Communication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, and a storage medium, capable of effectively sending a system message and ensuring communication reliability, and applicable to a satellite communication system, such as an NTN. The method comprises: on the basis of a predefined rule, a terminal device determining a transmission period of each sub-block among a plurality of sub-blocks in an MIB, wherein the transmission period is M times the duration of a first TDD frame pattern; and receiving the MIB on the basis of the plurality of transmission periods respectively corresponding to the plurality of sub-blocks, wherein one or more downlink sub-frames in one transmission period are used for carrying one sub-block of the MIB, the first TDD frame pattern comprises N radio frames, the first TDD frame pattern is periodic, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer.

Description

Communication method, apparatus, and storage medium

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411398012.4, filed on October 01, 2024, entitled "Communication method, apparatus and storage medium", 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, in particular to a communication method, apparatus and storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0003] The pattern of uplink and downlink frame configuration in the Iridium system (referred to as frame pattern in the present application) is 90ms per cycle. The 90ms frame pattern includes a plurality of consecutive uplink subframes, a plurality of consecutive downlink subframes, and a plurality of consecutive subframes as a guard band.

[0004] In the protocol related to narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) in the fifth generation (5G) defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the frame pattern in the time division duplexing (TDD) mode is 5ms or 10ms per cycle, and there is a downlink subframe in each cycle. The master information block (MIB) and the system information block 1 (SIB1) need to be sent on the downlink frame in the frame pattern, so the system message can be sent in the manner of fixed subframes with a cycle of 10ms / 20ms. Currently, the Iridium system is discussed to be integrated with the 3GPP communication standard. If the message block sending manner in the standard related to NB-IoT or future 3GPP communication standard is directly applied in the Iridium communication scenario of the integrated standard communication system, a resource mismatch problem will occur. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, apparatus and storage medium to effectively transmit system messages and ensure communication reliability.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a terminal side. For example, a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the terminal (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). Hereinafter, for the convenience of understanding and description, the method is described by taking a terminal device as an example.

[0007] Exemplarily, the method comprises: determining, by the terminal device, a transmission period of each of a plurality of sub-blocks in the MIB according to a predefined rule, the transmission period being M times the duration of the first TDD frame pattern; and receiving the MIB according to a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to the plurality of sub-blocks, respectively.

[0008] Wherein, the first TDD frame pattern comprises N wireless frames and the first TDD frame pattern is periodic, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer. One or more downlink subframes in one transmission period are used to carry one sub-block of the MIB.

[0009] The sizes of the plurality of sub-blocks are the same. The transmission period of each sub-block is M times the first TDD frame pattern, so the period of the MIB is also M times the first TDD frame pattern.

[0010] Optionally, the number of sub-blocks included in the MIB and the period of the MIB can be predefined.

[0011] Based on this technical solution, the terminal device can determine a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to a plurality of sub-blocks of the MIB based on a predefined rule, each of the plurality of transmission periods being an integer multiple of the first TDD frame pattern. Since the first TDD frame pattern comprises N wireless frames and is periodic, in the case that each transmission period is M times the first TDD frame pattern, the number and position of uplink subframes, the number and position of downlink subframes, and the number and position of guard subframes included in every two transmission periods can be guaranteed to be the same. In this way, the determined resource position for carrying one sub-block of the MIB is the same in each transmission period. That is, in the case that the position for carrying one sub-block in one transmission period is a downlink subframe in the first TDD frame pattern, it can be guaranteed that the position for carrying the sub-block in each transmission period is on the downlink subframe. Therefore, this method can guarantee the effective transmission of the MIB with the minimum modification of the determination method of the transmission period of each of the plurality of sub-blocks included in the MIB in the existing standard, so as to improve the communication reliability. In the case that there are different TDD frame patterns in the communication system, the terminal device can effectively determine the resource for carrying the MIB.

[0012] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first TDD frame pattern is different from a second TDD frame pattern. The second TDD frame pattern comprises at least one uplink subframe, at least one downlink subframe and at least one special subframe. The second TDD frame pattern has a duration of 5ms or 10ms, and the second TDD frame pattern is periodic. Further, the second TDD frame pattern can be a TDD frame pattern suitable for NB-IOT, such as the frame pattern described in Table 1 of the present application.

[0013] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the predefined rule comprises: a repetition number of one sub-block in one downlink frame; and / or, a number of downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern for carrying the MIB.

[0014] Exemplarily, the terminal device can determine the number of downlink frames required for transmitting one sub-block according to the repetition number of one sub-block in one downlink frame; further determine the number of first TDD frame patterns required for transmitting one sub-block based on the number of downlink frames required and the number of downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern for carrying the MIB; and finally determine the transmission period of one sub-block according to the number of first TDD frame patterns and the duration of the first TDD frame pattern.

[0015] Optionally, the predefined rule comprises: all repetitions of one sub-block are transmitted in subframe 0 of consecutive radio frames, and if a frame serving as a guard band or an uplink frame is encountered in the repetitions of one sub-block, the corresponding repetition is discarded.

[0016] Based on this, the determination method of the transmission period of each sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks included in the MIB in the existing standard can be modified to the minimum extent.

[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, determining the transmission period of each sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks included in the MIB according to the predefined rule comprises: determining the transmission period of each sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks in the MIB as M times of the duration of the first TDD frame pattern, M satisfying: M = ceil(m / (P*n));

[0018] wherein m is the repetition number of a first sub-block in the transmission period of the first sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks, n is the repetition number of the first sub-block in each downlink frame, P is the number of downlink frames predefined in the first TDD frame pattern for transmitting the MIB, and ceil() represents rounding up.

[0019] Based on this, the terminal can determine the period of each sub-block by determining the number of repetitions of each sub-block in a period, and the number of downlink frames of the first TDD frame pattern used for transmitting the sub-block, and then determine the period of each sub-block, and further obtain the period of the MIB. In this way, the transmission of the MIB can be adapted to the first TDD frame structure.

[0020] Optionally, each downlink radio frame carries one sub-block, and each sub-block is carried in subframe 9 and subframe 0 in each downlink radio frame.

[0021] Optionally, each downlink radio frame carries a plurality of first sub-blocks, and the plurality of first sub-blocks are carried on a plurality of subframes respectively. The plurality of subframes do not overlap with other broadcast messages.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to the terminal side. For example, the terminal or the communication module in the terminal, or the circuit or chip responsible for the communication function in the terminal (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). For the convenience of understanding and description, the terminal device is taken as an example to describe the method.

[0023] Exemplarily, the terminal device determines a transmission period of the SIB based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and the first time length; the terminal device determines a time domain starting position of the SIB in the period; and the terminal device receives the SIB based on the transmission period and the time domain starting position.

[0024] The first time length is the interval between adjacent two SIB repetitions, the transmission period of the SIB is M times of the time length of the first TDD frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern includes N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern is periodic, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer.

[0025] The number of repetitions of the SIB, the first time length, and the starting position of the SIB are predefined. The starting position of the SIB is a downlink subframe.

[0026] The interval between adjacent two SIB repetitions can be the time interval of the starting position or the ending position of the SIB repetition. That is, the transmission time length required by each repetition of the SIB.

[0027] Based on the technical solution, the terminal device can determine the transmission period of the SIB based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first time length, and the transmission period of the SIB is an integer multiple of the time length of the first TDD frame pattern. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes N radio frames and is periodic, in the case where the period of the SIB is an integer multiple of the first TDD frame pattern, the number and position of the uplink subframes, the number and position of the downlink subframes, and the number and position of the guard subframes included in each transmission period of the SIB can be guaranteed to be the same. In this way, the determined resource position for carrying the SIB is the same in each transmission period. That is, in the case where the resource position for sending the SIB in one transmission period is a downlink subframe in the first TDD frame pattern, it can be guaranteed that the position for carrying the SIB in each transmission period is on the downlink subframe. Therefore, this method can guarantee effective transmission of the SIB with minimum modification to the determination method of the transmission period of the SIB in the existing standard, thereby improving communication reliability. In the presence of a converged communication scenario in a communication system, when there are different TDD frame patterns, the terminal device can effectively determine the resource for carrying the SIB.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, one repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames. In other words, one repetition of the SIB can be carried in K consecutive downlink frames. In this way, the transmission delay of the SIB can be reduced.

