the AM entity all support variable size RLC SDUs that are byte-aligned (i.e., multiples of 8 bits). Each RLC SDU is used to build an RLC PDU without waiting for a notification of a transmission opportunity from the underlying layer (i.e., the MAC layer). For the UM entity and the AM entity, based on the notification of the transmission opportunity from the underlying layer, one RLC SDU can be split into two or more RLC PDUs for transmission. That is, before the underlying layer notifies the transmission opportunity, an RLC PDU can be built based on the RLC SDU. For the UM entity and the AM entity, after the underlying layer notifies the transmission opportunity, if the previously built RLC PDU is large, the RLC SDU can be re-split into two or more RLC PDUs for transmission.

[0105] In addition, the RLC entity only delivers the RLC PDU to the underlying layer when the underlying layer notifies the transmission opportunity.

[0106] With the development of mobile communication systems, users have increasingly high demand for high-speed and low-latency services. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, in the report on the network architecture and targets of the evolution of the international mobile telecommunications (IMT), it is disclosed that the target peak rate of the future mobile communication system considers 50, 100, and 200 gigabits per second (Gbit / s), and the air interface latency target is 0.1-1 millisecond (ms). In addition, related IMT new capabilities such as coverage, sensing-related capabilities, positioning, sustainability, and interoperability are also considered.

[0107] That is to say, for future networks, there will be high-rate low-latency service scenarios that require faster user plane processing efficiency to reduce the processing latency of the user plane. However, the current user plane protocol stack has low processing efficiency in serial processing, that is, fewer data packets are processed per unit time, and data packets that cannot be processed may be discarded, resulting in low data throughput on the network side, and thus the high-rate low-latency service cannot be supported.

[0108] Based on this, the present application provides a communication method, in which a plurality of first modules for implementing RLC functions are introduced at the sending end. The upper module of the first module can split a plurality of data packets to different first modules based on an allocation mode, so that the data packets can be processed in parallel through a plurality of first modules. In addition, the lower module of the first module allocates transmission opportunities for a plurality of first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets processed in parallel through a plurality of first modules can be sent in parallel to the lower module. That is to say, the function of processing and sending data packets in parallel through a plurality of first modules is realized, and thus compared with the traditional protocol stack serial processing process, the data processing efficiency can be improved, thereby supporting the high-rate low-latency service scenario.

[0109] The technical scheme of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, which can be a third generation partnership project (3GPP) communication system, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a fourth generation (4G) system such as a new radio (NR) system, a 5G system, a system of mixed networking of LTE and 5G, a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, a machine-type communication (MTC) system, an internet of things (IOT) system, or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system, which is not limited.

[0110] Among them, the above-mentioned communication system applicable to the present application is only an example, and the communication system applicable to the present application is not limited thereto. The communication system provided by the present application does not cause any limitation to the scheme of the present application. Here, it is uniformly stated that the following will not be described in detail.

[0111] FIG. 4 shows a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in FIG. 4, a communication system 40 includes a radio access network (RAN) 400 and a core network (CN) 500. The RAN 400 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 410a and 410b in FIG. 4, collectively as 410) and at least one terminal (e.g., 420a-420j in FIG. 4, collectively as 420). Other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 4), etc., can also be included in the RAN 400. The terminal 420 is connected to the RAN node 410 in a wireless manner. The RAN node 410 is connected to the core network 500 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network devices in the core network 500 and the RAN nodes 410 in the RAN 400 can be different physical devices respectively, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network and the logical functions of the radio access network.

[0112] The RAN 400 can be a 3GPP related cellular system, such as a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. The RAN 400 can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 400 can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems.

[0113] The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, MTC, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, unmanned aerial vehicle, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, mechanical arm, smart home device, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0114] The RAN nodes 410, which can also be referred to as RAN entities or access nodes, form part of a communication system 400 to help terminals to access the wireless communication. The RAN nodes 410 in the communication system 400 can be of the same type or of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN nodes 410 and the terminals 420 are relative, e.g., a net element 420i in Figure 4 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured to be a mobile base station, for a terminal 420j accessing to the RAN 400 through the net element 420i, the net element 420i is a base station; but for the base station 410a, the net element 420i is a terminal. The RAN nodes 410 and the terminals 420 are sometimes referred to as communication apparatuses, e.g., the net elements 410a and 410b in Figure 4 can be understood as communication apparatuses with base station functionalities, and the net elements 420a-420j can be understood as communication apparatuses with terminal functionalities.

[0115] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be an access network device, such as a base station, an evolved Node B (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a TRP, a next generation Node B (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station (e.g., 410a in Figure 4), a micro base station or an indoor station (e.g., 410b in Figure 4), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, 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 a V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0116] In another possible scenario, a terminal is assisted by multiple RAN nodes to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of functions of an access network device. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can be included in the same network element, for example, a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, for example, included in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna processing unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0117] 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, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU are taken as examples for description in this application. 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.

[0118] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, it is a possible, non-limiting O-RAN system schematic diagram. In which, the CU, DU, and RU cooperate to assist the terminal to implement wireless access. The CU, DU, and RU can be included in an access network device, and the CU and the DU can be included in a BBU of the access network device.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 5, the access network device communicates with the core network device through a backhaul link, and communicates with the terminal through an air interface. Specifically, the CU communicates with the core network device through the backhaul link, and the RU communicates with at least one terminal through the air interface. The DU communicates with at least one RU through a front-haul link, and the CU communicates with at least one DU through a mid-haul link. The BBU and the RU can be co-located or not co-located.

[0120] As a possible implementation, the CU and the DU implement part of the protocol layer functions of the access network device, e.g., part of the protocol layer functions are implemented in the CU and the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are implemented in the DU, and the CU can control one or more DUs.

[0121] For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the CU can deploy the RRC layer, the SDAP layer and the PDCP layer, or in other words, the CU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC layer, the SDAP layer and the PDCP layer of the access network device. Thus, the CU has the processing capability of the RRC, PDCP and SDAP layers, and of course, the CU can also implement or carry other control functions. The DU can deploy the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer, or in other words, the DU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer, and thus the DU has the processing capability of the RLC, MAC and PHY layers, and of course, the DU can also implement or carry other functions.

[0122] Optionally, the CU is connected to network nodes such as the core network through some interfaces, which can be N2 interface, etc. In addition, the CU can also implement part of the functions of the core network. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) is connected to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through some interfaces, which can be F1 interface, etc. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). For example, F1 supports control plane functions through F1-C and supports user plane functions through F1-U.

[0123] In an example, the CU can include a CU-CP and a CU-UP. As shown in FIG. 7, the CU-CP can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the control plane part of PDCP (PDCP-C), for implementing the control plane functions of the CU, and the CU-CP can communicate with the DU through F1-C. The CU-UP can be understood as a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the user plane part of PDCP (PDCP-U), for implementing the user plane functions of the CU, and the CU-UP can communicate with the DU through F1-U.

[0124] The CU-CP can interact with a network element in the core network for implementing control plane functions, which can be an access and mobility function network element, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element in a 5G system. The CU-UP can interact with a network element in the core network for implementing user plane functions, which can be a UPF network element, for example.

[0125] The above functional division of the CU and the DU is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on the CU and the DU. In addition, the CU and the DU can be configured to have the functions as needed. For example, the CU or the DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or the CU or the DU can be configured to have partial processing functions of the protocol layer. For example, partial functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layer above the RLC layer are arranged in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layer below the RLC layer are arranged in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or the DU can be divided according to service types or other system requirements, for example, according to latency. Functions that need to meet a latency requirement are arranged in the DU, and functions that do not need to meet the latency requirement are arranged in the CU.

