Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates transmission periods of a plurality of SSBs, the plurality of SSBs are a plurality of SSBs sent within one SSB update period, information carried by SSBs, among the plurality of SSBs, within at least two transmission periods is not completely the same, each SSB among the plurality of SSBs comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying each SSB; merging the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information and the second indication information. Indication information indicating transmission periods of SSBs is received, and the plurality of SSBs are merged on the basis of the transmission periods and system frame numbers corresponding to time units carrying the SSBs, so that merging of the plurality of SSBs within one update period can be implemented, thereby improving communication performance.

Description

Communication method and communication apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411397838.9, filed on September 30, 2024, entitled "Communication method and communication apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) such as satellite communication have the advantages of global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and no geographical restrictions, and have been widely used in maritime communication, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and earth observation.

[0004] Before the terminal device communicates with the network, the terminal device can receive a synchronization signal block (SSB) transmitted by the network side for downlink synchronization, and obtain basic configuration information of an access cell. The physical broadcast channel (PBCH) included in the SSB is mainly used to transmit the master information block (MIB), and the MIB contains the necessary system information of the access cell. In the case of good channel conditions, the terminal device can decode the MIB by receiving one SSB. However, in the case of poor channel conditions, the terminal device needs to receive multiple SSBs in an update period to correctly decode the MIB information. Therefore, how to implement the merging processing of multiple SSBs in an update period is a problem to be considered. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, which can perform merging processing on multiple SSBs in an update period, and improve communication performance.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a receiving terminal device. The receiving terminal device can be a terminal device, or a chip or circuit configured in the terminal device, which is not limited in the present application. The following is described by taking the terminal device as an example.

[0007] The method comprises: receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of a plurality of SSBs, the plurality of SSBs comprising a plurality of SSBs transmitted within one SSB update period, at least two SSBs in the plurality of SSBs carrying different information, each SSB in the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the each SSB; and performing a merging process on the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information and the second indication information.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, by receiving the indication information indicating the transmission period of the SSBs, and performing the merging process on the plurality of SSBs based on the transmission period and the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the SSBs, the merging process on the plurality of SSBs within one update period can be performed in the case that the transmission period of the SSBs changes, thereby improving the communication performance.

[0009] In some implementations of the first aspect, each SSB comprises a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and the first indication information is carried in the PBCH.

[0010] In some implementations of the first aspect, the PBCH comprises a reserved bit, and the first indication information is carried in the reserved bit.

[0011] Based on the above scheme, the indication information indicating the transmission period of the SSBs can be carried in the reserved bit of the PBCH, so that the terminal device can perform the merging process on the plurality of SSBs within one update period according to the indication information after receiving the SSBs.

[0012] In some implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information is carried in first information used for scheduling first system information, and information required for decoding the first system information is carried in each SSB.

[0013] Based on the above scheme, the indication information indicating the transmission period of the SSBs can be carried by the information used for scheduling the system information, so that the terminal device can perform the merging process on the plurality of SSBs within one update period according to the indication information after receiving the information.

[0014] In some implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information is carried in a first broadcast message used for broadcasting first system information, and information required for decoding the first system information is carried in each SSB.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the indication information indicating the transmission period of the SSBs can be carried by the broadcast message of the system information, so that the terminal device can perform the merging process on the plurality of SSBs within one update period according to the indication information after receiving the broadcast message.

[0016] In some implementations of the first aspect, the transmission period has one of a plurality of values, the plurality of values including a first value, and if the transmission period is the first value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB is determined by a value of the second indication information; if the transmission period is a second value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB has a first correspondence relationship with a first system frame number, and the first system frame number is determined according to the value of the second indication information; and the second value is any value of the plurality of values other than the first value.

[0017] Based on the above scheme, in the case that the transmission period of the SSB is the first value and the second value, the terminal device can determine the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB based on the second indication information, so as to perform merging processing on a plurality of SSBs in one update period.

[0018] In some implementations of the first aspect, the first indication information indicates the first correspondence relationship.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the first indication information can indicate the correspondence relationship between the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB determined by the second indication information and the actual system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB, so that the terminal device can perform merging processing on a plurality of SSBs in one update period according to the actual system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying each SSB.

[0020] In some implementations of the first aspect, each SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information has a second correspondence relationship with the transmission period of each SSB.

[0021] Based on the above scheme, the relative position of the PSS and the SSS included in the SSB can indicate the transmission period of the SSB, so as to enable the terminal device to perform merging processing on a plurality of SSBs in one update period.

[0022] In some implementations of the first aspect, the transmission period has one of two values, and the two values include a second value, and the second value is greater than 20 ms.

[0023] Based on the above scheme, the relative position of the PSS and the SSS can indicate that the transmission period of the SSB is a transmission period greater than 20 ms.

[0024] In some implementations of the first aspect, if the transmission period is the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

[0025] Based on the above scheme, by setting the PSS to be located after the SSS in the time domain, it can be indicated that the transmission period of the SSB is a transmission period greater than 20 ms.

[0026] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a sending terminal device. The sending terminal device can be a network device, or a chip or circuit configured in the network device, which is not limited in the present application. The following is described by taking the execution of the network device as an example.

[0027] The method comprises: sending a plurality of SSBs, the plurality of SSBs comprising a plurality of SSBs within one SSB update period; sending first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of the plurality of SSBs, at least two SSBs in the transmission period being different in the information carried, each SSB in the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the SSB, the first indication information and the second indication information being used for merging processing of the plurality of SSBs.

[0028] Based on the above scheme, by sending a plurality of SSBs within one update period to the terminal device, and indicating the transmission period of the SSB, the terminal device can perform merging processing on the plurality of SSBs based on the transmission period and the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the SSB, so that the merging processing of the plurality of SSBs within one update period can be realized in the case of changing the transmission period of the SSB, and the communication performance can be improved.