[0029] Optionally, one repetition of the SIB is carried in K non-consecutive downlink frames. In other words, one repetition of the SIB can be carried in K downlink frames every other downlink frame in 2K consecutive downlink frames.

[0030] In the K non-consecutive downlink frames, one downlink frame is included between two adjacent downlink frames, and K is an integer greater than 1.

[0031] For example, if one repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames, the first time length is the time length of the K downlink frames. Alternatively, if one repetition of the SIB is carried in K non-consecutive downlink frames, and one downlink frame is included between two adjacent downlink frames, the first time length is the time length of (2*K) downlink radio frames.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the determination of the transmission period of the SIB based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first time length includes: determining, based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first time length, that the transmission period of the SIB is M times the time length of the first TDD frame pattern, and M satisfies: M = ceil(L / K).

[0033] wherein K represents a number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents a ceiling function.

[0034] Based on this, the terminal can determine the transmission period of the SIB after determining the repetition number of the SIB and the number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern.

[0035] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the determining the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period comprises: determining the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period based on the repetition number of the SIB and a physical cell identifier (PCI).

[0036] The repetition number of the SIB, the PCI, and the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period have a corresponding relationship.

[0037] For example, the terminal device can select a plurality of starting frame numbers from different repetition numbers based on the repetition number of the SIB, and then determine a starting frame number from the plurality of starting frame numbers based on the PCI.

[0038] For example, when the repetition number of the SIB is 4, the frame number of the time-domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0, ceil(L / K)*N, ceil(L / K)*N*2, or ceil(L / K)*N*3; or when the repetition number of the SIB is 8 or 16, the frame number of the time-domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0 or ceil(L / K)*N; wherein ceil() represents a ceiling function.

[0039] For example, when the repetition number of the SIB is 4, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is 0 when PCI%4=0, ceil(L / K)*N when PCI%4=1, ceil(L / K)*N*2 when PCI%4=2, or ceil(L / K)*N*3 when PCI%4=3; wherein % represents a modulo operation.

[0040] For example, when the repetition number of the SIB is 8 or 16, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is 0 when PCI%4=0, or ceil(L / K)*N when PCI%4=1.

[0041] Based on this, the interference between SIBs transmitted on different cells can be reduced.

[0042] In some implementations of the first and second aspects, the first TDD frame pattern includes at least one uplink subframe, at least one downlink subframe, and at least one subframe as a guard band; and a length of the guard band is greater than or equal to a length of two radio frames.

[0043] Optionally, the length of the guard band can be a length of 3 radio frames. For example, the length of the guard band is 30 ms.

[0044] In this way, the transmission delay of satellite communication can be ensured.

[0045] Optionally, the at least one uplink subframe can be consecutive in the first TDD frame pattern, and / or the at least one downlink subframe can be consecutive in the first TDD frame pattern, and / or the at least one subframe as a guard band can be consecutive in the first TDD frame pattern.

[0046] Optionally, the at least one subframe as a guard band is located between the uplink subframe and the downlink subframe.

[0047] In some implementations of the first and second aspects, a ratio between a number A of the at least one uplink subframe and a number B of the at least one downlink subframe included in the first TDD frame pattern satisfies one of the following: A:B = 1:2, A:B = 1:1, A:B = 5:1, or A:B = 3:1.

[0048] In some implementations of the first and second aspects, a ratio between a number A of the at least one uplink subframe, a number B of the at least one downlink subframe, and a number C of the at least one subframe as a guard band included in the first TDD frame pattern satisfies one of the following: A:C:B = 4:3:2, A:C:B = 1:7:1, A:C:B = 5:3:1, A:C:B = 45:30:15, or A:C:B = 3:3:3.

[0049] For the first TDD frame pattern with a high guard band ratio (e.g., A:C:B = 1:7:1), because most of the radio frames are not used for communication, power consumption can be saved. For the first TDD frame pattern with a small difference in the guard band ratio, the ratio of the downlink subframe and the downlink subframe is related to the resources required by the uplink and downlink services, so that the transmission of the services can be better adapted.

[0050] In some implementations of the first and second aspects, N is 7, 9, or 11.

[0051] When N = 9, the length of the frame pattern used by the Iridium system, so that the existing system can be better compatible. Different values of N can affect the flexibility of scheduling, and the smaller the value of the ratio N, the higher the flexibility of scheduling.

[0052] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, including modules or units for implementing the method in any of the preceding aspects and their possible implementation manners.

[0053] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication apparatus, including a processor, configured to implement the method in any of the preceding aspects and their possible implementation manners.

[0054] The apparatus can further include a memory for storing instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor executes the instructions stored in the memory to implement the method described in the aspects.

[0055] The apparatus can further include a communication interface for the apparatus to communicate with other devices. The communication interface can be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module or other types of communication interface.

[0056] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a chip system, including at least one processor, configured to support the functions involved in any of the preceding aspects and their possible implementation manners, such as receiving or processing the data and / or information involved in the methods.

[0057] In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, configured to store program instructions and data, and the memory is located in or outside the processor.

[0058] The chip system can be composed of a chip, or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0059] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, including a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement the method in any of the preceding aspects and their possible implementation manners.

[0060] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method in any of the preceding aspects and their possible implementation manners.

[0061] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, including the terminal device and the network device described above.

[0062] It should be understood that the third aspect to the eighth aspect of the present application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect or the second aspect of the present application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation manners are similar, which will not be described again. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0063] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system suitable for the method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a satellite network provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0065] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a frame pattern;

[0066] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a transmission process of an MIB;

[0067] FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0068] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are schematic diagrams of a downlink subframe carrying sub-blocks provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a first TDD frame pattern provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 9 is another schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0071] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0072] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus provided by the embodiments 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] For the convenience of understanding the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained:

[0075] First, in the embodiments of the present application, the use of prefixes such as "first", "second", and the like is merely for the convenience of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of the things. For example, "first configuration period" and "second configuration period" are merely different periods, and do not limit the quantity or priority of the devices; for another example, "first information" and "second information" are merely different information, and there is no time sequence, size relationship, or priority relationship between them.

[0076] Secondly, in the embodiments of the present application, "sending" and "receiving" represent the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending first information to a terminal device" can be understood as that the terminal device is the destination of the information, which can include direct transmission through the air interface, and also includes indirect transmission through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receiving second information from a network device" can be understood as that the network device is the source of the configuration information, which can include direct reception from the network device through the air interface, and also includes indirect reception from the network device through the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as "output" of a chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as "input" of a chip interface.

[0077] In other words, sending and receiving can be between devices, for example, between a terminal device and a network device, or can be within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, wire or interface.

[0078] It can be understood that the information can be processed as necessary, such as encoding and modulation, before being sent from the source to the destination. The destination can also perform corresponding processing, such as decoding and demodulation, after receiving the information from the source, so as to interpret the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in the present application can be similarly understood, and will not be repeated here.

[0079] Thirdly, in the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association between the associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it, but does not rule out the case that the associated objects before and after it represent an "and" relationship. The specific meaning can be understood in combination with the context. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can represent: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0080] Fourthly, in the embodiments of the present application, the indication can include direct indication and indirect indication, and can also include explicit indication and implicit indication. If a certain information (the first information described below) is indicated by information, the information to be indicated is referred to as to-be-indicated information. In the implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the to-be-indicated information, for example, but not limited to, the to-be-indicated information can be directly indicated, such as the to-be-indicated information itself or an index of the to-be-indicated information. The to-be-indicated information can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where the other information and the to-be-indicated information have an association relationship. The to-be-indicated information can also be indicated only by a part of the to-be-indicated information, and the other part of the to-be-indicated information is known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of a specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (for example, predefined by a protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. The specific manner of indication is not limited in the present application.

[0081] It can be understood that, for the sender of the indication information, the indication information can be used to indicate the to-be-indicated information, and for the receiver of the indication information, the indication information can be used to determine the to-be-indicated information.

[0082] Fifthly, in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions such as "when", "in the case of", "if", and "whether" all refer to that the device (such as a network device or a terminal device) will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited by time, and do not require the device (such as a network device or a terminal device) to have a judgment action when implemented, and also do not mean that there are other limitations.