[0126] For example, in some examples, the CU can not carry the PDCP layer, i.e., only carries the RRC layer. The CU-CP can not carry the PDCP-C, the CU-UP can not carry the PDCP-U, or the CU-UP can not exist. In some other examples, the DU can not carry the RLC layer. In addition, there can be no CU and only the DU. Alternatively, in some examples, the PDCP layer and the RLC layer can be carried in the CU, or can be carried in the DU.

[0127] As a possible implementation, the DU and the RU can cooperate to jointly implement the functions of the PHY layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the DU can deploy the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the higher physical layer (Higher PHY). The RU can deploy the lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and the radio frequency (RF) processing function. The DU can control at least one RU, and the DU and the RU can communicate through a front-haul interface. The DU and the RU can be co-located or not co-located.

[0128] The high physical layer is closer to the MAC layer, and the functions of the high physical layer can include at least one of forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, modulation / demodulation, etc. The low physical layer is closer to the radio frequency side, and the functions of the low physical layer can include at least one of fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming and filtering, etc.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 8, the DU and the RU interact control plane information and user plane information via a lower-layer split control user synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface over a fronthaul link. The LLS-CUS interface can include an LLS-C interface (for providing a control plane C-Plane) and an LLS-U interface (for providing a user plane U-Plane). In addition, the DU and the RU interact management information via an LLS-M interface over the fronthaul link, and the LLS-M interface provides a management plane (M-Plane). For example, the control plane C-Plane refers to real-time control between the DU and the RU, and the management plane M-Plane refers to non-real-time management operation between the DU and the RU. The DU and the RU communicate over the LLC-CUS interface in the O-RAN CUS plane and communicate over the LLS-M interface in the O-RAN M plane.

[0130] The above function division of the DU and the RU is only an example and does not limit the DU and the RU. The functions of the DU and the RU can be configured in various ways according to design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement radio frequency functions, etc.

[0131] In the above, the PDCP layer is located at the access network side (for example, the PDCP layer is located in the CU), and in the future, the PDCP layer can also be located at the core network side, for example, the core network element implements the function of the PDCP layer. That is, it can be considered that the PDCP layer is located in a network device, which can be a RAN node or a core network device, without limitation.

[0132] As one possible implementation, the O-RAN system can also include a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (Non-RT RIC or NRT RIC) and / or a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC or nRT RIC).

[0133] The Non-RT RIC is configured to implement non-real time intelligent management of the RAN, to enable artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) including model training and model updating, and to guide applications / functions in the Near-RT RIC based on policies. The Near-RT RIC is configured to implement near-real time intelligent management of the RAN, to enable near-real time control and optimization of modules and resources of the O-RAN through data collection and related operations on an E2 interface. The E2 interface can be understood as an open interface between two nodes (or endpoints).

[0134] All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform such as a cloud platform. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0135] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiments of the present application is for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, with the evolution of network architecture and the appearance of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0136] The communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described below in combination with the system shown in FIG. 4. It should be noted that in the following embodiments of the present application, the names of messages, the names of parameters, or the names of information, etc. are only one example, and in other embodiments, they can also be other names, and the method provided by the present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0137] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, each device can perform part or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application, and these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiments of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of various operations. In addition, each step can be executed in a different order presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all operations in the embodiments of the present application are executed.

[0138] The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described below. As shown in FIG. 9, the communication method can include the following steps:

[0139] S901, the second module sends a plurality of data packets to N first modules according to a first allocation mode. Correspondingly, the N first modules receive the data packets from the second module. N is a positive integer greater than 1, for example, N is equal to 2, 3 or 4, etc., without limitation.

[0140] The first module is configured to implement RLC function. The second module is an upper layer module of the first module, for example, in the case that the first module is configured to implement RLC function, the second module is configured to implement PDCP function.

[0141] In a possible implementation, the RLC function includes transmitting upper layer PDU, i.e., transmitting PDU of the second module, for example, sending or submitting the PDU of the second module received from the second module.

[0142] Optionally, the RLC function can further include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: segmenting / reassembling RLC SDU, re-segmenting RLC SDU segment, duplicate packet detection, RLC SDU discard, RLC re-establishment, error correction through ARQ, protocol error detection. It can be understood that, with the evolution of standards, the first module in the present application can also implement new RLC functions evolved in the future, and the second module can also implement new PDCP functions evolved in the future.

[0143] For example, the first module can be an RLC entity, or can be a processing unit (also referred to as an RLC processing unit), or can be an RLC bearer; the second module can be a PDCP entity, or can be a processing unit (also referred to as a PDCP processing unit), or can be a PDCP bearer.

[0144] As a possible implementation, regarding the upper layer module and the lower layer module, at the sending end, the upper layer module processes the data packet before the lower layer module, and the upper layer module submits the processed data packet to the lower layer module for processing; at the receiving end, the lower layer module processes the data packet before the upper layer module, and the lower layer module submits the processed data packet to the upper layer module for processing.

[0145] For example, the second module is a PDCP entity, and the first module is an RLC entity. In step S901, the data packet sent by the second module is a PDCP PDU, and after the data packet is sent to the RLC entity, the data packet is an RLC SDU for the RLC entity.

[0146] As a possible implementation, the upper layer module sends the data packet to the lower layer module, which can also be understood as the upper layer module submitting the data packet to the lower layer module. The lower layer module sends the data packet to the upper layer module, which can also be understood as the lower layer module submitting the data packet to the upper layer module. They can be replaced with each other.

[0147] The data packets sent to different first modules are different. That is, the data packet of one second module is sent through one of the N first modules.

[0148] It can be understood that the plurality of data packets are data packets of the second module. Exemplarily, the plurality of data packets are data packets in the same QoS flow.

[0149] As a possible implementation, the sequence numbers of the plurality of data packets are different. That is, there is no data packet with the same sequence number in the plurality of data packets, or the plurality of data packets are not obtained by copying one or more data packets, or the plurality of data packets are obtained according to a plurality of upper layer data packets, for example, SDAP PDU. The plurality of data packets and the plurality of upper layer data packets correspond one by one.

[0150] Exemplarily, it is assumed that the second module receives 10 SDAP PDUs (i.e. 10 PDCP SDUs) from the upper layer module (such as the SDAP module) of the second module. The second module processes PDCP SDU 1 to obtain PDCP PDU 1, processes PDCP SDU 2 to obtain PDCP PDU 2, and so on, and processes PDCP SDU 10 to obtain PDCP PDU 10. The number of the plurality of data packets is 10, which is PDCP PDU 1, PDCP PDU 2, …, PDCP PDU 9, and PDCP PDU 10.

[0151] As a possible implementation, the data packet of one second module is sent through the first first module of the N first modules, which can also be understood as: there is no data packet that is repeatedly sent in the plurality of data packets of the second module, or each data packet in the plurality of data packets of the second module is sent once.

[0152] In a possible implementation, in the embodiment of the application, the second module is associated with or connected to a plurality of first modules, or in other words, the second module can communicate with a plurality of first modules, or in other words, different data packets of the second module can be sent to different first modules. Exemplarily, taking the second module as a PDCP entity and the first module as an RLC entity as an example, the structure of the user plane protocol stack of the data sender and the data receiver provided by the application can be as shown in FIG. 10.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 10, compared with the user plane protocol stack shown in FIG. 1, the user plane protocol stacks of the data sender and the data receiver each include multiple RLC layers. Among them, one of the data sender and the data receiver can be a terminal, and the other can be an access network device, and the two can communicate through an air interface (i.e., Uu interface). Based on this structure, data packets of the same QoS flow can be processed in parallel through multiple RLC layers, which can improve data processing efficiency, thereby supporting high-rate low-latency service scenarios.

[0154] In a possible implementation, the first allocation mode is used to indicate data volume allocation of the N first modules, or the first allocation mode is used for data flow distribution of the N first modules.

[0155] As a possible implementation, the first allocation mode can be used to indicate data volume allocation of the N first modules in a unit of time, that is, in each unit of time, data volume allocation of the N first modules can be performed according to the first allocation mode.