[0029] In some implementations of the second aspect, the information or message carrying the first indication information can refer to the description in the implementations of the first aspect.

[0030] In some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission period has one of a plurality of values, the plurality of values comprising a first value, if the transmission period is the first value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the SSB is determined by the value of the second indication information; if the transmission period is a second value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the SSB has a first corresponding relationship with a first system frame number, the first system frame number being determined according to the value of the second indication information; wherein the second value is any value other than the first value in the plurality of values.

[0031] In some implementations of the second aspect, the first indication information indicates the first corresponding relationship.

[0032] In some implementations of the second aspect, each of the SSBs comprises a PSS and a SSS, the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information has a second correspondence relationship with the transmission period of each of the SSBs.

[0033] In some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission period has one of two values, and the two values include a second value, which is greater than 20 ms.

[0034] In some implementations of the second aspect, if the transmission period is the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

[0035] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises a transceiver and a processing unit. The transceiver is configured to receive first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of a plurality of SSBs, the plurality of SSBs comprising a plurality of SSBs transmitted within one SSB update period, at least two SSBs in the plurality of SSBs carrying different information, each of the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the each of the SSBs. The processing unit is configured to perform merging processing on the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information and the second indication information.

[0036] In some implementations of the third aspect, the information or message carrying the first indication information can refer to the description in the first aspect.

[0037] In some implementations of the third aspect, when the transmission period has different values, the determination of the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the each of the SSBs can refer to the description in the first aspect.

[0038] In some implementations of the third aspect, the first indication information indicates the first correspondence relationship.

[0039] In some implementations of the third aspect, each of the SSBs comprises a PSS and a SSS, the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information has a second correspondence relationship with the transmission period of each of the SSBs.

[0040] In some implementations of the third aspect, the transmission period has one of two values, and the two values include a second value, which is greater than 20 ms.

[0041] In some implementations of the third aspect, if the transmission period is the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises a transceiver configured to: transmit a plurality of SSBs, the plurality of SSBs comprising a plurality of SSBs within one SSB update period; and transmit first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of the plurality of SSBs, at least two SSBs within the transmission period of the plurality of SSBs carrying different information, each of the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the each of the plurality of SSBs, the first indication information and the second indication information being used for combining processing of the plurality of SSBs.

[0043] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the information or message carrying the first indication information can refer to the description in the implementations of the first aspect.

[0044] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, when the transmission period has different values, the determination of the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the each of the plurality of SSBs can refer to the description in the first aspect.

[0045] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first indication information indicates the first correspondence.

[0046] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the each of the plurality of SSBs comprises a PSS and a SSS, the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information and the transmission period of the each of the plurality of SSBs have a second correspondence.

[0047] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transmission period has one of two values, the two values comprising a second value, and the second value is greater than 20 ms.

[0048] In some implementations of the fourth aspect, if the transmission period has the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

[0049] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which is configured to perform the method in any of the first aspect and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Specifically, the apparatus can comprise units and / or modules for performing the method in any of the first aspect and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit.

[0050] In an implementation, the apparatus is a communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device). When the apparatus is a communication device, the communication unit can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0051] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, chip system or circuit, or a communication module for a communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device). When the apparatus is a chip, chip system or circuit for a communication device, the communication unit can be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or related circuitry, etc. on the chip, chip system or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, a processing circuit or a logic circuit, etc.

[0052] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus to perform the method in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0053] Optionally, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions to perform the method in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0054] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a memory configured to store the computer programs or instructions.

[0055] Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled with a memory configured to store the computer programs or instructions. The memory can be disposed outside the apparatus.

[0056] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a communication interface through which the processor reads the instructions on the memory. It can be understood that the communication interface is coupled with the processor, and can be used to input the computer programs or instructions to the processor, or output the information in the processor.

[0057] For the sending and obtaining / receiving operations involved, if no special description is made, or if it does not contradict the actual role or inherent logic in the related description, it can be understood as output, input, etc. operations, or as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and the antenna, which are not limited in the present application.

[0058] In an implementation, the apparatus is a communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device).

[0059] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, chip system or circuit or communication module for a communication device (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device). Optionally, the chip is a Modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core.

[0060] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer programs (e.g., program codes) or instructions that, when executed on a communication apparatus, cause the communication apparatus to perform the method in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0061] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0062] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a receiving terminal device and a sending terminal device. The receiving terminal device is configured to perform the method provided in any one of the implementation of the first aspect, and the sending terminal device is configured to perform the method provided in any one of the implementation of the second aspect.

[0063] In a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored on a memory through the communication interface, and executes the method provided in any one of the aspects or the implementation thereof.

[0064] Optionally, as an implementation, the chip further includes a memory, and the memory stores computer programs or instructions. The processor is configured to execute the computer programs or instructions stored on the memory, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is configured to execute the method provided in any one of the aspects or the implementation thereof.

[0065] The chip can include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system suitable for use in the present application.

[0067] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an NTN communication system suitable for use in the present application.

[0068] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a SSB pattern.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 500 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 600 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 700 according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The technical solutions in the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0074] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system 10 to which embodiments of the present application are applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. Optionally, the communication system 10 can also include a core network 200 and an Internet 300.

[0075] The RAN 100 can include at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG. 1). The terminals 120 are connected to the RAN nodes 110 in a wireless manner. Terminals and terminals and RAN nodes and RAN nodes can be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. The RAN nodes 110 are connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrated with part or all of the logical functions of the core network devices and the RAN nodes.

[0076] The RAN 100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, a future communication system, and a future wireless access system defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also include two or more different wireless access systems described above. The RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0077] A RAN node, also referred to as a radio access network device, RAN entity or access node, is configured to facilitate a terminal to access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next generation base station in a future communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (e.g. 110a in Figure 1), a micro or indoor station (e.g. 110b in Figure 1), a relay node or a donor node.