[0083] Sixthly, the predefinition in the present application can be understood as definition, predefinition, storage, pre-storage, pre-negotiation, pre-configuration, solidification, or pre-burning.

[0084] Seventhly, the saving in the present application can be saved in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be separately arranged or integrated in the encoder or decoder, the processor, or the communication device. The one or more memories can be partially separately arranged and partially integrated in the decoder, the processor, or the communication device. The type of the memory can be any form of storage medium, and the present application does not limit this.

[0085] Eighth, the tables in the embodiments of the present application are only examples. The values of the information in the tables are only examples, and can be configured as other values. The present application is not limited. The tables do not limit the protection scope of the present application. For example, the above tables can be appropriately deformed and adjusted, such as splitting, merging, etc. For another example, the parameter names shown in the titles of the tables can also use other names understandable by the communication device, and the values or representations of the parameters can also use other values or representations understandable by the communication device. For another example, the above tables can also use other data structures when implemented, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear tables, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, etc.

[0086] The technical solutions provided by the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), sidelink (SL) communication system, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system or new radio access technology (NR), satellite communication system, etc. Among them, the 5G mobile communication system can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA). The technical solutions provided by the present application can also be applied to future communication networks. Among them, the satellite communication system can be a satellite communication system integrated with the 5G communication system or the future communication system, such as a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0087] The network device in the present application can be a device with wireless transceiver function, radio access network (RAN) device. The radio access network device can provide wireless communication function service, and can access the terminal to the wireless network. The radio access network device can be a node in the radio access network, referred to as RAN node.

[0088] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station (BS), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a home evolved NodeB, or a home Node B (HNB), a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), a mobile switching center, or a base station in a future mobile communication system, etc. The RAN node can also be a device assuming a base station function in a device to device (D2D) communication system, a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, a machine to machine (M2M) communication system, and an internet to things (IoT) communication system, etc. The RAN node can also be a RAN node in a non terrestrial network (NTN), i.e., the RAN node can be deployed in a high altitude platform or a satellite, or the RAN node is a satellite with base station function, or the RAN node is a high / low altitude device with base station function. The RAN node can be a macro base station, or a micro base station or an indoor station, or a relay node or a donor node, etc., or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or a node in an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) scenario, etc. Alternatively, 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). Of course, the RAN node can also be a node in a core network. In a satellite communication scenario, the RAN node can be a satellite, or a device with base station function deployed in a high altitude platform or a satellite, etc.

[0089] 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 a base station. 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, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0090] 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 open CU (O-CU), the DU can also be referred to as an open DU (O-DU), the CU-CP can also be referred to as an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), the CU-UP can also be referred to as an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and the RU can also be referred to as an open RU (O-RU).

[0091] Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. That is, the radio access network device in this application can be a virtualized device, which can be implemented by general hardware and instantiated virtualized functions, or special hardware and instantiated virtualized functions. The general hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0092] The terminal device in this application can also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent or a user apparatus.

[0093] The terminal device can be a device providing voice / data connectivity to a user, for example, a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. Currently, some examples of terminal devices can be: a mobile phone, a pad, a computer (such as a notebook computer, a palm computer, etc.) with wireless transceiver function, a mobile internet device (MID), a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a drone, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network, or a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0094] Among them, the wearable device can also be called a wearable smart device, which is a general term for devices that can be designed and developed by applying wearable technology to daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. The wearable device is a portable device that can be directly worn on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. The wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also a powerful function realized through software support and data interaction, cloud interaction. The general wearable smart device includes a full function, large size, and can realize complete or partial functions without relying on a smart phone, such as a smart watch or smart glasses, and only focuses on a certain application function and needs to cooperate with other devices such as a smart phone, such as various smart wristbands, smart jewelry, etc. for monitoring vital signs.

[0095] In addition, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is to connect objects through communication technology and network, so as to realize the intelligent network of man-machine interconnection and object-object interconnection. IoT technology can achieve mass connection, deep coverage and terminal power saving through, for example, narrow band (NB) technology.

[0096] In addition, the terminal device can also include intelligent printers, train detectors, gas station sensors, and the like, and the main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data of network devices, and transmitting electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0097] In addition, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in a satellite communication system, such as an NTN.

[0098] The terminal device in the present application can be a virtualized device, which can be implemented by general hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or special hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0099] It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific form of the wireless access network device and the terminal device.

[0100] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 100 suitable for the method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 includes a wireless access network 10 and a core network 20, and optionally, the communication system 100 can also include an Internet 30. The wireless access network 10 can include at least one wireless access network device (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1), and can also include at least one terminal device (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1).

[0101] The terminal device can be connected to the wireless access network device in a wireless manner, and the wireless access network device can be connected to the core network in a wireless or wired manner. The core network device and the wireless access network device can be independent and different physical devices, or can be integrated into the same physical device, or can be a physical device integrated with part of the functions of the core network device and part of the functions of the wireless access network device. The terminal and the terminal, and the wireless access network device and the wireless access network device, can be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner.

[0102] The wireless access network device and the terminal device can communicate through licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both. The wireless access network device and the terminal device can communicate through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or both. Embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the spectrum used for wireless communication.

[0103] The wireless access network device can be a base station deployed in the air, such as satellite base station 110a, or a base station deployed indoors, such as micro base station or indoor station 110b.

[0104] The terminal device can be a terminal device deployed in the air, such as helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle 120i in FIG. 1, or a terminal device deployed on the ground, such as mobile phone 120a, 120e, 120f, and 120j, vehicle 120b, computer 110b, printer 120h, and the like in FIG. 1.

[0105] The wireless access network device and the terminal device can be fixed or mobile. For example, the wireless access network device and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can be deployed on water; or can be deployed on an airplane, balloon, or artificial satellite in the air.

[0106] The roles of the wireless access network device and the terminal device can be relative. For example, helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For 120j that accesses the wireless access network 10 through 120i, 120i is a base station. However, for 110a, 120i is a terminal, that is, 110a and 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through an interface protocol between wireless access network devices. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, the wireless access network device and the terminal device can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a, 110b, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as communication devices having their respective functions, such as a communication device having a base station function or a communication device having a terminal device function.

[0107] It should be understood that FIG. 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system can further include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0108] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a satellite network provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, a ground terminal device accesses a 5G new air interface network, a 5G base station is deployed on a satellite, and is connected to a ground station through a wireless link (an NG interface), and then is connected to a core network on the ground. At the same time, there is a wireless link (an Xn interface) between satellites, to complete signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations.

[0109] With the development of information technology, more urgent requirements are put forward for efficient, mobile, and diverse communication. At present, in some important fields such as space communication, aviation communication, maritime communication, and military communication, satellites play an important role.

[0110] Compared with a ground mobile communication network, satellite communication can achieve wide-area or even global coverage using high, medium, and low orbit satellites, and can provide differentiated communication services for global users. Satellite communication systems and 5G are integrated with each other, complement each other's advantages, and jointly constitute a global seamless coverage sea, land, air, and sky integrated comprehensive communication network, which meets the needs of users for various services everywhere, and is an important direction for future communication development. The integration of satellites and 5G will give full play to their respective advantages and provide users with more comprehensive and high-quality services, mainly in the following aspects: (1) in remote areas, on airplanes, or on ocean-going vessels where the ground 5G network cannot cover, satellites can provide economical and reliable network services, and extend the network to places where the ground network cannot reach. (2) Satellites can provide continuous and uninterrupted network connections for Internet of Things devices and mobile carrier users such as airplanes, ships, trains, and cars. After the integration of satellites and 5G, the service capability of 5G systems in this regard can be greatly enhanced. (3) The superior broadcast / multicast capability of satellites can provide efficient data distribution services for network edges and user terminals. Compared with early satellite mobile communication systems, the current development of satellite mobile communication presents two characteristics. Miniaturization of mobile terminals: supporting various mobile communication terminals including handheld devices; broadband communication services: in addition to traditional narrowband voice services, high-speed data services and Internet multimedia communication services are also provided.

[0111] The frame pattern adopted by the Iridium system is designed according to a period of 90 ms. The 90 ms frame pattern includes a plurality of consecutive uplink radio frames, a plurality of consecutive downlink radio frames, and a radio frame used as a guard band.