[0156] As another possible implementation, the first allocation mode can be associated with a valid time, and in the valid time, data volume allocation of the N first modules can be performed according to the first allocation mode. After the valid time, the first allocation mode is invalid, and other allocation modes can be used for data flow distribution.

[0157] For example, the allocation mode can also have other names, such as a distribution mode, a data distribution mode, etc., which can be replaced with each other, and the present application does not make specific limitations thereto.

[0158] As a possible implementation, the first allocation mode indicates a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules, such as indicating a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules in a unit of time, or indicating a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules in a valid time.

[0159] For example, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules can be understood as a relative data distribution ratio between the N first modules. For example, taking N equal to 2 as an example, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules is 2:3 or 1:4, etc.

[0160] Alternatively, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules can also be understood as a data distribution ratio corresponding to each of the N first modules, or a data distribution ratio corresponding to each first module, that is, a percentage of the N first modules in the overall data. For example, taking N equal to 2 as an example, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the two first modules is 40%, 60%, respectively.

[0161] For example, the sum of the data distribution ratios corresponding to each of the N first modules is equal to 1. Taking the data distribution ratio corresponding to the nth first module as p n For example, the sum of the data distribution ratios corresponding to each of the N first modules is equal to 1. Taking the data distribution ratio corresponding to the nth first module as p

[0162] Optionally, the data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules is used to determine the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0163] For example, when N equals 2, the data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules can be 2:3. If the total data amount is 1000 bits, the data amount size transmitted by the two first modules is 400 and 600 bits respectively; or, if the total number of data packets is 100, the number of data packets transmitted by the two first modules is 40 and 60 respectively. In addition, the data shunting ratio corresponding to the first first module can be considered as 2 / 5 or 40%, and the data shunting ratio corresponding to the second first module can be considered as 3 / 5 or 60%.

[0164] As another possible implementation, the first distribution mode indicates the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules, such as the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules in a unit time, or the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules in a valid time. For example, when N equals 2, the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules can be 410 and 590 bits respectively, or can be 400 and 600 bits.

[0165] For example, the data amount size transmitted by the N first modules indicated by the first distribution mode can be the data amount size actually needed to be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the maximum data amount that can be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the minimum data amount needed to be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the expected data amount in a unit time / the maximum data amount / the minimum data amount, or can be the predicted data amount in a unit time / the maximum data amount / the minimum data amount, without limitation.

[0166] As still another possible implementation, the first distribution mode indicates the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules, such as the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules in a unit time, or the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules in a valid time. For example, when N equals 2, the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules can be 42 and 58 respectively, or can be 40 and 60.

[0167] Exemplarily, the number of data packets indicated by the first distribution mode can be the number of data packets actually needed to be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the maximum number of data packets that can be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the minimum number of data packets that need to be transmitted by the N first modules, or can be the expected number of data packets per unit time, or can be the maximum number of data packets per unit time, or can be the minimum number of data packets per unit time, or can be the predicted number of data packets per unit time, without limitation.

[0168] That is, based on the above step S901, it can be considered that the second module performs data distribution, and distributes the plurality of data packets of the second module to the N first modules. Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 11, taking N equal to 2, the second module being a PDCP entity, and the first module being an RLC entity as an example, the PDCP entity performs data distribution, and distributes the 50 data packets of the PDCP layer to the RLC entity 1 and the RLC entity 2.

[0169] Optionally, after receiving the data packet from the second module, the first module can process the data packet, and deliver the processed data packet to a third module. The third module is a lower module of the first module. For example, in the case where the first module is used to implement an RLC function, the third module is used to implement a MAC function, and the third module can be a MAC entity, or a MAC processing unit, etc.

[0170] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 11, the processing of the data packet by the first module from the second module can include task distribution and / or packet assembly. The task distribution can include RLC sequence number (SN) distribution, sending window management, etc. Of course, the first module can also perform other processing on the data packet, which is not limited in the present application. In addition, the third module is taken as a MAC entity in FIG. 11 for illustration.

[0171] S902, the second module sends first information to a third module. Correspondingly, the third module receives the first information from the second module.

[0172] The first information indicates the first distribution mode. The implementation of the first distribution mode can refer to the related description in step S901, which is not repeated here.

[0173] As a possible implementation, the first information can include a data distribution ratio corresponding to the N first modules. For example, taking N equal to 2 as an example, the first information can include 2:3, or 40%, 60%, or 2 / 5, 3 / 5, or 4 / 10, 6 / 10, without limitation.

[0174] As another possible implementation, the first information can comprise the data amount sizes of the N first modules. For example, taking N equal to 2 as an example, the first information can comprise 400, 600.

[0175] As yet another possible implementation, the first information can comprise the data packet numbers of the N first modules. For example, taking N equal to 2 as an example, the first information can comprise 40, 60.

[0176] Exemplarily, in the above three possible implementations, the first information can comprise identifiers identifying the corresponding relationships between the data split ratios / the data amount sizes / the data packet numbers. The identifiers can be identifiers of the first modules, identifiers of logical channels corresponding to the first modules, or identifiers of tunnels corresponding to the first modules. Exemplarily, taking N equal to 2 and the first information comprising data split ratios of the N first modules as an example, the first information can comprise the following information elements: {LCH 1, 40%} and {LCH 2, 60%}. Wherein, LCH 1 is associated with the first module 1, and LCH 2 is associated with the first module 2. As another possible implementation, the first information can comprise an index of the first allocation mode. In this scenario, a plurality of allocation modes can be predefined or preconfigured, each of which is associated with a data split ratio or a data amount size or a data packet number of a plurality of first modules, so that the allocation mode can be indicated by the index of the allocation mode. Exemplarily, taking N equal to 2 as an example, three predefined allocation modes can be as shown in Table 1.

[0177] Table 1

[0178] It should be noted that Table 1 is only an example of the allocation mode, and does not limit the manner of the present application, and the present application does not limit the allocation mode.

[0179] It should be noted that the above steps S901 and S902 do not have a strict order, and step S901 can be performed first, and then step S902 can be performed; or step S902 can be performed first, and then step S901 can be performed; or steps S901 and S902 can be performed simultaneously, without limitation.

[0180] S903, the third module determines the transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules according to the first allocation mode.

[0181] As a possible implementation, the third module can first determine the total transmission opportunity, and then divide the total transmission opportunity into N transmission opportunities according to the first allocation mode, the N transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules one by one. Exemplarily, the total transmission opportunity is less than or equal to the transport block (TB) size (i.e., TB size).

[0182] Exemplarily, in a case that the first allocation mode indicates a data split ratio, the third module can divide the total transmission opportunity according to the data split ratio indicated by the first allocation mode to obtain transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules. For example, taking a case that N equals 2 and the data split ratio is 2:3 as an example, the transmission opportunities corresponding to the two first modules can be respectively: Or, can be respectively:

[0183] Or, in a case that the first allocation mode indicates a data amount of transmission, the third module can determine a ratio of data amounts of transmission of the N first modules according to the data amounts of transmission of the N first modules, divide the total transmission opportunity according to the ratio of the data amounts to obtain transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules. For implementation of determining the transmission opportunity according to the data split ratio, reference can be made to the above description and details will not be repeated here.

[0184] Or, in a case that the first allocation mode indicates a number of data packets of transmission, the third module can determine a ratio of numbers of data packets of transmission of the N first modules according to the numbers of data packets of transmission of the N first modules, divide the total transmission opportunity according to the ratio of the numbers to obtain transmission opportunities corresponding to the N first modules. For implementation of determining the transmission opportunity according to the data split ratio, reference can be made to the above description and details will not be repeated here.