[0078] In another application scenario, a terminal can be facilitated to access a communication system wirelessly by cooperation of multiple RAN nodes, each of which implements part of functionalities of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) or a radio unit (RU). The CU can implement functionalities of radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of a base station, and can further implement functionalities of service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU can implement functionalities of radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer of a base station, and can further implement functionalities of part of physical layer or all of physical layer. The RU can be configured to implement functionalities of radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and the DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated in the same RAN node, e.g. in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device, e.g. a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes, CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0079] The RAN node can have different names in different systems. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be referred to as an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be referred to as an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with a corresponding software module. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the RAN node. For ease of description, the network device or base station is taken as an example of the RAN node below.

[0080] The terminal is a device with wireless transceiver function, which can send signals to the base station or receive signals from the base station. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart 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, airplane, ship, robot, mechanical arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the terminal.

[0081] The base station and the terminal can be fixed in position or movable. The base station and the terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water surface; can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal.

[0082] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative, for example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for those terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, the terminal 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, that is, 110a communicates with 120i through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, and in this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, the base station and the terminal can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a terminal function.

[0083] The base station and the terminal, the base station and the base station, and the terminal and the terminal can communicate through a licensed spectrum, or through an unlicensed spectrum, or through both the licensed spectrum and the unlicensed spectrum; can communicate through a spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), or through a spectrum above 6 GHz, or through both the spectrum below 6 GHz and the spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0084] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem containing base station functions. The control subsystem containing base station functions herein can be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal can also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal, or by a device containing terminal functions.

[0085] In the present application, the base station sends a downlink signal or downlink information to the terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends an uplink signal or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection with the cell controlled by the base station. The cell that establishes a wireless connection with the terminal is called the service cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the service cell, it will also be interfered by signals from neighboring cells.

[0086] As an example, the RAN node can be a non-terrestrial network (NTN) system satellite base station, which is described below in conjunction with FIG. 2.

[0087] The NTN system can refer to a communication network using an aerial or space platform as a relay node or base station in a transmission device. The aerial or space platform includes, but is not limited to, a drone, a hot air balloon, an airplane, a satellite, and the like. The NTN system can also be referred to as a satellite communication system. In addition, the NTN system can also include a high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication system.

[0088] In actual network deployment, a ground network cannot cover all areas, especially in sparsely populated areas such as deserts, oceans, the North and South Poles, and the like. A non-terrestrial network (NTN) has a wide coverage and is more likely to provide coverage in sparsely populated areas, and is suitable for deployment in sparsely populated areas.

[0089] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture suitable for embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, taking satellite communication as an example, in this scenario, it can include a terminal, a 5G access network device, a gateway (GW), a 5G core network, and the like. The terminal on the ground can access the network through an air interface. The air interface can be various types of air interfaces, such as a 5G air interface. The 5G access network device can be deployed on a satellite. The satellite is connected to a gateway on the ground through a wireless link. The gateway on the ground can be connected to the core network on the ground through a wired or wireless link. At the same time, there can be a wireless link between satellites. If the satellite only has a transparent function (i.e., the corresponding access network device is deployed on the ground), the satellites only implement transparent forwarding functions. If the base station or part of the base station function is deployed on the satellite, the satellites can complete signaling interaction and user data transmission between access network devices and access network devices. The various network elements in FIG. 1 and the interfaces between the network elements are described as follows:

[0090] Terminal device: The terminal device can specifically refer to the description of the terminal device in the foregoing description, and the terminal device can access the satellite network through an air interface and initiate a call, Internet access, and the like.

[0091] 5G access network device: The 5G access network device mainly provides wireless access services, schedules wireless resources to access terminals, and provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, and the like.

[0092] 5G core network: provides user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and charging functions. The 5G core network can be composed of multiple functional units (network elements), which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. For example, the 5G core network includes an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, which is mainly responsible for user access management and control, user security authentication, and mobility management; a user plane function (UPF) network element, which is mainly responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions; and a session management function (SMF) network element, which is mainly responsible for the control plane function of terminal device session management.

[0093] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the 5G access network device and the 5G core network.

[0094] 5G new radio: a wireless link between a terminal device and a 5G access network device.

[0095] Xn interface: an interface between 5G access network devices, mainly used for signaling interaction such as handover.

[0096] NG interface: an interface between a 5G access network device and a 5G core network device, mainly interacting with non-access layer (NAS) signaling of the core network, and user service data.

[0097] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, first, the terms involved in the present application are briefly explained.

[0098] 1. Synchronization signal block (SSB)

[0099] The SSB contains primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), which provides the UE with cell downlink synchronization and basic configuration information for accessing the cell.

[0100] The network device can transmit different SSBs on different beams in a time-division multiplexing manner, and a set of SSBs in the beams can be referred to as a synchronization signal (SS) burst set. The network device can transmit the SS burst set at a certain period, and the SS burst set can include a plurality of SSBs, and the number of SSBs included in the SS burst set depends on the carrier frequency, and each SSB corresponds to a beam direction. For example, the transmission period of the SSBs can be 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, etc. Generally, the transmission period of the SSBs is 20 ms. According to the transmission period of the SSBs, the number of times of transmitting the SSBs in a transmission time interval (or transmission period) can be determined, and the information carried by the SSBs transmitted each time is not completely consistent.

[0101] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an SSB pattern.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 3, the SSBs can exist in a 5 ms half frame, and the SSB pattern is related to the frequency band in which the system operates. The SSB pattern shown in FIG. 2 is suitable for a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing. When the carrier frequency is less than 3 GHz, one SS burst set can include 4 SSBs, occupying the first 2 slots of the half frame, and each slot includes 2 SSBs; when the carrier frequency is greater than 3 GHz (not shown in the figure), one SS burst set can include 8 SSBs, occupying the first 4 slots of the half frame, and each slot includes 2 SSBs.