[0112] ​Figure 3 shows the frame pattern of the iridium star system. The basic unit of time division multiple access (TDMA) channels is a time slot. As shown in Figure 3, the frame pattern consists of a 20.32 ms downlink simplex followed by four 8.28 ms uplink slots and four downlink slots, which provide duplex channel capability; the frame pattern also includes a guard time (GT) to protect the time that allows hardware to set up and provide tolerance for uplink channel operation.

[0113] wherein simplex slots support only downlink, loop, and messaging channels. Acquisition, synchronization, and traffic channels use uplink slots. Broadcast, synchronization, and traffic channels use downlink duplex slots.

[0114] Table 1 shows the TDD frame pattern of 3GPP NB-IoT, with a maximum period of 10 ms. The standard takes 10 ms as a radio frame, and 1 ms as a subframe. That is, a radio frame includes 10 subframes. The scheduling granularity of the network scheduling radio frames is a subframe.

[0115] Table 1

[0116] D in Table 1 identifies downlink (DL), that is, the subframe corresponding to D is used for downlink transmission; U identifies uplink (UL), that is, the subframe corresponding to U is used for uplink transmission; the subframe corresponding to S is a special subframe, which is usually used for system information broadcast, synchronization signal, random access channel, etc.

[0117] The MIB uses a fixed scheduling period of 640 ms, and the same MIB is repeatedly transmitted multiple times on each system frame within 640 ms. The first transmission of the MIB satisfies: it is transmitted on subframe 0 of a radio frame, and is repeated on subframe 0 of each system frame within the next 640 ms. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, after the physical layer receives an MIB, it first adds a 16-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC), then uses tail-biting convolutional codes (TBCC) for channel coding, and after rate matching, outputs 1600 bits of data. The output of 1600 bits is then divided into 8 equal-length self-decodable sub-blocks, each of which is repeatedly transmitted 8 times, that is, each sub-block is repeatedly transmitted on 8 consecutive system frame subframes 0.

[0118] The existing TDD frame pattern (as shown in Table 1) has a downlink subframe in each radio frame, and the subframe 0 of each configured radio frame is a downlink subframe. Therefore, for the MIB, the MIB can be transmitted in the manner of the existing TDD frame pattern with a period of 10 ms. However, if the period of the protocol-defined frame pattern changes, for example, the 90 ms frame pattern of the Iridium system, the frame pattern of each period is a structure in which a plurality of uplink radio frames and a plurality of downlink radio frames are combined, and thus the existing transmission manner of the MIB can not be supported.

[0119] Similarly, the repetition number of the SIB1 can be 4, 8, or 16. In actual transmission, one repetition of the SIB1 requires 8 radio frames, and the 8 radio frames are discontinuous. Specifically, the NB-SIB1 is repeatedly transmitted 16 times, and one repetition of the SIB1 is required to be transmitted every radio frame in 16 radio frames (i.e., the SIB transmission period is 2560 ms), and the SIB can be transmitted on the 4th subframe of each of the 8 radio frames.

[0120] Since one repetition of the SIB1 is transmitted on the fixed subframe every radio frame, different cells can distinguish the starting frame number according to the value of the PCI in order to reduce interference.

[0121] Table 2 shows the correspondence between the repetition number of the SIB1, the PCI, and the starting frame number in the FDD mode.

[0122] Table 2

[0123] Table 3 shows the correspondence between the repetition number of the SIB1, the PCI, and the starting frame number in the TDD mode.

[0124] Table 3

[0125] The existing TDD frame pattern (as shown in Table 1) has a downlink subframe in each radio frame, and thus the SIB1 can be transmitted in the manner of the fixed subframe with a period of 20 ms, but if the period of the protocol-defined frame pattern changes, for example, the 90 ms frame pattern of the Iridium system, the frame pattern of each period is a structure in which a plurality of uplink radio frames and a plurality of downlink radio frames are combined, and thus the existing transmission manner of the SIB1 can not be supported, and in addition, the starting frame number of the SIB1 configured according to the PCI of the cell can also fall on the uplink resource.

[0126] In summary, if the 90 ms frame pattern of the Iridium is standardized, the existing configuration needs to be further enhanced to adapt to the new frame pattern.

[0127] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, device and storage medium. The method can effectively transmit system messages and ensure communication reliability.

[0128] The communication method and device provided by the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The method provided by the present application can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0129] FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 are schematic flowcharts of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. In the flowcharts shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the method is shown from the perspective of the interaction between the terminal device and the network device, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the method. For example, the terminal device in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 can be replaced by a chip, a chip system or a processor supporting the terminal device to implement the method, and can also be a logical module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. The network device in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 can be replaced by a chip, a chip system or a processor supporting the network device to implement the method, and can also be a logical module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 5, the method 500 can include S501 and S502. The steps in the method 500 are described in detail below.

[0131] S501, the terminal device determines, according to a predefined rule, a transmission period of each of a plurality of subblocks in the MIB, the transmission period being M times the duration of a first TDD frame pattern.

[0132] The first TDD frame pattern includes N wireless frames, and the first TDD frame pattern is periodic. N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer.

[0133] It can be understood that the first TDD frame pattern includes N wireless frames. Therefore, the first configuration period is M times the duration of the N wireless frames. If the wireless frame is a wireless frame defined by 3GPP (i.e., one wireless frame includes 10 subframes, and each subframe has a duration of 1 ms), the period of the first TDD frame pattern is (N*10) ms. That is, the first configuration period is M times (N*10) ms. The wireless frame in the present application can also be a wireless frame of other lengths defined by future protocols. Hereinafter, the example of the first wireless frame including 10 subframes and each subframe being 1 ms is described.

[0134] Optionally, N can be 9, 7, or 11, or other values.

[0135] In the N wireless frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, each wireless frame can include a plurality of subframes, which can be one or more of uplink subframes, downlink subframes, or subframes as guard bands.

[0136] Exemplarily, in a case that all the subframes included in a radio frame are uplink subframes, the radio frame is referred to as an uplink frame in the present disclosure; in a case that all the subframes included in a radio frame are downlink subframes, the radio frame is referred to as a downlink frame in the present disclosure; and in a case that all the subframes included in a radio frame are subframes as guard bands, the radio frame is referred to as a guard frame in the present disclosure.

[0137] Exemplarily, in a case that the subframes included in a radio frame include uplink subframes and subframes as guard bands, the radio frame is referred to as a first type of radio frame in the present disclosure; and in a case that the subframes included in a radio frame include downlink subframes and subframes as guard bands, the radio frame is referred to as a second type of radio frame in the present disclosure.

[0138] The plurality of subblocks of the MIB in the present disclosure are obtained by continuing to block after the MIB is added with CRC, encoded and rate matched. For example, the plurality of subblocks of the MIB can be 8.

[0139] S502, the network device transmits the MIB according to the plurality of transmission periods corresponding to the plurality of subblocks respectively. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the MIB according to the plurality of transmission periods corresponding to the plurality of subblocks respectively. Optionally, the network device can determine the transmission period of each subblock in the MIB according to a predetermined rule.

[0140] In the one or more downlink subframes in one transmission period, one subblock of the MIB is carried. That is, one subblock of the MIB is transmitted once or more times in one transmission period.

[0141] In one design, the one or more downlink subframes belong to at least one downlink frame. In each downlink frame of the at least one downlink frame, the position for carrying the subblock is the same. The position for carrying the subblock in each downlink frame is predefined, and the present disclosure does not limit the position for carrying the subblock in each downlink frame. For example, each downlink frame of the plurality of downlink frames carries one transmission of subblock 1, and the position for carrying subblock 1 in each downlink frame can be the position of subframe 0 or subframe 9 (see FIG. 6). For another example, each downlink frame of the plurality of downlink frames carries two transmissions of subblock 1, and the position for carrying the subblock in each downlink frame can be the position of subframe 4 and subframe 9 in each radio frame (see FIG. 7).

[0142] In another design, the one or more downlink subframes belong to one downlink frame. The position for carrying the subblock in the downlink frame can be predefined. For example, one downlink frame carries multiple transmissions of subblock 1. For example, one subblock is transmitted 8 times, and the same subblock is transmitted on 8 subframes in the downlink frame. This can reduce the transmission latency of the MIB.