[0185] In a possible implementation, after step S903, the communication method can further include steps S904 and S905 as follows:

[0186] S904, the third module informs the nth first module of the transmission opportunity corresponding to the nth first module, n = 1, …, N.

[0187] Exemplarily, the third module can send information to the nth first module to indicate the transmission opportunity corresponding to the nth first module.

[0188] S905, the nth first module sends data packets to the third module according to the transmission opportunity corresponding to the nth first module.

[0189] As a possible implementation, the data packets sent by the first module to the third module in step S905 can be data packets sent by the first module after processing data packets received from the second module. For example, taking a case that the first module is an RLC entity and the second module is a PDCP entity as an example, in step S901, the PDCP entity sends a PDCP PDU (for the RLC entity, it is an RLC SDU) to the RLC entity, and then the RLC entity processes the RLC SDU, for example, constructs an RLC PDU based on the RLC SDU, and finally sends the RLC PDU to the third module.

[0190] As a possible implementation, the total size of the data packets (e.g. RLC PDU) sent by the first module to the third module is less than or equal to the transmission opportunity corresponding to the first module. The first module sends the RLC PDU to the third module upon receiving the transmission opportunity notified by the third module.

[0191] Based on the above scheme, the present application introduces a plurality of first modules for implementing RLC functions. The upper module of the first module can send a plurality of data packets to different first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets can be processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules. In addition, the lower module of the first module allocates transmission opportunities to the plurality of first modules based on the allocation mode, so that the data packets processed in parallel through the plurality of first modules can be sent in parallel to the lower module. That is, the function of processing and sending data packets in parallel through the plurality of first modules is realized, and therefore, compared with the traditional protocol stack serial processing flow, the data processing efficiency can be improved, that is, more data packets can be processed in a unit of time, thereby supporting high-rate low-latency service scenarios.

[0192] In a possible implementation, the first module, the second module and the third module in the embodiments of the present application are modules of a data sender. The data sender can be a terminal or a device on the access network side.

[0193] As a possible implementation, in the case where the data sending end is an access network side device, the first module and the second module can have the following two possible deployment situations:

[0194] Situation one: the first module and the second module are deployed in different RAN nodes. For example, the first module is deployed in a first RAN node, and the second module is deployed in a second RAN node.

[0195] For example, the first RAN node can be a DU, and the second RAN node can be a CU, or the first RAN node and the second RAN node can be two different RAN nodes evolved in future mobile communication systems, without limitation.

[0196] As a possible implementation, in this case, the functions implemented / acts performed by the second module in the embodiments of the present application can also be understood as functions implemented / acts performed by the second RAN node, and the functions implemented / acts performed by the first module can also be understood as functions implemented / acts performed by the first RAN node, and the interaction between the second module and the first module can also be understood as the interaction between the second RAN node and the first RAN node.

[0197] For example, the above step S901 can also be understood as: the second RAN node sends data packets to the N first modules of the first RAN node according to the first allocation mode.

[0198] Case two, the first module and the second module are deployed in the same RAN node. For example, the first module and the second module are both deployed in the third RAN node. At this time, the third RAN node can be a DU or a CU, or can be other evolved RAN nodes in future mobile communication systems, which are not limited.

[0199] As a possible implementation, in this case two, the functions / acts implemented by the second module and the first module in the embodiments of the present application can be understood as functions / acts implemented by the third RAN node, and the interaction between the second module and the first module can be understood as the internal implementation of the third RAN node.

[0200] It can be understood that, whether in the above-mentioned case one or case two, the N first modules are deployed in the same RAN node.

[0201] As a possible implementation, in the case of the data sending end being an access network side device, the third module and the second module can also be deployed in different RAN nodes, or the third module and the second module can be deployed in the same RAN node. The first module and the third module can be deployed in different RAN nodes, or the first module and the third module can be deployed in the same RAN node. For the deployment of the first module and the second module, please refer to the related description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] As a possible example, the first module and the third module are deployed in the first RAN node (such as a DU), and the second module is deployed in the second RAN node (such as a CU). At this time, the above-mentioned step S902 can also be understood as: the second RAN node sends the first information to the first RAN node, and correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the first information from the second RAN node. The above-mentioned step S903 can be understood as: the first RAN node determines the transmission opportunity corresponding to the N first modules according to the first allocation mode. The above-mentioned step S904 can be understood as the internal interaction of the first RAN node.

[0203] As a possible implementation, the first module and the second module communicate through a tunnel. In the case that the first module is deployed in the first RAN node (such as a DU) and the second module is deployed in the second RAN node (such as a CU), the tunnel can be an F1 tunnel. The tunnel can also be referred to as an RLC path (i.e., an RLC path). The RLC path can also be referred to as an RLC branch, an RLC path, an RLC leg, etc., which are not limited. In addition, the first module and the third module communicate through a logical channel.

[0204] In a possible implementation, in step S901, the second module can determine the data packets corresponding to the N first modules according to the data shunting proportions of the N first modules or the data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules, and then send the data packets corresponding to the nth first module to the nth first module through the tunnel corresponding to the nth first module, where n = 1, …, N.

[0205] For example, the data packets corresponding to the N first modules determined by the second module can be PDCP PDUs. The second module can determine the data packets corresponding to the N first modules in the following two ways.

[0206] In the first way, the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is determined according to the data shunting proportion of the nth first module and the random number associated with the data packet.

[0207] As a possible implementation, for each data packet (e.g., PDCP PDU) of the second module, the second module can generate a random number associated with the data packet, and determine the first module corresponding to the data packet according to the value range of the random number. The random number is a random number between 0 and 1. The value range is determined according to the data shunting proportions of the N first modules. For example:

[0208] If the random number associated with a data packet is between 0 and p1, the data packet is the data packet corresponding to the first first module, and p1 is the data shunting proportion of the first first module.

[0209] If the random number associated with a data packet is between and , the data packet is the data packet corresponding to the nth first module, and p n is the data shunting proportion of the nth first module, n = 2, …, N-1.

[0210] If the random number associated with a data packet is between and 1, the data packet is the data packet corresponding to the Nth first module, and p n is the data shunting proportion of the nth first module.

[0211] For example, the random number located in the interval [a, b] can be understood as: the interval of the random number is [a, b], (a, b], or [a, b), which is not limited.

[0212] That is, the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is associated with a random number; wherein:

[0213] When n = 1, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is between 0 and p1; or,

[0214] In the case of n = 2, …, N-1, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located between and ; or,

[0215] In the case of n = N, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located between and 1. n is the data shunting ratio corresponding to the nth first module.

[0216] In the second mode, in the case that the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules are the same, or the data amounts transmitted by the N first modules are the same, the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is determined according to the COUNT value of the data packet.

[0217] As a possible implementation, each data packet (such as a PDCP PDU) of the second module has a COUNT value. For example, the COUNT value can be composed of a high-bit hyper frame number (HFN) and a low-bit SN.

[0218] As a possible implementation, the COUNT value of the data packet corresponding to the nth first module satisfies the following relationship:

[0219] COUNT value mod N = n

[0220] wherein n = 1, …, N, and mod represents a modulo operation.

[0221] As another possible implementation, in the case that N is equal to 2, the COUNT value of the data packet corresponding to the first first module can be an even number, and the COUNT value of the data packet corresponding to the second first module can be an odd number.

[0222] As a possible implementation, the COUNT value described above can also be replaced by an SN (such as a PDCP SN), that is, the data packet corresponding to the nth first module can be determined according to the SN of the data packet. For details, reference can be made to the foregoing description of determining the data packet corresponding to the nth first module based on the COUNT value, which will not be described herein again.

[0223] In a possible implementation, before step S901, the second module can determine the first allocation mode. For example, before step S901, the second module can receive second information and determine the first allocation mode according to the second information. That is, the second information is used to determine the first allocation mode, or in other words, is used to determine the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine the data amounts transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine the number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0224] As a possible implementation, the second information comprises at least one of the following: data processing capability corresponding to the N first modules, expected data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, expected data rate of the N first modules, or expected cache space of the N first modules.