[0103] In each slot, the SSB pattern is the same, and since the first two symbols in a slot need to be reserved for a downlink control channel and the last two symbols need to be reserved for an uplink control channel, symbols 0, 1, 12, and 13 in a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing slot shown in FIG. 3 do not map SSBs. At the same time, in order to coexist with a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, symbols 6 and 7 in a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing slot do not map SSBs, and are reserved for an uplink control channel and a downlink control channel of a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, respectively.

[0104] 2. Physical broadcast channel PBCH

[0105] The PBCH in the SSB is mainly used to carry system information, such as a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB). The MIB mainly includes cell state information required for further receiving system information and some basic configuration information of the physical layer. The main information in the payload of the PBCH is as follows:

[0106] 1) MIB: 24 bits.

[0107] 2) PBCH payload bits: 8 bits. Among the 8 bits, 4 bits of system frame number (SFN) information corresponding to the 4 bits of the least significant bits of SFN, 1 bit of half frame indication, i.e. indicating whether the SSB is located in the first half frame or the second half frame of a radio frame by 1 bit, for example, when the value of the 1 bit is 0, it means that the SSB is located in the first half frame of a radio frame, and when the value of the 1 bit is 1, it means that the SSB is located in the second half frame of a radio frame; the meanings of the other 3 bits in the 8 bits are the same as the maximum number L of SSBs included in the SS burst set max . When L max = 64, the 3 bits refer to the 3 bits of the most significant bits of the SSB index value; when L max = 4 or L max = 8, 1 bit in the 3 bits is used to indicate the PBCH frequency offset most significant bit, and 2 bits are reserved bits.

[0108] 3, Master Information Block MIB

[0109] As described above, the MIB in the PBCH occupies 24 bits in the PBCH payload, and mainly includes the following information:

[0110] 1) SFN (system Frame Number): 6 bits, corresponding to 6 bits of the most significant bits of SFN.

[0111] 2) Common subcarrier spacing (subCarrierSpacingCommon): 1 bit, taking the value of "SCS15 or 60" or "SCS 30 or 120". If the UE reads the MIB on the carrier frequency of frequency range (FR) 1, the subcarrier spacing corresponding to "SCS15 or 60" is 15 kHz, and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to "SCS 30 or 120" is 30 kHz; if the UE reads the MIB on the carrier frequency of FR2, the subcarrier spacing corresponding to "SCS15 or 60" is 60 kHz, and the subcarrier spacing corresponding to "SCS 30 or 120" is 120 kHz.

[0112] 3) SSB subcarrier offset (ssb-SubcarrierOffset): This field indicates the frequency offset of the SSB, represented as k SSBi.e. the number of subcarriers from the subcarrier 0 of the common resource block to the subcarrier 0 of the SSB. If this field is not present, it indicates that the frequency offset is 0. ssb-SubcarrierOffset is 4 bits, which can represent 0-15. For FR2, the value of k SSB is 0-11, which can be indicated by ssb-SubcarrierOffset only; for FR1, the value of k SSB is 0-23, which cannot be indicated by ssb-SubcarrierOffset only, and 1 bit of PBCH payload bits of PBCH is needed.

[0113] When transmitting PBCH at the transmitting end, the PBCH payload can be generated according to the protocol, and the PBCH payload can be scrambled according to the scrambling rule. For example, if the bits of the PBCH payload are the middle two bits of the 4 bits of the least significant bits of the SSB index bits, the half radio frame index or the SFN index bits, the corresponding bits are not scrambled, otherwise, the scrambling needs to be performed.

[0114] Since the PBCH contains the necessary configuration information for the UE to access the cell, the correct decoding of the PBCH is a key step in the communication system. In the case of good channel conditions, the receiving end can decode the MIB by receiving one SSB. However, in the case of poor channel conditions, the receiving end needs to receive multiple SSBs in an update period to correctly decode the MIB information. In the existing scheme, the length of a system frame is 10 ms, and when the SSB receiving period is 20 ms, the middle two bits of the 4 least significant bits of the SFN change from 00 to 11 in turn in multiple SSBs in an update period, and the others remain unchanged. According to the encoding of the polar code, the soft information bits of the unscrambled bits at the receiving end have a corresponding relationship, and the receiving end can perform soft combining by means of log likelihood ratio (LLR) conversion. For example, when the update period of the SSB is 80 ms, the received 4 SSBs can be combined to improve the decoding performance of the SSB.

[0115] However, the transmission period of the SSB can change, for example, in the NTN scenario, the transmission period of the SSB can be 40 ms or 80 ms, or even 160 ms, in this case, the position of the two bits used to represent different SFNs also changes, and since the changed two bits can be the positions of the bits that need to be scrambled, this can make it difficult to perform SSB combining at the receiving end through LLR conversion. That is, if the transmission period of the SSB changes, it is difficult to use the existing method to combine multiple SSBs in an update period. Therefore, without changing the channel coding method (for example, polar code encoding) and the scrambling method, how to implement the combination of multiple SSBs in the same update period is a problem that needs to be considered.

[0116] Therefore, the present application provides a communication method and a communication device, and the receiving end can combine and decode multiple SSBs in an update period, thereby improving the transmission performance of the SSB.

[0117] In the following method embodiments, terminal devices and network devices are taken as examples for illustration. The terminal devices can also be replaced by components of the terminal devices, such as chips or chip systems or circuits or communication modules. The network devices can also be replaced by components of the network devices, such as chips or chip systems or circuits or communication modules. In addition, the steps described below as performed by a single execution subject can also be divided into steps performed by multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated.

[0118] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 400 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 400 can include the following steps.

[0119] S410, the network device sends first indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information.