[0143] It can be understood that the subframe for carrying the MIB can be located in the downlink frame without conflicting with the synchronization signal, the SIB1, and other broadcast messages, and the present application does not limit the subframe for carrying the subblock in the downlink frame.

[0144] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to a plurality of subblocks of the MIB based on a predefined rule, and each of the plurality of transmission periods is an integer multiple of the first TDD frame pattern. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes N radio frames and is periodic, in the case that each transmission period is M times of the first TDD frame pattern, it can be ensured that the number and position of the uplink subframes, the number and position of the downlink subframes, and the number and position of the guard subframes included in every two transmission periods are the same. In this way, the determined position for carrying one subblock of the MIB is the same in each transmission period. That is, in the case that the position for carrying one subblock in one transmission period is a downlink subframe in the first TDD frame pattern, it can be ensured that the position for carrying the subblock in each transmission period is on the downlink subframe. Therefore, the method can ensure the effective transmission of the MIB with the minimum modification of the determination method of the transmission period of each subblock included in the MIB in the existing standard, so as to improve the communication reliability. In the case that there are different TDD frame patterns in the converged communication scenario in the communication system, it can be ensured that the terminal device can effectively determine the resource for carrying the MIB.

[0145] In a possible implementation, the first TDD frame pattern includes at least one uplink subframe, at least one downlink subframe, and at least one guard subframe.

[0146] The length of the guard band is greater than or equal to the length of two radio frames. For example, the length of the guard band is greater than or equal to 20 ms.

[0147] The at least one uplink subframe included in the first TDD frame pattern can be continuous, that is, the first TDD frame pattern includes at least one continuous uplink subframe. And / or, the at least one downlink subframe included in the first TDD frame pattern can be continuous, that is, the first TDD frame pattern includes at least one continuous downlink subframe. And / or, the at least one guard subframe included in the first TDD frame pattern can be continuous, that is, the first TDD frame pattern includes at least one continuous guard subframe.

[0148] Optionally, the at least one guard subframe can be located between the at least one uplink subframe and the at least one downlink subframe included in one TDD frame pattern.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the number of at least one uplink subframe A and the number of at least one downlink subframe B in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:B = 1:2, A:B = 1:1, A:B = 5:1, or A:B = 3:1.

[0150] It can be understood that the ratio of A to B can also be other values, which are not limited in the present application.

[0151] Further, the number of at least one uplink subframe A and the number of at least one downlink subframe B in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:C:B = 4:3:2, A:C:B = 1:7:1, A:C:B = 5:3:1, A:C:B = 45:30:15, or A:C:B = 3:3:3.

[0152] Taking the first TDD frame pattern including 9 radio frames as an example, A = 40, C = 30, and B = 20 when A:C:B = 4:3:2. A = 45, C = 30, and B = 15 when A:C:B = 45:30:15. The values of A, B, and C under other proportional relationships are not shown one by one in the present application.

[0153] Taking the first TDD frame pattern including 9 radio frames as an example, the first TDD frame pattern corresponding to the above proportional relationship is introduced in combination with FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the first TDD frame pattern includes, in time domain, a plurality of continuous uplink subframes, a guard band, and a plurality of continuous downlink subframes. When A:C:B = 4:3:2, the first TDD frame pattern is shown in (a) of FIG. 8, and the values of (A, B, C) are (40, 30, 20). When A:C:B = 1:7:1, the first TDD frame pattern is shown in (b) of FIG. 8, and the values of (A, B, C) are (10, 70, 10). When A:C:B = 5:3:1, the first TDD frame pattern is shown in (c) of FIG. 8, and the values of (A, B, C) are (50, 30, 10). When A:C:B = 3:3:3, the first TDD frame pattern is shown in (e) of FIG. 8, and the values of (A, B, C) are (30, 30, 30).

[0154] Optionally, the predefined rule includes: the number of repetitions of one sub-block in one downlink frame; and / or the number of downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern for carrying the MIB.

[0155] Exemplarily, the terminal device can determine the number of downlink frames required for transmitting one sub-block according to the number of repetitions of one sub-block in one downlink frame; further determine the number of first TDD frame patterns required for transmitting one sub-block based on the number of downlink frames required for transmitting one sub-block and the number of downlink frames used for carrying the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern; and determine the transmission period of one sub-block according to the number of first TDD frame patterns and the length of the first TDD frame pattern.

[0156] The following takes an example of the first TDD frame pattern including 9 radio frames to introduce the transmission period of each of the 8 sub-blocks included in the MIB in the corresponding first TDD frame pattern under the A, B and C various proportional relationships.

[0157] The first possible example is that one sub-block is repeated once in one downlink frame. That is, one downlink frame carries one transmission of one sub-block.

[0158] 1. The first TDD frame pattern (40, 30, 20).

[0159] In the case that one sub-block needs to be repeated 8 times, the transmission of one sub-block needs to be completed in the length of at least 2 first TDD frame patterns.

[0160] In the case that the number of downlink frames used for carrying the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 4, the transmission period of one sub-block is (2*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (2*90*8=1440) ms.

[0161] The system frame number (SFN) of each transmission of the MIB satisfies SFN mod 144=0, and the sub-frame of each transmission is sub-frame 0, where mod represents a modulo operation.

[0162] 2. The first TDD frame pattern (10, 70, 10).

[0163] In the case that one sub-block needs to be repeated 8 times, the transmission of one sub-block needs to be completed in the length of at least 8 first TDD frame patterns.

[0164] In the case that the number of downlink frames used for carrying the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 1, the transmission period of one sub-block is (8*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (8*90*8=5760) ms.

[0165] The SFN of each transmission of the MIB satisfies SFN mod 576=0, and the sub-frame of each transmission is sub-frame 0.

[0166] 3. The first TDD frame pattern (30, 30, 30).

[0167] The first TDD frame pattern includes 3 downlink frames. In the case that one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, it needs to be transmitted in at least 3 first TDD frame patterns.

[0168] Since the number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern is not an integer multiple of 8, in the case that the downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern are used for transmitting one sub-block, the first TDD frame pattern is repeated at most 3 times. In the case that one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, two first TDD frame patterns are not enough, and three first TDD frame patterns are redundant. In the case that each sub-block is transmitted 8 times and the transmission period of each sub-block is the same, three first TDD frame patterns are used to transmit one sub-block. At this time, 9 downlink frames have one downlink frame not transmitting MIB. The position of the downlink frame not transmitting MIB is not limited in the present application. For example, the last downlink frame in the third first TDD frame pattern does not transmit MIB.

[0169] In the case that the number of downlink frames used for carrying MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 3, the transmission period of one sub-block is (3*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (3*90*8=2160) ms.

[0170] The SFN of each transmission of MIB satisfies SFN mod 576=0, and the sub-frame of each transmission is sub-frame 0.

[0171] 4. The first TDD frame pattern (50, 30, 10).

[0172] The first TDD frame pattern includes 5 downlink frames. In the case that one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, it needs to be transmitted in at least 2 first TDD frame patterns.

[0173] In the first TDD frame pattern, the number of downlink frames used for carrying MIB is 4. In this mode, the transmission period of one sub-block and the period of one MIB are consistent with the periods corresponding to the pattern described in 1 above.

[0174] In the first TDD frame pattern, the number of downlink frames used for carrying MIB is 5. This mode is similar to the first TDD frame pattern shown in 3. The number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern is not an integer multiple of 8. Therefore, in the case that the downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern are used for transmitting one sub-block, the first TDD frame pattern is repeated at most 5 times.

[0175] If one sub-block needs to be repeated 8 times, one first TDD frame pattern is not enough, and two first TDD frame patterns have redundancy. In the case of ensuring that each sub-block can be transmitted 8 times and the transmission period of each sub-block is the same, two first TDD frame patterns are used to transmit one sub-block. At this time, 10 downlink frames have two downlink frames that do not transmit MIB. The present application does not limit the positions of the two downlink frames that do not transmit MIB. For example, the last two downlink frames in the second first TDD frame pattern do not transmit MIB.

[0176] In the case of transmitting one sub-block in the downlink frames of two first TDD frame patterns, the transmission period of one sub-block is (2*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (2*90*8=1440) ms.