[0225] For example, the data processing capability corresponding to the first module can include, but is not limited to, data processing rate, data processing delay, throughput, etc. The data processing capability corresponding to different first modules can be different or the same, which is not limited.

[0226] For example, the expected data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules can be the data shunting ratio between the N first modules, such as 2:3; or can be the data shunting ratio corresponding to each of the N first modules, such as 40%, 60%.

[0227] For example, the expected data rate of different first modules can be the same or different, and the expected cache space of different first modules can be the same or different.

[0228] As a possible implementation, when the first module is deployed in the first RAN node and the second module is deployed in the second RAN node, the second information can be sent by the first RAN node, i.e., the first RAN node sends the second information to the second RAN node, and correspondingly, the second RAN node receives the second information from the first RAN node and determines the first allocation mode according to the second information.

[0229] As another possible implementation, when the first module and the second module are both deployed in the third RAN node, the second information can be sent by one of the N first modules; or each first module can send at least one of the data processing capability, the data shunting ratio, the expected data rate, or the expected cache space corresponding to itself, i.e., the nth first module sends at least one of the data processing capability, the data shunting ratio, the expected data rate, or the expected cache space corresponding to the nth first module to the second module.

[0230] As a possible implementation, when the data processing capability corresponding to a certain first module is strong, and / or when the expected data rate or cache space of a certain first module is large, the third module can determine a higher data shunting ratio or a larger data transmission amount for the first module.

[0231] In a possible implementation, the second module can further send third information, which is used to activate or deactivate the first module n. The first module n can be one of the N first modules.

[0232] As a possible implementation, after the N first modules are configured, the N first modules are by default in the activated state, and one or more of the N first modules can be deactivated subsequently. For example, one or more first modules can be deactivated after the latency and / or rate requirement of the service is reduced. The deactivated first module can be activated again subsequently.

[0233] As another possible implementation, after the N first modules are configured, the N first modules are by default in the deactivated state, and the N first modules need to be activated before transmission. After the N first modules are activated, one or more of the N first modules can be deactivated again. Similarly, the deactivated first module can be activated again subsequently.

[0234] As yet another possible implementation, when the N first modules are configured, the state of each of the N first modules can also be configured, for example, K of the N first modules are configured in the activated state, and N-K of the N first modules are configured in the deactivated state. K is a positive integer less than or equal to N. Subsequently, the first module configured in the deactivated state can be activated, and / or the first module configured in the activated state can be deactivated.

[0235] For example, the third information can be sent in any scenario where one or more first modules need to be activated or deactivated, and the application does not make specific limitations on the sending scenario of the third information, or the scenario of activating or deactivating the first module.

[0236] As a possible implementation, activating or deactivating the first module n can also be understood as activating or deactivating the tunnel or RLC path corresponding to the first module n.

[0237] First, the implementation of the third information will be described below, taking the third information being used to deactivate the first module n as an example. For example, the third information can have the following two possible implementation modes:

[0238] Mode 1: The third information can include at least one of the following: the identifier of the first module n, the identifier of the logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or the identifier of the tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

[0239] For example, the logical channel corresponding to the first module n is the logical channel between the first module n and the third module. The tunnel corresponding to the first module n can be understood as the tunnel between the first module n and the second module. For related descriptions of logical channels and tunnels, please refer to the foregoing related descriptions, which will not be repeated here.

[0240] As a possible implementation, in the case that the first module is deployed in the first RAN node and the second module is deployed in the second RAN node, the second RAN node can send the third information to the first RAN node through control plane signaling. Alternatively, the second RAN node can send the third information through the tunnel corresponding to the first module n. Correspondingly, the first RAN node can receive the third information from the second RAN node.

[0241] As another possible implementation, in the case that the first module and the second module are both deployed in the third RAN node, the second module can send the third information through the tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

[0242] Option 2: The third information indicates that there is no user data to be transmitted through the first module n, or the third information indicates that the data volume (e.g., the remaining data volume) corresponding to the first module n is 0.

[0243] For example, the third information can be a user data existence flag, which is set to a first value. The first value can be 0, for example. Of course, the first value can also be other values, such as 1. Taking 0 as the first value, that is, the third information can be a user data existence flag set to 0. When the flag is set to 0, it indicates that there is no user data to be transmitted through the first module n, or it indicates that the data volume (e.g., the remaining data volume) corresponding to the first module n is 0. It should be noted that the user data existence flag can also have other names, such as a first flag, which is not limited in the present application.

[0244] As a possible implementation, the second module or the second RAN node can send the third information through the tunnel corresponding to the first module n. For example, the third information can be carried in the packet header of the data packet sent through the tunnel.

[0245] As a possible implementation, the first module n, or the first module that needs to be deactivated, can be determined by the second module according to the data processing capabilities of the respective first modules. For example, the second module can deactivate the first module with lower data processing capability. Of course, the second module can also determine the first module that needs to be deactivated in other ways, which is not limited in the present application.

[0246] As a possible implementation, after deactivating at least one first module, the second module can re-determine the distribution mode based on the remaining first modules still in the active state. For example, initially, three first modules are activated, and the corresponding data distribution ratio is 2:3:5. If the second first module is deactivated subsequently, the second module can re-determine the data distribution ratio of the remaining two first modules as 3:2. Correspondingly, the third module can re-determine the transmission opportunity corresponding to each first module based on the updated distribution mode, and notify the corresponding first module.

[0247] As another possible implementation, after deactivating at least one first module, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the remaining first modules still in the active state can remain unchanged. For example, initially, three first modules are activated, and the corresponding data distribution ratio is 2:3:5. If the second first module is deactivated subsequently, the data distribution ratio corresponding to the remaining two first modules can still be 2:5. Correspondingly, the third module can allocate all transmission opportunities to the remaining first modules in the active state based on the original data distribution ratio, and notify the corresponding first module.

[0248] In the case where the third information is used to activate the first module n:

[0249] As a possible implementation, the third information can also include at least one of the identifier of the first module n, the identifier of the logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or the identifier of the tunnel corresponding to the first module n. The third information can be sent through control plane signaling, or can be sent through the tunnel corresponding to the first module n, which can be referred to the related description in the above manner 1. Alternatively, the third information can also be sent through the tunnel corresponding to the first module that is not deactivated at present, or the first module that is still activated at present.

[0250] As another possible implementation, the third information can indicate that there is user data to be transmitted through the first module n, or the third information indicates that the data amount corresponding to the first module n is not 0.

[0251] For example, the third information can be a user data existence flag, which is set to a second value. The second value can be 1, for example, and of course, the second value can also be other values. In addition, the third information can be sent through the tunnel corresponding to the first module n, for example, the third information can be carried in the packet header of the data packet sent through the tunnel.

[0252] As a possible implementation, in the case of activating at least one first module, the second module can instruct the newly added activated first module to correspond to the data shunting proportion, and the data shunting proportion of the first module already in the activated state can remain unchanged. For example, the original first module in the activated state is first module 1 and first module 2, and the corresponding data shunting proportion is 2:3. If a new first module 3 is activated, the second module can instruct the data shunting proportion corresponding to the first module 3 to be 40%, and the data shunting proportions corresponding to the first module 1, the first module 2 and the first module 3 can be 2:3:4.

[0253] Correspondingly, the third module can determine the transmission opportunity corresponding to each first module based on the data shunting proportion corresponding to all the first modules currently in the activated state, and notify the corresponding first module.

[0254] Based on the above possible implementation, the activation or deactivation of the first module can be realized, so that the second module can flexibly adjust the number of first modules according to the business requirements. For example, in the case of reducing the business delay and / or rate requirement, at least one first module can be deactivated to reduce the device power consumption; in the case of increasing the business delay and / or rate requirement, at least one first module can be reactivated to further improve the data processing efficiency to meet the business requirements.