[0120] The first indication information can indicate the transmission period of multiple SSBs, and the multiple SSBs include multiple SSBs transmitted in one SSB update period.

[0121] The "one SSB update period" can be understood as the update period of the PBCH included in the SSB. That is, in the multiple SSBs transmitted in one SSB update period, the information of the MIB included in the PBCH in the SSB does not change.

[0122] From the above introduction of the payload of the PBCH, it can be known that the PBCH payload is composed of the MIB and some time information bits. In a SSB update period, the information of the MIB in the PBCH included in multiple SSBs does not change, and the 8-bit time information bits change. Specifically, the changed bit positions include the bit positions of the SFN in the time information bits, for example, 4 bits indicating the least significant bits of the SFN. That is, the multiple SSBs carry second indication information, and the second indication information can indicate the SFN corresponding to the time unit of each SSB in the multiple SSBs.

[0123] It should be understood that the application is described by taking the carrier frequency less than 6 GHz as an example. When the carrier frequency is less than 6 GHz, the maximum number L of SSBs included in the SS burst set max = 4 or L max = 8, in the case of L max = 4 or L max = 8, the changed bit positions only include the bit positions of the SFN in the time information bits.

[0124] The transmission period of the SSB can be understood as the transmission time interval of the SSB in a SSB update period. Exemplarily, the transmission period of the SSB is 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, etc. The transmission period of the SSB can be configured by a network device, determined by a terminal device, or agreed by a protocol, and no limitation is made thereto.

[0125] It can be understood that in a SSB update period, multiple SSBs can be transmitted according to the transmission period of the SSB. For example, when the update period of the SSB is 80 ms and the transmission period is 20 ms, in a SSB update period, the network device can send at least 4 SSBs to the terminal device, and the 4 SSBs correspond to 4 different system frames.

[0126] It should be understood that the number of SSBs actually sent by the network device to the terminal device in a SSB update period is also related to the configuration pattern of the SSB. Different configuration patterns of the SSB correspond to different numbers of SSBs in one system frame, for example, when the configuration patterns of the SSB are different, the number of SSBs in one system frame can be 4 or 8. For one system frame, the information included in the SSB carried in the one system frame is the same. In the application, the multiple SSBs in one SSB transmission period can also be understood as multiple SSBs carrying different time information in one SSB update period, or multiple SSBs corresponding to different system frames.

[0127] In other words, in one SSB update period, there are at least two SSBs carrying information that is not completely same, and the at least two SSBs correspond to two SSB transmission periods respectively; or in other words, in one SSB update period, the SSBs transmitted in the transmission periods of the at least two SSBs carry information that is not completely same. Taking an SSB update period of 80 ms and a transmission period of 20 ms as an example, the SSBs are transmitted in a period of 2 system frames, and it is assumed that in 80 ms, the system frames carrying SSBs are system frame #1, system frame #3, system frame #5 and system frame #7, then the SSBs in any two of the system frame #1, system frame #3, system frame #5 and system frame #7 carry information that is not completely same.

[0128] In this application, "frame", "wireless frame" and "system frame" can be used interchangeably without limitation.

[0129] Further, for different SSB transmission periods, the position of the bit (denoted as a first bit) used to represent the change of the SFN of the system frame carrying the plurality of SSBs in each transmission period is fixed. The first bit can include at least one bit, and the first bit is an unscrambled bit.

[0130] For example, the transmission period of the SSB can include period #1 and period #2, if in one SSB update period, the plurality of SSBs with a transmission period of period #1 are transmitted, the first bit can be the middle two bits of the 4 bits indicating the least significant bit of the SFN; if the plurality of SSBs with a transmission period of period #2 are transmitted, the first bit is still the middle two bits of the 4 bits indicating the least significant bit of the SFN.

[0131] It can be understood that the first bit is included in the bit sequence representing the SFN of the system frame carrying the SSB, for example, when the transmission period of the SSB is 20 ms, the value of the bit sequence representing the SFN of the system frame carrying the SSB can be (000000 0000), (000000 0010), (000000 0100) and (000000 0110) in turn, the bit representing the change of the SFN of the system frame carrying the SSB is the middle two bits of the 4 bits indicating the least significant bit of the SFN, that is, the first bit is the middle two bits of the 4 bits indicating the least significant bit of the SFN.

[0132] In this application, "bit" and "bit sequence" can be used interchangeably, or when a bit includes a plurality of bits, the bit can be referred to as a "bit sequence", which is not limited.

[0133] It should be understood that the first bit includes 2 bits, and the first bit is only an example that indicates the middle two bits of 4 bits of the least significant bit of SFN, the number of bits included in the first bit can also be other values, and the first bit can also indicate other bits of the bits of SFN, which is not limited.

[0134] Optionally, in the case of fixed position of the first bit, if the transmission period of the SSB is a first value, the SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting a plurality of SSBs in one SSB update period can be determined based on the value of the second indication information, or in other words, can be directly determined based on the value of the bit indicating SFN. If the transmission period of the SSB is a second value, the SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting a plurality of SSBs in one SSB update period can be determined based on the first SFN, which is determined based on the value of the bit indicating SFN, or in other words, if the transmission period of the SSB is a second value, the actual SFN of the system frame transmitting the plurality of SSBs has a corresponding relationship with the first SFN, and the actual SFN of the system frame transmitting the plurality of SSBs can be determined based on the first SFN and the corresponding relationship.