[0177] The SFN of each transmission of MIB satisfies: SFN mode 144=0, and the sub-frame of each transmission is sub-frame 0.

[0178] 5、first TDD frame pattern (45, 30, 15)

[0179] The first TDD frame pattern includes 45 downlink sub-frames, and the 45 downlink sub-frames include 4 downlink frames and 1 first type wireless frame. For the description of the first type wireless frame, reference can be made to the related description in S501 in the foregoing, which will not be described here again.

[0180] If MIB is transmitted in the 4 downlink frames and not transmitted in the first type wireless frame, the period of MIB is consistent with the period corresponding to the pattern described in 1 above.

[0181] If MIB is transmitted in the 4 downlink frames and the first type wireless frame, the period of MIB is consistent with the period corresponding to the pattern described in 5 above. It should be noted that in this way, the sub-frame used to transmit MIB in each frame needs to be one of sub-frame 1 to sub-frame 4.

[0182] A second possible example is that one sub-block is repeated 2 times in one downlink frame. That is, one downlink frame carries two transmissions of one sub-block.

[0183] 1、first TDD frame pattern (40, 30, 20)

[0184] The first TDD frame pattern includes 4 downlink frames, and in the case of one sub-block needing to be repeated 8 times, the transmission of one sub-block can be completed within the time length of at least one first TDD frame pattern.

[0185] In the case of the number of downlink frames used to carry MIB in the first TDD frame pattern being 4, the transmission period of one sub-block is 90 ms, and the period of one MIB is (90*8=720) ms.

[0186] The SFN of each transmission of the MIB satisfies: SFN mod 72 = 0, and the subframe of each transmission is subframe 0.

[0187] 2, the first TDD frame pattern (10, 70, 10).

[0188] In the first TDD frame pattern, there is 1 downlink frame. In the case that one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, it needs to be transmitted in the time length of at least 4 first TDD frame patterns.

[0189] In the case that the number of downlink frames for carrying the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 1, the transmission period of one sub-block is (4*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (4*90*8 = 2880) ms.

[0190] The SFN of each transmission of the MIB satisfies: SFN mod 288 = 0, and the subframe of each transmission is subframe 0.

[0191] 3, the first TDD frame pattern (30, 30, 30)

[0192] In the first TDD frame pattern, there are 3 downlink frames. In the case that one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, it needs to be transmitted in the time length of at least 2 first TDD frame patterns.

[0193] Since the number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern is not an integer multiple of 8, in the case that the downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern are used for the transmission of one sub-block, the first TDD frame pattern is repeated at most 6 times. If one sub-block needs to be transmitted 8 times, one first TDD frame pattern is not enough, and two first TDD frame patterns are redundant. In the case that each sub-block can be transmitted 8 times and the transmission period of each sub-block is the same, two first TDD frame patterns are used to transmit one sub-block. At this time, 6 downlink frames have two downlink frames that do not transmit MIB. The positions of the two downlink frames that do not transmit MIB are not limited in the present application. For example, the last two downlink frames in the second first TDD frame pattern do not transmit MIB.

[0194] In the case that the number of downlink frames for carrying the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 3, the transmission period of one sub-block is (2*90) ms, and the period of one MIB is (2*90*8 = 1440) ms.

[0195] The SFN of each transmission of the MIB satisfies: SFN mod 144 = 0, and the subframe of each transmission is subframe 0.

[0196] 4, the first TDD frame pattern (50, 30, 10)

[0197] In the first TDD frame pattern, 5 downlink frames are included. In the case that a sub-block needs to be repeatedly transmitted 8 times, at least the time length of one first TDD frame pattern is needed to complete the transmission of one sub-block.

[0198] In the case that the number of downlink frames used to carry MIB in the first TDD frame pattern is 5, the transmission period of one sub-block is 90 ms, and the period of one MIB is (90*8=720) ms. The SFN of each transmission of MIB satisfies SFN mod 720=0, and the subframe of each transmission is subframe 0.

[0199] 5, the first TDD frame pattern (45, 30, 15)

[0200] In the first TDD frame pattern, 45 downlink subframes are included, and the 45 downlink subframes include 4 downlink frames and 1 first-type radio frame.

[0201] If MIB is transmitted in the 4 downlink frames and not transmitted in the first-type radio frame, the period of MIB is consistent with the period corresponding to the pattern described in 1 in the above-described second possible example.

[0202] If MIB is transmitted in the 4 downlink frames and the first-type radio frame, the period of MIB is consistent with the period corresponding to the pattern described in 5 in the above-described second possible example. It should be noted that in this way, the subframe used to transmit MIB in each frame needs to be one of subframes 1 to 4.

[0203] Regarding the manner of using one downlink frame for multiple transmissions of one sub-block, the manner described in the above-described second possible example can be referred to. For other ratios of A, B, and C, the determination manner of the MIB period in the corresponding first TDD frame pattern can also be referred to the method for determining the MIB transmission period shown in the above two examples. For the time length of the first TDD frame pattern being other time lengths, the determination manner of the MIB period can also be referred to the method for determining the MIB transmission period shown in the above two examples. For the sake of brevity, details are not described here.

[0204] In combination of the first and second possible implementations, the period of one transmission block can be M times the time length of the first TDD. M satisfies: M=ceil(m / (P*n));

[0205] wherein m is the repetition number of the first sub-block in the transmission period of the first sub-block in the multiple sub-blocks, n is the repetition number of the first sub-block in each downlink frame, and P is the number of downlink frames predefined in the first TDD frame pattern for transmitting MIB. The values of m, n, and P can be predefined, and ceil() represents rounding up.

[0206] Optionally, the predefined rule comprises: all repetitions of one sub-block are transmitted in sub-frame 0 of consecutive radio frames, and in one repetition of one sub-block, if a frame as guard band or an uplink frame is encountered, the corresponding repetition is discarded.

[0207] That is, no matter which first TDD frame pattern is used, one sub-block is transmitted in sub-frame 0 of consecutive 8 radio frames in the manner of transmitting the existing MIB. One sub-block is transmitted in sub-frame 0 of consecutive 8 radio frames, and if a guard band or an uplink frame is encountered, the corresponding repetition is discarded. For example, for the first TDD frame pattern (40, 30, 20), starting from the first downlink radio frame, sub-block 1 can be repeatedly transmitted 4 times in consecutive 8 radio frames.

[0208] FIG. 9 is another schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the method 900 can include S901-S903. The steps shown in FIG. 9 are described in detail as follows.

[0209] S901, the terminal device determines a transmission period of the SIB based on a repetition number of the SIB and a first duration. The first duration is an interval between adjacent two repetitions of the SIB, and the transmission period of the SIB is M times of a duration of the first TDD frame pattern.

[0210] The description of the first TDD frame pattern can refer to the related description in the method 500, which is not repeated here.

[0211] The repetition number of the SIB and the first duration can be predefined. The interval between adjacent two repetitions of the SIB can be a time interval of a starting position or an ending position of the SIB repetition. That is, a transmission duration required by each repetition of the SIB.

[0212] For example, the transmission period of the SIB = the repetition number of the SIB * the first duration.

[0213] S902, the terminal device determines a time domain starting position of the SIB in the period.

[0214] The time domain starting position of the SIB in the period is predefined. The time domain starting position of the SIB in the period is related to parameters such as an identifier of a physical cell, the repetition number, and the like.

[0215] S903, the network device transmits the SIB based on the transmission period and the time domain starting position. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the SIB based on the transmission period and the time domain starting position. Optionally, the network device can determine the transmission period of the SIB based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first duration.

[0216] The terminal device can determine the resource for transmitting the SIB based on the transmission period and the time domain starting position. Thus, the network device transmits the SIB on the determined resource, and the terminal device can receive the SIB on the determined resource.

[0217] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can determine the transmission period of the SIB based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first time length. The transmission period of the SIB is an integer multiple of the time length of the first TDD frame pattern. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes N radio frames and is periodic, in the case where the period of the SIB is an integer multiple of the first TDD frame pattern, the number and position of the uplink subframes, the number and position of the downlink subframes, and the number and position of the guard subframes included in each transmission period of the SIB can be guaranteed to be the same. In this way, the determined resource position for carrying the SIB can be the same in each transmission period. That is, in the case where the resource position for transmitting the SIB in one transmission period is a downlink subframe in the first TDD frame pattern, it can be guaranteed that the position for carrying the SIB in each transmission period is on a downlink subframe. Therefore, this method can guarantee effective transmission of the MIB while making minimum modifications to the determination method of the transmission period of each subblock included in the MIB in the existing standard, so as to improve the communication reliability. In the case where there are different TDD frame patterns in the converged communication scenario in the communication system, it can be guaranteed that the terminal device can effectively determine the resource for carrying the SIB.