[0255] The communication method provided by the present application is described from the perspective of interaction between modules. The first module and the third module are deployed in the first RAN node, and the second module is deployed in the second RAN node. As shown in FIG. 12, the communication method can include the following steps:

[0256] S1201, the second RAN node sends data packets to N first modules of the first RAN node according to the first allocation mode. Correspondingly, the N first modules of the first RAN node receive data packets from the second RAN node. For example, the first RAN node can be a DU, and the second RAN node can be a CU.

[0257] Wherein, N is a positive integer greater than 1, and the data packets sent to different first modules are different. The first allocation mode is used to indicate the data amount allocation of the N first modules, or the first allocation mode is used for data shunting of the N first modules. For reference, the above description related to step S901 is not repeated here.

[0258] S1202, the second RAN node sends the first information to the first RAN node. Correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the first information from the second RAN node.

[0259] The first information indicates the first allocation mode. For details, refer to the description of step S902.

[0260] It should be noted that the steps S1201 and S1202 are not strictly in sequence. The step S1201 can be performed first, and then the step S1202. Alternatively, the step S1202 can be performed first, and then the step S1201. Alternatively, the steps S1201 and S1202 can be performed simultaneously, without limitation.

[0261] S1203, the first RAN node determines the transmission opportunity corresponding to the N first modules according to the first allocation mode. For details, refer to the description of step S903.

[0262] As a possible implementation, after step S1203, the third module of the first RAN node can notify the N first modules of the respective transmission opportunities corresponding thereto, and the first module can send the data packet to the third module based on the transmission opportunity. For details, refer to the description of steps S904 and S905. In addition, the first RAN node can finally send the data packets from the N first modules received by the third module to the terminal through the air interface.

[0263] In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 12, before step S1201, the method can further include steps S1200a-S1200f:

[0264] S1200a, the first RAN node and the second RAN node exchange capability information, and the capability information indicates whether the RAN node supports the parallel processing scheme of the multiple first modules.

[0265] For example, the first RAN node can send first capability information to the second RAN node, and the first capability information indicates whether the first RAN node supports the parallel processing scheme of the multiple first modules. And / or, the second RAN node sends second capability information to the first RAN node, and the second capability information indicates whether the second RAN node supports the parallel processing scheme of the multiple first modules.

[0266] In the case where the first RAN node and the second RAN node both support the parallel processing scheme of the multiple first modules, the following step S1200b is performed.

[0267] S1200b, the first RAN node sends the configuration information of the first module of the first RAN node and the configuration information of the first module of the terminal to the second RAN node. Correspondingly, the second RAN node receives the configuration information of the first module of the first RAN node and the configuration information of the first module of the terminal.

[0268] The configuration information of the first module of the first RAN node is used to configure N first modules, which are the first modules of the first RAN node, for parallel sending of data. The configuration information of the first module of the terminal is used to configure M first modules, which are the first modules of the terminal, for parallel receiving of data. M is a positive integer, and M can be greater than, less than, or equal to N, without limitation. For example, the configuration information of the first module of the first RAN node and / or the terminal can be RLC bearer configuration (RLC-BearerConfig). The configuration information of the first module can include the identification of the logical channel associated with the first module.

[0269] In S1200c, the second RAN node sends the configuration information of the first module of the terminal to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the configuration information of the first module of the terminal.

[0270] For example, the second RAN node can send the configuration information of the first module of the terminal to the terminal through an RRC message, such as an RRC reconfiguration message. The terminal can subsequently receive data packets according to the configuration information of the first module.

[0271] In S1200d, the first RAN node sends second information to the second RAN node. Correspondingly, the second RAN node receives the second information from the first RAN node.

[0272] The second information is used to determine the first allocation mode. For example, the second information can include at least one of the following: data processing capability corresponding to the N first modules, expected data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, expected data rate of the N first modules, or expected cache space of the N first modules. For details, reference can be made to the above description related to the second information, which will not be repeated here.

[0273] In S1200e, the second RAN node determines the first allocation mode according to the second information. For details, reference can be made to the above description related to the determination of the first allocation mode, which will not be repeated here.

[0274] For example, the second information and the configuration information of the first module can be carried in the same message, or can be carried in different messages, without limitation. In addition, in the case of carrying in different messages, steps S1200b and S1200d do not have a strict order, and correspondingly, steps S1200c and S1200e also do not have a strict order.

[0275] In S1200f, the first RAN node and the second RAN node establish N tunnels. The N tunnels correspond to the N first modules respectively. For example, the tunnel can be an F1 tunnel.

[0276] It should be noted that steps S1200f and S1200b, S1200d have no strict order. For example, step S1200f can be performed after steps S1200b and S1200d; or steps S1200b and S1200f can be performed simultaneously, or steps S1200d and S1200f can be performed simultaneously, or steps S1200b, S1200d and S1200f can be performed simultaneously, such as carrying tunnel information in step S1200b or S1200d to establish a tunnel.

[0277] Based on the above scheme, the parallel processing scheme of the plurality of first modules in the O-RAN architecture can be realized, so as to improve the data processing efficiency in the O-RAN architecture to support high-rate low-latency services.

[0278] In addition to the above method, the present application also provides a communication method for activating or deactivating a first module in a plurality of first module parallel processing schemes. As shown in FIG. 13, the method comprises the following steps:

[0279] S1301, the second RAN node sends third information to the first RAN node. Correspondingly, the first RAN node receives the third information from the second RAN node.

[0280] The third information is used to activate or deactivate at least one first module. The first module is used to realize the RLC function, which can be referred to the above description related to the first module, and will not be repeated here.

[0281] The first RAN node comprises a plurality of first modules, or the plurality of first modules are deployed in the first RAN node. For example, the first RAN node is a DU, and the second RAN node is a CU.

[0282] For example, before step S1301, there can be N first modules in the activated state, and one or more of the N first modules can be deactivated by the third information. For example, after the delay and / or rate requirements of the service are reduced, one or more first modules can be deactivated. The deactivated first module can be activated later.

[0283] Alternatively, before step S1301, there can be first modules in the activated state and in the deactivated state, or there can be first modules in the deactivated state and no first modules in the activated state, and the first modules in the deactivated state can be activated by the third information.

[0284] It should be noted that the third information can be sent in any scenario where one or more first modules need to be activated or deactivated, and the present application does not make a specific limitation on the sending scenario of the third information, or the scenario of activating or deactivating the first modules.

[0285] As a possible implementation, in the case where the third information is used to deactivate the first modules, the third information can include at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module, an identifier of the logical channel corresponding to the first module, or an identifier of the tunnel corresponding to the first module; or the third information can indicate that there is no user data to be transmitted through the first module, or indicate that the data amount (e.g., the remaining data amount) corresponding to the first module is 0. For details, reference can be made to the foregoing description of the third information used to deactivate the first module n, which will not be repeated here.

[0286] As another possible implementation, in the case where the third information is used to activate the first modules, the third information can also include at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module, an identifier of the logical channel corresponding to the first module, or an identifier of the tunnel corresponding to the first module; the third information can indicate that there is user data to be transmitted through the first module, or indicate that the data amount corresponding to the first module is not 0. For details, reference can be made to the foregoing description of the third information used to activate the first module n, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] S1302. The third module of the first RAN node determines, according to the third information, the transmission opportunity corresponding to the currently activated first module.

[0288] For example, the currently activated first module can also be understood as the first module currently in the activated state. The first RAN node can determine the transmission opportunity corresponding to each first module according to the allocation mode corresponding to the first module currently in the activated state. For details, reference can be made to the foregoing description of the third module determining the transmission opportunity corresponding to each first module, which will not be repeated here.