[0135] For example, the first value is 20 ms, when transmitting a plurality of SSBs with a transmission period of 20 ms, the values of the bit sequence used to represent the SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting the plurality of SSBs are (000000 0000), (000000 0010), (000000 0100) and (000000 0110) in turn, at this time, the SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting the plurality of SSBs is determined based on the values of the above bit sequence. When the transmission period of the SSB is 40 ms (an example of the second value), the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting a plurality of SSBs has a corresponding relationship (denoted as corresponding relationship #1, an example of the first corresponding relationship) with the SFN determined according to the values of the above bit sequence. For example, the corresponding relationship #1 can include left shifting the values of the above bit sequence by x bits, x is a positive integer. For example, when the transmission period of the SSB is 40 ms, the value of x can be 1, that is, the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame transmitting a plurality of SSBs is determined based on the values of the bit sequence (000000 0000), (000000 0100), (000000 1000) and (000000 1100).

[0136] It should be understood that the first value of 20 ms is only an example, and the first value can also be other values, which is not limited.

[0137] Optionally, the first indication information can also indicate the correspondence #1. In this case, the terminal device can determine the transmission period of the SSBs through the correspondence #1 indicated by the first indication information, and further determine the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted. Alternatively, the terminal device can directly determine the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted through the correspondence #1 without determining the transmission period of the SSBs. The present application does not limit the specific manner in which the first indication information indicates the correspondence #1, for example, the first indication information can indicate the value of x.

[0138] That is, although the position of the bit used to represent the change of the SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted under each transmission period is fixed for the multiple SSBs corresponding to different transmission periods, when the transmission period of the SSBs is the second value, the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted under different transmission periods and the first SFN have a correspondence relationship, and the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted is determined according to the transmission period of the SSBs and the bit used to represent the SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted. That is, the terminal device can determine the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted based on the first indication information and the second indication information.

[0139] Based on the above scheme, in the case where the transmission period of the SSBs is different, since the position of the bit used to indicate the change of the SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the multiple SSBs are transmitted under different SSB transmission periods is fixed and is a non-scrambled bit, the terminal device can use one SSB merging algorithm (for example, the SSB merging algorithm when the transmission period of the SSBs is 20 ms) to merge the multiple SSBs in one SSB update period under different SSB transmission periods.

[0140] It can be understood that the terminal device can perform the merging reception of the multiple SSBs in one SSB update period, but in the case where the channel condition is poor. If it is determined that the current channel condition is good, the terminal device can also receive one SSB in one SSB update period, that is, without performing the merging of the multiple SSBs in one SSB update period. In this case, based on the above scheme, the terminal device can still determine the SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the one SSB is transmitted according to the first indication information and the second indication information. That is, the scheme of the present application is also applicable to the case where the terminal device does not perform the merging of the SSBs.

[0141] The indication manner of the SSB transmission period is described in detail below.

[0142] In a possible implementation, the network device can explicitly indicate the transmission period of the plurality of SSBs. That is, the first indication information is explicit indication information. Details are shown in the following examples.

[0143] Example #1: the first indication information is carried in the PBCH included in the SSB.

[0144] Specifically, the first indication information can be carried in the reserved bits included in the PBCH. As described above, in the L max = 4 or L max = 8, 2 bits of the last 3 bits of the payload bits of the PBCH are reserved bits, which can be used to carry the first indication information. The values of the 2 bits have a corresponding relationship with the transmission period of the SSB, for example, as shown in Table 1.

[0145] Table 1

[0146] As can be seen from Table 1, when the value of the 2-bit reserved bit is “00”, it indicates that the transmission period of the SSB is 20 ms; when the value of the 2-bit reserved bit is “01”, it indicates that the transmission period of the SSB is 40 ms; when the value of the 2-bit reserved bit is “10”, it indicates that the transmission period of the SSB is 80 ms; and when the value of the 2-bit reserved bit is “11”, it indicates that the transmission period of the SSB is 160 ms.

[0147] It should be understood that the corresponding relationship between the value of the 2-bit reserved bit and the transmission period of the SSB shown in Table 1 is only an example, and the value of the 2-bit reserved bit and the transmission period of the SSB can also have other corresponding relationships, for example, the value of the 2-bit reserved bit can also correspond to other values other than the transmission period of the SSB shown in Table 1, which is not limited.

[0148] Example #2: the first indication information is carried in first information, and the first information is used to schedule first system information.

[0149] As an example, the first system information can be information carried by a system information block (SIB) 1, and information required for decoding the first system information is carried in the SSB. The first information can be control information used to schedule the SIB1. For example, the first information is used to determine the location of the time-frequency resource of the SIB1 and the transmission period of the SIB1. The specific information used to schedule the SIB1 is not limited in the present application, for example, the first information is information carried by a type 0-physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0150] It should be understood that after receiving the SSB, the terminal device needs to determine the time-frequency location of the search space of the control signal scheduling the SIB1, which is only related to whether the current system frame is an odd frame or an even frame, and specific descriptions can be referred to the existing related descriptions, so even if the terminal device does not obtain the actual SFN in the SSB, it does not affect the reception of the control signal scheduling the SIB1.

[0151] Example #3, the first indication information is carried in the first broadcast message, and the first broadcast message is used to broadcast the first system information. Wherein, the first system information is described with reference to example #2.

[0152] It should be understood that the above message or information carrying the first indication information is only an example, and the first indication information can also be carried in other downlink messages or information, which is not limited, as long as the first indication information can be obtained when receiving multiple SSBs.

[0153] In another possible implementation, the network device implicitly indicates the transmission period of the multiple SSBs.

[0154] As an example, the network device indicates the transmission period of the SSB through the phase position information of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) included in the SSB, that is, the first indication information is the phase position information of the PSS and the SSS. Wherein, the phase position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates the relative position between the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position has a second correspondence relationship with the transmission period of the SSB.

[0155] Exemplarily, the second correspondence relationship is as shown in Table 2:

[0156] Table 2

[0157] That is, the phase position of the PSS and the SSS can include that the PSS is located before the SSS in the time domain, and the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain. An example of the PSS being located before the SSS in the time domain is shown in FIG. 3. When the PSS is located before the SSS in the time domain, it can represent that the transmission period of the SSB is 20ms; when the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain, it can represent that the transmission period of the SSB is a value (an example of the second value) greater than 20ms, in this case, the specific value of the SSB transmission period can be agreed by the protocol, for example, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms or other values, which is not limited.