[0218] In one possible implementation, one repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames; or, one repetition of the SIB is carried in K non-consecutive downlink frames, and one downlink frame is included between any two adjacent downlink frames in the K non-consecutive downlink frames, and K is an integer greater than 1. K is an integer greater than 1.

[0219] That is, one repetition of the SIB can be carried in K consecutive downlink frames. Or, one repetition of the SIB can be carried in K downlink frames every interval of 2K downlink frames.

[0220] In the case where one repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames, the time length required for one repetition of the SIB is the time length of the K consecutive downlink frames (i.e., K*10ms). Or, in the case where one repetition of the SIB is carried in K downlink frames every interval of 2K downlink frames, the time length required for one repetition of the SIB is the time length of the 2K consecutive downlink frames (i.e., 2*K*10ms).

[0221] For example, one repetition of the SIB is carried in 8 downlink frames, and the system frame numbers of the 8 consecutive downlink frames can be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. One repetition of the SIB is carried in 8 downlink frames, and the indexes corresponding to the 8 consecutive downlink frames can be 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 in turn.

[0222] In a possible implementation, the network device and the terminal device determine the transmission period of the SIB based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and the first time length, and the method comprises: determining the transmission period of the SIB as M times the time length of the first TDD frame pattern based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and the first time length, wherein M satisfies the following relationship: M = ceil(L / K);

[0223] wherein K represents the number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

[0224] In the following, the process of determining the period of the SIB in different values of L and K is introduced by taking the example of the first TDD frame pattern and the example of 16 repetitions of the SIB.

[0225] In a first possible example, one repetition of the SIB is carried in 8 downlink frames, that is, one copy of the SIB is sent in each downlink frame.

[0226] 1. The first TDD frame pattern (10, 70, 10), that is, K = 1.

[0227] Method one: L = 16, which means that the SIB is carried in every interval of one downlink frame, that is, one repetition of the SIB needs 16 downlink frames. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 1 downlink frame, 16 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of the SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 16 repetitions of the SIB is (90*16*16 = 23040) ms. That is, the period of the SIB is 23040 ms.

[0228] Method two: L = 8, which means that the SIB is carried in consecutive downlink frames, that is, one repetition of the SIB needs 8 downlink frames. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 1 downlink frame, 16 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of the SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 16 repetitions of the SIB is (90*8*16 = 11520) ms. That is, the period of the SIB is 11520 ms.

[0229] 2. The first TDD frame pattern (30, 30, 30), that is, K = 3.

[0230] Way one: L=16, which means that SIB is carried in every interval of one downlink frame, i.e. one repetition of SIB needs 16 downlink frames. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 3 downlink frames, 6 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 16 times of SIB repetition is (90*6*16=8640) ms. That is, the period of SIB is 8640 ms.

[0231] In this way, in one repetition of SIB, the remaining 2 downlink frames in the transmission period are not used to carry SIB.

[0232] Way two: L=8, which means that SIB is carried in consecutive downlink frames, i.e. one repetition of SIB needs 8 downlink frames. Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 3 downlink frames, 3 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 3 times of SIB repetition is (90*3*16=4320) ms. That is, the period of SIB is 4320 ms.

[0233] In this way, in one repetition of SIB, the remaining 1 downlink frame in the transmission period is used to carry SIB.

[0234] 3, the first TDD frame pattern (45, 30, 15) (50, 30, 10), (40, 30, 20).

[0235] The three first TDD frame patterns all need four first TDD frame patterns to complete one repetition of SIB, so in the way of sending SIB in the first four downlink frames, the time length needed for one transmission of SIB is the same.

[0236] Way one: L=16, which means that SIB is carried in every interval of one downlink frame, i.e. one repetition of SIB needs 16 downlink frames. Therefore, 6 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 16 times of SIB repetition is (90*4*16=5760) ms. That is, the period of SIB is 5760 ms.

[0237] Way two: L=8, which means that SIB is carried in consecutive downlink frames, i.e. one repetition of SIB needs 8 downlink frames. Therefore, 2 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for 16 times of SIB repetition is (90*2*16=2880) ms. That is, the period of SIB is 2880 ms.

[0238] The second possible example is that one repetition of SIB is carried in 4 downlink frames, i.e. 2 SIBs are sent in each SIB.

[0239] 1. The first TDD frame pattern (10, 70, 10). That is, K = 1.

[0240] Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 1 downlink frame, 4 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of the SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for the SIB to be repeatedly transmitted 16 times is (90*4*16 = 5760) ms. That is, the period of the SIB is 5760 ms.

[0241] 2. The first TDD frame pattern (30, 30, 30): that is, K = 3.

[0242] Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 3 downlink frames, 2 first TDD frame patterns are needed to complete one repetition of the SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for the SIB to be repeatedly transmitted 16 times is (90*2*16 = 2880) ms. That is, the period of the SIB is 2880 ms.

[0243] 3. The first TDD frame pattern (45, 30, 15) (50, 30, 10), (40, 30, 20).

[0244] In combination with the description in the first possible example described above, the first four downlink frames of the three first TDD frame patterns can be used to transmit the SIB.

[0245] Since the first TDD frame pattern includes 4 downlink frames, 1 first TDD frame pattern is needed to complete one repetition of the SIB. Therefore, the time length needed for the SIB to be repeatedly transmitted 16 times is (90*1*16 = 1440) ms. That is, the period of the SIB is 1440 ms.

[0246] As to the manner in which one downlink frame is used to carry multiple SIBs, the manner described in the second possible example described above can be referred to. For other ratios of A, B, and C, the manner of determining the SIB period under the corresponding first TDD frame pattern can also be referred to the method for determining the SIB transmission period shown in the two examples described above. For the time length of the first TDD frame pattern being other time lengths, the manner of determining the SIB period can also be referred to the method for determining the SIB transmission period shown in the two examples described above. For the sake of brevity, the details are not repeated here.

[0247] The third possible example is that, in each repetition of the SIB, the SIB is transmitted in consecutive 8 or 16 radio frames in the manner of transmitting the SIB. For the first TDD frame pattern, one SIB is transmitted in consecutive 8 / 16 radio frames, and if a guard band or an uplink frame is encountered, the uplink frame and the guard frame can be directly discarded instead of being skipped. For example, for the first TDD frame pattern (40, 30, 20), one SIB is transmitted in each downlink radio frame starting from the first downlink radio frame, and one repetition of the SIB can transmit 4 SIBs (consecutive transmission) or 2 SIBs (interval transmission) in consecutive 8 radio frames.

[0248] One SIB can be understood as that one repetition of the SIB needs to be carried in 8 downlink radio frames, and each downlink radio frame carries the SIB.

[0249] One possible implementation is that the terminal device determines the time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period, including: determining the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period based on the repetition number of the SIB and the PCI, and the repetition number of the SIB, the PCI, and the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period correspond.

[0250] One possible implementation is that the repetition number of the SIB is 4, and the frame number of the time-domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0, ceil(L / K)*N, ceil(L / K)*N*2, or ceil(L / K)*N*3; or the repetition number of the SIB is 8 or 16, and the frame number of the time-domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0 or ceil(L / K)*N.

[0251] Exemplarily, the repetition number of the SIB is 4. In the case of PCI%4=0, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is 0, where % represents the modulo operation; in the case of PCI%4=1, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N; in the case of PCI%4=2, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*2; or in the case of PCI%4=3, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*3.

[0252] Exemplarily, the repetition number of the SIB is 8 or 16. In the case of PCI%4=0, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is 0; or in the case of PCI%4=1, the time-domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N.

[0253] Table four shows the correspondence between the repetition number of the SIB, the PCI, and the time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period.