[0289] As a possible implementation, after step S1302, the third module of the first RAN node can notify each of the currently activated first modules of the transmission opportunity corresponding to the first module, and the first module can send the data packet to the third module based on the transmission opportunity. For details, reference can be made to the foregoing description of steps S904 and S905, which will not be repeated here. In addition, the first RAN node can finally send the data packet received by the third module from each first module to the terminal through the air interface.

[0290] Based on the scheme, the activation or deactivation of the first module can be implemented in the parallel processing scheme of multiple first modules, so that the second RAN node can flexibly adjust the number of first modules according to the service requirement. For example, in the case of reduced service latency and / or rate requirement, at least one first module can be deactivated to reduce device power consumption; in the case of increased service latency and / or requirement, at least one first module can be reactivated to further improve data processing efficiency to meet the service requirement.

[0291] It can be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments in the present application are illustrated by taking the RAN node as the execution subject of the interaction, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the first RAN node in the present application can also be executed by a module (such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor) applied to the first RAN node, and can also be realized by a logical node, a logical module or software capable of realizing all or part of the function of the first RAN node; the method executed by the second RAN node can also be executed by a module (such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor) applied to the second RAN node, and can also be realized by a logical node, a logical module or software capable of realizing all or part of the function of the second RAN node.

[0292] The above describes the method provided by the present application, and in addition, the present application also provides a communication device for realizing the functions described in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0293] It can be understood that the communication device contains the hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to realize the above-mentioned functions. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be realized in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driven hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to realize the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0294] The embodiments of the present application can divide the function modules of the communication device according to the above-mentioned method embodiments, for example, each function module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated in one processing module. The integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware or software function module. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative, and is only a logical function division. There can be another division way in actual implementation.

[0295] FIG. 14 shows a structural diagram of a communication apparatus 140. The communication apparatus 140 includes a processing module 1401 and a transceiver module 1402. The communication apparatus 140 can be used to implement functions of the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus.

[0296] As a possible implementation, the first communication apparatus can be a terminal, the second RAN node, the third RAN node, a second module in the second RAN node or the third RAN node. The second RAN node does not include the first module, and the second RAN node can be a CU for example. The third RAN node includes the second module and the first module.

[0297] As a possible implementation, the second communication apparatus can be a terminal, the first RAN node, the third RAN node, a third module in the first RAN node or the third RAN node. The first RAN node can further include the first module and does not include the second module, and the first RAN node can be a DU for example. The third RAN node includes the first module, the second module and the third module.

[0298] In some embodiments, the communication apparatus 140 can further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 14) configured to store program instructions and data.

[0299] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1402, which can also be referred to as a transceiver unit, is configured to implement transmitting and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1402 can be composed of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0300] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1402 can include a receiving module and a transmitting module, which are respectively configured to perform the receiving and transmitting steps of the method embodiments performed by the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus, and / or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein; and the processing module 1401 can be configured to perform the processing steps of the method embodiments performed by the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus, and / or other processes for supporting the techniques described herein.

[0301] When the communication apparatus 140 is used to implement functions of the first communication apparatus:

[0302] The processing module 1401 is configured to send, according to a first allocation mode, a plurality of data packets to N first modules, wherein the data packets sent to different first modules are different, the first module is configured to implement RLC functions, and N is a positive integer greater than 1. The transceiver module 1402 is configured to send first information, the first information indicating the first allocation mode.

[0303] Optionally, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to receive second information. The second information is used to determine a data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine a data amount transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine a number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0304] Optionally, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to send third information. The third information is used to activate or deactivate the first module n, and the first module n is one of the N first modules.

[0305] When the communication device 140 is used to implement the function of the second communication device:

[0306] The transceiver module 1402 is configured to receive first information. The first information indicates a first allocation mode, and the first allocation mode is used to indicate a data amount allocation of the N first modules. The first module is used to implement a radio link control (RLC) function, and N is a positive integer greater than 1. The processing module 1401 is configured to determine a transmission opportunity corresponding to the N first modules according to the first allocation mode.

[0307] Optionally, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to send second information. The second information is used to determine a data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine a data amount transmitted by the N first modules, or is used to determine a number of data packets transmitted by the N first modules.

[0308] Optionally, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to receive third information. The third information is used to activate or deactivate the first module n, and the first module n is one of the N first modules.

[0309] Optionally, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to notify the nth first module of a transmission opportunity corresponding to the nth first module.

[0310] All related contents of each step involved in the method embodiments described above can be cited to the function description of the corresponding function module, and will not be repeated here.

[0311] In the present application, the communication device 140 can be in the form of an integrated manner to divide each function module. The "module" here can refer to a specific application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and a memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0312] In some embodiments, when the communication apparatus 140 in FIG. 14 is a chip or a chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1402 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or the communication interface) of the chip or the chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1401 can be implemented through the processor (or the processing circuit) of the chip or the chip system.

[0313] Since the communication apparatus 140 provided by the embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects that can be achieved by the communication apparatus 140 can refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be described here again.

[0314] As a possible product form, the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), programmable logic devices (PLD), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuit, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout the present application.

[0315] As another possible product form, the first communication apparatus or the second communication apparatus described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a general bus architecture. For ease of illustration, refer to FIG. 15, which is a structural schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 1500 provided by the embodiments of the present application, the communication apparatus 1500 including a processor 1501 and a transceiver 1502. The communication apparatus 1500 can be the first communication apparatus, or a chip or a chip system therein; or the communication apparatus 1500 can be the second communication apparatus, or a chip or a module therein. FIG. 15 only shows the main components of the communication apparatus 1500. In addition to the processor 1501 and the transceiver 1502, the communication apparatus can further include a memory 1503, and an input / output device (not shown in FIG. 15).

[0316] Optionally, the processor 1501 is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data, and controlling the whole communication apparatus, executing software programs, processing data of the software programs, so as to implement the method provided in the above method embodiments. The memory 1503 is mainly used for storing software programs and data. The transceiver 1502 can include radio frequency circuit and antenna, the radio frequency circuit is mainly used for conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and processing of the radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transceiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device, such as touch screen, display screen, keyboard, etc., is mainly used for receiving data input by the user and outputting data to the user.

[0317] Optionally, the processor 1501, the transceiver 1502, and the memory 1503 can be connected through a communication bus.

[0318] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1501 can read the software program in the memory 1503, execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1501 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted, and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal, and transmits the radio frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic wave through the antenna. When data is transmitted to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1501. The processor 1501 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0319] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna can be arranged independently of the processor performing baseband processing, for example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna can be arranged remotely from the communication device.

[0320] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can conceive that the above-mentioned communication device 140 can adopt the form of the communication device 1500 shown in FIG. 15.

[0321] As an example, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 1401 in FIG. 14 can be realized by the processor 1501 in the communication device 1500 shown in FIG. 15 invoking computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1503. The functions / implementation processes of the transceiving module 1402 in FIG. 14 can be realized by the transceiver 1502 in the communication device 1500 shown in FIG. 15.

[0322] As another possible product form, the first communication device or the second communication device in the present application can adopt the constituent structure shown in FIG. 16, or include the components shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 16 is a constituent diagram of a communication device 1600 provided by the present application. The communication device 1600 can be the first communication device or a chip or system on chip in the first communication device; or can be the second communication device or a chip or system on chip in the second communication device.

[0323] As shown in FIG. 16, the communication device 1600 includes at least one processor 1601, and at least one communication interface (only one communication interface 1604 is shown in FIG. 16 as an example, and the processor 1601 is taken as an example for description). Optionally, the communication device 1600 can further include a communication bus 1602 and a memory 1603.

[0324] The processor 1601 can be a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general purpose processor, a network processing unit (NP), a digital signal processing (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a PLD, or any combination thereof. The processor 1601 can also be other apparatuses with processing capabilities, such as a circuit, a device, or a software module, without limitation.