[0158] It should be understood that the correspondence between the phase positions of the PSS and the SSS and the transmission period of the SSB shown in Table 2 is only an example, and the correspondence between the phase positions of the PSS and the SSS and the transmission period of the SSB can also be other correspondences, such as the phase positions of the PSS and the SSS can also be represented by the positions of the PSS and the SSS in the frequency domain, and the like, which are not limited.

[0159] In this application, the specific way in which the network device sends the first indication information can be pre-configured or pre-defined, or determined through negotiation with the terminal device, which is not limited.

[0160] S420, the network device sends a plurality of SSBs in one SSB update period to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the plurality of SSBs.

[0161] The transmission period corresponding to the plurality of SSBs can be the first value or the second value. For example, the first value is 20 ms, and the second value is 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, or other values.

[0162] The specific way in which the network device sends the SSB is not limited, for example, the network device can send an SS burst set according to the transmission period corresponding to the SSB, the SS burst set can include a plurality of SSBs, and the network device can send different SSBs on different beams in a time division multiplexing manner.

[0163] S430, the terminal device performs merging processing on the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information and the second indication information.

[0164] The "merging processing" can be understood as first performing merging reception on the plurality of SSBs, and then performing decoding, or performing merging reception and decoding on the plurality of SSBs, which is not limited.

[0165] Specifically, the terminal device can determine the transmission period of the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information, and determine the first SFN according to the second indication information. When the transmission period of the plurality of SSBs is the first value, the first SFN is the SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the plurality of SSBs are transmitted; when the transmission period of the plurality of SSBs is the second value, the terminal device can determine the actual SFN according to the first SFN, and the correspondence between the first SFN corresponding to the transmission period of the SSB and the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the plurality of SSBs are transmitted. After the actual SFN corresponding to the system frame in which the plurality of SSBs are transmitted, the terminal device can perform merging processing on the plurality of SSBs according to the existing SSB merging algorithm, for example, the terminal device can perform merging reception on the plurality of SSBs in one SSB update period through the way of log likelihood ratio (LLR) conversion.

[0166] The above describes the method provided by the embodiments of the present application in detail in combination with FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. The following describes the apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application in combination with FIG. 5 to FIG. 7. It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments, and therefore, the content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments described above, which will not be described here for brevity.

[0167] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 500 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 500 includes a transceiver unit 510. The transceiver unit 510 can be configured to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 510 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit. Optionally, the apparatus 500 further includes a processing unit 520. The processing unit 520 can be configured to perform processing, such as determining the SFN of the system frame carrying the SSB, or performing the combining processing on the plurality of SSBs.

[0168] Optionally, the apparatus 500 can further include a storage unit, which can be configured to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 520 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the apparatus implements the foregoing method embodiments.

[0169] In a first possible design, the apparatus 500 is the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments, and the apparatus 500 can implement the steps or procedures corresponding to those performed by the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments. Specifically, the transceiver unit 510 can be configured to perform the operations related to the transceiving (such as the operations of transmitting and / or receiving data or messages) of the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments, and the processing unit 520 can be configured to perform the operations related to the processing (or operations other than the transceiving, such as operations other than transmitting and / or receiving data or messages) of the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0170] In a second possible design, the apparatus 500 can be the network device in the foregoing embodiments, and the apparatus 500 can implement the steps or procedures corresponding to those performed by the network device in the foregoing method embodiments. Specifically, the transceiver unit 510 can be configured to perform the operations related to the transceiving (such as the operations of transmitting and / or receiving data or messages) of the network device in the foregoing method embodiments, and the processing unit 520 can be configured to perform the operations related to the processing (or operations other than the transceiving, such as operations other than transmitting and / or receiving data or messages) of the network device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0171] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the corresponding steps is described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here for brevity.

[0172] It should also be understood that the apparatus 500 herein is embodied in the form of a functional block diagram. The term "unit" herein can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (for example, a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combination of logic circuitry and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art can understand that the apparatus 500 can be embodied in the communication device in the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be used to execute the processes and / or steps corresponding to the communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, details are not described here.

[0173] The apparatus 500 of each of the above-mentioned schemes has a function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the communication device (for example, a terminal device, and for example, a network device) in the above-mentioned methods. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the transmitting unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor, which respectively performs the transceiving operations and related processing operations in each of the method embodiments.

[0174] In addition, the transceiver unit 510 described above can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, which can include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit can be a processing circuit.

[0175] It should be noted that the apparatus in FIG. 5 can be a communication device (for example, a terminal device, and for example, a network device) in the above-mentioned embodiments, or a chip or a chip system, for example, a system on chip (SoC). The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit, a communication interface; and the processing unit can be a processor or a microprocessor integrated on the chip or an integrated circuit. Here, no limitation is made.

[0176] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication apparatus 600 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The apparatus 600 includes a processor 610, and the processor 610 is coupled with a memory 620, the memory 620 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, and the processor 610 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 620, or read the data stored in the memory 620, to execute the methods in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0177] Optionally, the processor 610 is one or more.

[0178] Optionally, the memory 620 is one or more.

[0179] Optionally, the memory 620 is integrated with the processor 610, or is separately arranged.

[0180] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus 600 further includes a transceiver 630, configured to receive and / or send signals. For example, the processor 610 is configured to control the transceiver 630 to receive and / or send signals.

[0181] For example, the processor 610 can have the function of the processing unit 520 shown in FIG. 5, the memory 620 can have the function of a storage unit, and the transceiver 630 can have the function of the transceiving unit 510 shown in FIG. 5.