[0325] The communication bus 1602 is used to connect different components in the communication apparatus 1600, so that different components can communicate. The communication bus 1602 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one thick line is shown in FIG. 16, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0326] The communication interface 1604 is used for communication with other devices or communication networks. For example, the communication interface 1604 can be a module, a circuit, a transceiver, or any device capable of communication. Alternatively, the communication interface 1604 can also be an input / output interface in the processor 1601, used to realize the signal input and signal output of the processor.

[0327] The memory 1603 can be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions can be a computer program.

[0328] For example, the memory 1603 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and / or instructions, or a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and / or instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical disk storage, optical disk storage (including compact disks, laser disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks, Blu-ray disks, etc.), magnetic disk storage medium, or other magnetic storage device, etc., without limitation.

[0329] It should be noted that the memory 1603 can exist independently of the processor 1601, or the memory 1603 can be integrated with the processor 1601. The memory 1603 can be located in the communication device 1600, or can be located outside the communication device 1600, without limitation. The processor 1601 can be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 1603 to implement the methods provided by the embodiments described below.

[0330] Optionally, the processor 1601 and / or the memory 1603 can include an artificial intelligence (AI) module, and the AI module is used to implement 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 radio network intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI module can be a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0331] As an optional implementation manner, the communication device 1600 can further include an output device 1605 and an input device 1606. The output device 1605 communicates with the processor 1601 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 1605 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 1606 communicates with the processor 1601 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 1606 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, a sensor device, etc.

[0332] In some embodiments, in a hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can conceive that the communication device 140 shown in FIG. 14 can adopt the form of the communication device 1600 shown in FIG. 16.

[0333] As an example, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 1401 in FIG. 14 can be implemented by the processor 1601 in the communication device 1600 shown in FIG. 16 invoking computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1603. The functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 1402 in FIG. 14 can be implemented by the communication interface 1604 in the communication device 1600 shown in FIG. 16.

[0334] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG. 16 does not constitute a specific limitation on the first communication device or the second communication device. For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the first communication device or the second communication device can include more or fewer components than those shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or different arrangement of components. The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0335] In some embodiments, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the method in any of the method embodiments described above.

[0336] As a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory. The memory is used to save necessary computer programs and data. The computer programs can include instructions, and the processor can invoke the instructions in the computer programs stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the method embodiments described above. Of course, the memory can also not be in the communication device.

[0337] As another possible implementation, the communication device further includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, and the interface circuit is used to receive computer execution instructions (computer execution instructions are stored in the memory, which can be directly read from the memory or can pass through other devices) and transmit to the processor.

[0338] As yet another possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to communicate with modules outside the communication device.

[0339] It can be understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, the communication device can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0340] The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer programs or instructions, and the computer programs or instructions are executed by a computer to realize the functions of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0341] The present application also provides a computer program product, which is executed by a computer to realize the functions of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0342] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described herein.

[0343] It can be understood that the system, apparatus and method described in the present application can also be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiment described above is merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There can be another division manner for the actual implementation. 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 displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections can be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

[0344] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, i.e., can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. The components shown as units can or can not be physical units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0345] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can be physically present separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0346] In the above embodiments, all or part can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) manner. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or include one or more data storage devices such as servers, data centers, etc. integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (such as a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid state drive (SSD)), etc. In the embodiments of the present application, the computer can include the apparatus described above.

[0347] Although the application has been described in connection with various embodiments thereof, it will be understood that other modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing disclosure. It is therefore contemplated that the application will encompass all such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claimed application. It is intended that the expression "comprising" shall not exclude any comprising element or step illustrated or partly described in the claims. It is further intended that the expression "one" or "the" shall not exclude the presence of plural referents, unless expressly stated otherwise. A single processor or other unit can fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0348] Although the application has been described in connection with specific features thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the application without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, it is intended that all such modifications and changes be considered as within the scope of the application as claimed. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the application. It is therefore intended that the application cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: According to a first distribution mode, a plurality of data packets are sent to N first modules, the data packets sent to different first modules are different, the first modules are used to implement a radio link control (RLC) function, and N is a positive integer greater than 1; First information is sent, the first information indicating the first distribution mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first distribution mode indicates data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, and the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules are used to determine data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules; or The first distribution mode indicates data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The first information comprises the data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules; or the first information comprises the data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, According to the first distribution mode, a plurality of data packets are sent to N first modules, comprising: According to data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules or data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules, data packets corresponding to the N first modules are determined; Through a tunnel corresponding to an nth first module, data packets corresponding to the nth first module are sent to the nth first module, n = 1, …, N.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The data packets corresponding to the nth first module are associated with a random number; wherein: When n = 1, the random number associated with the data packets corresponding to the nth first module is located between 0 and p1; or n = 2,..., N - 1, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nthfirst module is located in and Between p1 and p2; or n=N, the random number associated with the data packet corresponding to the nth first module is located in Between p2 and 1; wherein p n is the data shunting ratio corresponding to the nth first module.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, The data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules or the data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules are the same; a COUNT value of the data packets corresponding to the nth first module satisfies the following relationship: COUNT value mod N = n Wherein, n = 1, …, N, and mod represents a modulo operation.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving second information; The second information is used to determine data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine data amount sizes transmitted by the N first modules.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The second information comprises at least one of the following: Data processing capabilities corresponding to the N first modules, expected data shunting ratios corresponding to the N first modules, expected data rates of the N first modules, or expected cache spaces of the N first modules.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further comprises: Third information is sent, the third information being used to activate or deactivate a first module n, the first module n being one of the N first modules.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The third information comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module n, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or an identifier of a tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, The third information is used to deactivate the first module n; the third information indicates that there is no user data transmitted through the first module n any more; or the third information indicates that a data amount corresponding to the first module n is 0.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The third information is a user data existence flag, and the user data existence flag is set to a first value.

13. A method of communication, comprising: The method comprises: receiving first information, the first information indicating a first allocation mode, the first allocation mode being used to indicate data volume allocation of N first modules, the first modules being used to implement radio link control (RLC) functions, N being a positive integer greater than 1; determining, according to the first allocation mode, a transmission opportunity corresponding to the N first modules.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first allocation mode indicates a data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, and the data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules is used to determine a data volume size transmitted by the N first modules; or The first allocation mode indicates a data volume size transmitted by the N first modules.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first information includes the data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules; or the first information includes the data volume size transmitted by the N first modules.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The method further includes: transmitting second information; The second information is used to determine the data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, or is used to determine the data volume size transmitted by the N first modules.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: The data processing capability corresponding to the N first modules, the expected data shunting ratio corresponding to the N first modules, the expected data rate of the N first modules, or the expected buffer space of the N first modules.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, characterized by, The method further includes: receiving third information, the third information being used to activate or deactivate a first module n, the first module n being one of the N first modules.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The third information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the first module n, an identifier of a logical channel corresponding to the first module n, or an identifier of a tunnel corresponding to the first module n.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein, The third information is used to deactivate the first module n; the third information indicates that there is no user data transmitted through the first module n; or the third information indicates that a data volume corresponding to the first module n is 0.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The third information is a user data existence flag, and the user data existence flag is set to a first value.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: informing the nth first module of a transmission opportunity corresponding to the nth first module.

23. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a processor; the processor is used to run a computer program or instructions, so that the communication device performs the method of any one of claims 1-12, or so that the communication device performs the method of any one of claims 13-22.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs, when the computer instructions or programs are run on a computer, so that the method of any one of claims 1-12 is performed, or so that the method of any one of claims 13-22 is performed.

25. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when part or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, so that the method of any one of claims 1-12 is performed, or so that the method of any one of claims 13-22 is performed.

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