[0182] As an option, the apparatus 600 is configured to implement operations performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the various method embodiments.

[0183] For example, the processor 610 is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 620, to implement the related operations of the communication apparatus in the various method embodiments.

[0184] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor can also be any conventional processor.

[0185] It should also be understood that the memory referred to in the embodiments of the application can be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically EPROM (EEPROM) or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM). For example, the RAM can be used as an external cache. As an example but not limitation, the RAM includes the following various forms: static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM) and direct memory bus random access memory (direct rambus RAM, DR RAM).

[0186] It should be noted that when the processor is a general processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated in the processor.

[0187] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0188] Referring to FIG. 7, as an example, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 700 provided by an embodiment of the application. The chip system 700 (or also can be called a processing system) includes a logic circuit 710 and an input / output interface 720.

[0189] The logic circuit 710 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 700. The logic circuit 710 can be coupled with the storage unit, invoke instructions in the storage unit, so that the chip system 700 can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 720 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 700, output information processed by the chip system 700, or input data or signaling information to be processed by the chip system 700.

[0190] As an option, the chip system 700 is configured to implement operations performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0191] For example, the logic circuit 710 is configured to implement processing-related operations performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the above method embodiments; and the input / output interface 720 is configured to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0192] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions for implementing the method performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the above method embodiments. For example, the computer program or instructions enable the communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) to perform the above method when the computer program or instructions run on the communication apparatus.

[0193] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product containing instructions, which are executed by a computer to implement the method performed by a communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) in the above method embodiments. For example, the computer program or instructions enable the communication apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, or a network device) to perform the above method when the computer program or instructions run on the communication apparatus.

[0194] The embodiments of the present application also provide a communication system, which includes the terminal device and / or the network device in the above embodiments.

[0195] The above-described explanations and advantages of the related contents in any of the apparatuses provided by the present application can refer to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0196] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method can be implemented by other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are only illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units or components shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, apparatuses or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0197] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded 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 devices. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server or a network device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from 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.) mode. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (such as floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (such as DVD), or semiconductor media (such as solid state disk (SSD) and the like. For example, the foregoing available media includes but is not limited to: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk and various media that can store program codes.

[0198] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Comprising: receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the plurality of SSBs being a plurality of SSBs transmitted within one SSB update period, information carried by at least two SSBs in the plurality of SSBs within the transmission period being not completely same, each of the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the each of the SSBs; performing merging processing on the plurality of SSBs according to the first indication information and the second indication information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The each of the SSBs comprises a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and the first indication information is carried in the PBCH.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The PBCH comprises a reserved bit, and the first indication information is carried in the reserved bit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first indication information is carried in first information used for scheduling first system information. Information required for decoding the first system information is carried in the each of the SSBs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first indication information is carried in a first broadcast message used for broadcasting first system information. Information required for decoding the first system information is carried in the each of the SSBs.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The transmission period has one of a plurality of values, the plurality of values comprising a first value, If the transmission period is the first value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the each of the SSBs is determined by a value of the second indication information. If the transmission period is a second value, the system frame number corresponding to the time unit carrying the each of the SSBs has a first corresponding relationship with a first system frame number, the first system frame number being determined according to the value of the second indication information. The second value is any value except the first value in the plurality of values.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first indication information indicates the first corresponding relationship.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, The each of the SSBs comprises a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information has a second corresponding relationship with the transmission period of the each of the SSBs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The transmission period has one of two values, the two values comprising a second value, and the second value is greater than 20 ms.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, If the transmission period is the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

11. A communication method, comprising: Comprising: transmitting a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the plurality of SSBs being a plurality of SSBs within one SSB update period; transmitting first indication information, the first indication information indicating a transmission period of the plurality of SSBs, information carried by at least two SSBs in the plurality of SSBs within the transmission period being not completely same, each of the plurality of SSBs comprising second indication information, the second indication information indicating a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying the each of the SSBs, and the first indication information and the second indication information being used for performing merging processing on the plurality of SSBs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first indication information is carried in a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) included in each SSB.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The PBCH includes a reserved bit, and the first indication information is carried in the reserved bit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first indication information is carried in first information used for scheduling first system information. Information required for decoding the first system information is carried in each SSB.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first indication information is carried in a first broadcast message used for broadcasting first system information. Information required for decoding the first system information is carried in each SSB.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The transmission period has one of a plurality of values, and the plurality of values include a first value. If the transmission period is the first value, a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying each SSB is determined by a value of the second indication information. If the transmission period is a second value, a system frame number corresponding to a time unit carrying each SSB has a first correspondence relationship with a first system frame number, and the first system frame number is determined according to a value of the second indication information. The second value is any value other than the first value in the plurality of values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The first indication information indicates the first correspondence relationship.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein, Each SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the first indication information is relative position information of the PSS and the SSS, and the relative position information has a second correspondence relationship with a transmission period of each SSB.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The transmission period has one of two values, and the two values include a second value, and the second value is greater than 20 ms.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, If the transmission period is the second value, the relative position information of the PSS and the SSS indicates that the PSS is located after the SSS in the time domain.

21. A communications device, characterized by A module or unit for performing the method of any one of claims 1-20.

22. A communications device, characterized by A memory storing computer instructions for causing the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-20. A processor for executing computer instructions stored in a memory, so that the apparatus performs the method of any one of claims 1-20.

23. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus includes a logic circuit and an input / output interface, and the logic circuit is used to be coupled with the input / output interface, and data is transmitted through the input / output interface to perform the method of any one of claims 1-20.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program product having computer instructions stored therein, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any one of claims 1-20 to be performed.

25. A chip or chip system, characterized by A memory storing computer instructions for causing the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-20. A processor and a communication interface, the processor being used to read instructions stored on a memory through the communication interface, so that the method of any one of claims 1-20 is performed.

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