[0254] Table four

[0255] In combination with the period of the SIB determined in the manner one in the first possible example above, the following is in combination with Table V to Table VII, the corresponding starting frame number of the SIB under different first TDD frame patterns.

[0256] The corresponding relationship shown in Table V is applicable to the first TDD frame pattern (10, 70, 10).

[0257] Table V

[0258] The corresponding relationship shown in Table VI is applicable to the first TDD frame pattern (30, 30, 30).

[0259] Table VI

[0260] The corresponding relationship shown in Table VII is applicable to the first TDD frame pattern (45, 30, 15) (50, 30, 10), (40, 30, 20).

[0261] Table VII

[0262] The method provided by the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above in combination with FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, and the apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below in combination with FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.

[0263] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are schematic diagrams of possible apparatuses provided by the embodiments of the present application. These apparatuses can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the method embodiments described above, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the method embodiments described above.

[0264] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the apparatus 1000 includes a processing module 1010 and a transceiver module 1020.

[0265] A possible design is that the apparatus 1000 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 5 described above.

[0266] Exemplarily, the processing module 1010 is configured to determine a transmission period of each of a plurality of subblocks in a MIB according to a predefined rule, the transmission period being M times of a length of a first TDD frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern including N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern being periodic, N being an integer greater than 1, and M being a positive integer. The transceiver module 1010 is configured to receive the MIB according to a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to the plurality of subblocks respectively, wherein one or more downlink subframes in one of the transmission periods are used to carry one of the subblocks of the MIB.

[0267] Optionally, the processing module 1010 is further configured to determine a transmission period of each of the plurality of sub-blocks in the MIB as M times of a length of the first TDD frame pattern, where M satisfies: M = ceil(m / (P*n));

[0268] where m is a repetition number of a first sub-block in a transmission period of the first sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks, n is the repetition number of the first sub-block in each downlink frame, P is a predefined number of downlink frames for transmitting MIB in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

[0269] More detailed descriptions of the processing module 1010 and the transceiver module 1020 can be directly obtained by referring to the related descriptions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and thus are not described here again.

[0270] For example, the processing module 1010 is configured to determine a transmission period of a system information block (SIB) based on a repetition number of the SIB and a first length, where the first length is an interval between adjacent repetitions of the SIB, the transmission period of the SIB is M times of a length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern includes N wireless frames, and the first TDD frame pattern is periodic, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; and determine a time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period; and the transceiver module 1020 is configured to receive the SIB based on the transmission period and the time-domain starting position.

[0271] Optionally, the processing module 1010 is configured to determine the transmission period of the SIB as M times of the length of the TDD frame pattern based on a repetition number of a system information block (SIB) and a first length, where M satisfies: M = ceil(L / K);

[0272] where K represents a number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

[0273] Optionally, the processing module 1010 is configured to determine the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period based on the repetition number of the SIB and a physical cell identifier (PCI), where the repetition number of the SIB, the PCI, and the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period correspond to each other.

[0274] More detailed descriptions of the processing module 1010 and the transceiver module 1020 can be directly obtained by referring to the related descriptions in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and thus are not described here again.

[0275] It should be noted that the apparatus 1000 can include a sending module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the apparatus 1000 can include a receiving module but not a sending module. Whether the apparatus 1000 includes a sending module or a receiving module depends on whether the apparatus 1000 performs the sending action and the receiving action in the above-mentioned schemes. It can be understood that the apparatus 1000 can also be referred to as a communication apparatus because the apparatus 1000 has a communication function.

[0276] FIG. 11 is another schematic block diagram of an apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 11, the apparatus 1100 includes one or more processors 1110. The processor 1110 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. For example, the processor 1110 can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process a communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the apparatus (e.g., a terminal device, a network device, or a chip), execute a software program, and process data of the software program.

[0277] Optionally, in one design, the processor 1110 can include a program (which can also be referred to as code or instructions) that can be run on the processor 1110, so that the apparatus 1100 performs the method performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. In yet another possible design, the apparatus 1100 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG. 11) for implementing the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0278] For example, the processor 1110 can be used to execute a computer program or instructions in a memory, to implement the steps performed by the terminal device or the network device in the method embodiments shown in any one of the embodiments shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9.

[0279] Optionally, the apparatus 1100 can include one or more memories 1120 having a program (which can also be referred to as code or instructions) stored thereon, and the program can be run on the processor 1110, so that the apparatus 1100 performs the method performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0280] Optionally, the processor 1110 and / or the memory 1120 can also store data. The processor and the memory can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0281] Optionally, the apparatus 1100 can also include a communication interface 1130. The processor 1110 can also be referred to as a processing unit, and controls the apparatus (e.g., a terminal device or a network device). The communication interface 1130 can also be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, a transceiving circuit, or a transceiver, etc., and is used to implement the transceiving function of the apparatus.

[0282] Optionally, the apparatus 1100 further includes a communication interface 1130. The processor 1110 and the communication interface 1130 are coupled to each other. It can be understood that the communication interface 1130 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0283] It can be understood that the apparatus 1100 can also be referred to as a communication apparatus because of the communication function.

[0284] When the apparatus 1100 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the processor 1110 is configured to perform the functions of the processing unit, and the communication interface 1130 is configured to perform the functions of the transceiver module. The communication interface 1130 is configured to transmit or receive, and the specific transmission or reception can be determined according to the scheme implemented by the apparatus 1100.

[0285] When the apparatus 1100 is a chip applied to a terminal device, the chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the terminal device receives a signal from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal device, and the signal can be transmitted by a network device to the terminal device. Alternatively, the chip of the terminal device transmits a signal to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the terminal device, and the signal can be transmitted by the terminal device to the network device.

[0286] When the apparatus 1100 is a chip applied to a network device, the chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The chip of the network device receives a signal from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the signal can be transmitted by a terminal device to the network device. Alternatively, the chip of the network device transmits a signal to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the network device, and the signal can be transmitted by the network device to the terminal device.

[0287] It can be understood that when the apparatus 1100 is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 1130 can be a transceiver, which can specifically include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is configured to transmit a signal, and the receiver is configured to receive a signal. When the apparatus 1100 is a chip applied to a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 1130 can be an input / output circuit, wherein the input circuit can be configured to receive, and the output interface can be configured to transmit.

[0288] It should be noted that the above method embodiments can be applied to a processor or implemented by a processor. The processor can be an integrated circuit chip having a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits or software form instructions in the processor.

[0289] The above processor can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The general processor can be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, etc.

[0290] The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware code processing executed by a code processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the code processor. The software modules can be located in storage media in the art such as random storage, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, register, etc. The storage medium is located in the storage, and the processor reads the information in the storage, and combines the hardware to complete the steps of the above method.

[0291] The memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a nonvolatile memory, or can include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. Among them, the nonvolatile 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) used as an external cache. By way of example, and not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It is noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, without being limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0292] The method provided by the above embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof, in whole or in part. When implemented by software, the method can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product can include one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. 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 a wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber (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 a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be a magnetic medium (such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic disk), an optical medium (such as a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (such as a solid state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0293] The present application also provides a computer program product, which, when running on a processor, can implement the method shown in the above method embodiments.

[0294] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions, when running on a processor, can implement the method shown in the above method embodiments.

[0295] The present application also provides a communication system, the terminal device and the network device.

[0296] Those skilled in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are realized in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0297] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the above-described system, device and unit can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0298] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other manners. For example, the described device embodiments are merely schematic. 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, multiple 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 between the units can be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

[0299] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, i.e., can be located in one place, or can be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purposes of the embodiments.

[0300] In addition, each functional unit in the various embodiments of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can be physically present separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0301] If the functions are realized in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk or optical disk, and various program codes that can be stored in the medium.

[0302] The above description is merely 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 scope 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: The method comprises: determining a transmission period of each of a plurality of sub-blocks in a master information block (MIB) according to a predefined rule, the transmission period being M times of a length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern comprising N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern being periodic, N being an integer greater than 1, and M being a positive integer; receiving the MIB according to a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to the plurality of sub-blocks respectively, wherein one or more downlink subframes in one of the transmission periods are used to carry one of the sub-blocks of the MIB.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The predefined rule comprises: a repetition number of one of the sub-blocks in one downlink frame; and / or a number of downlink frames used to carry the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method of determining a transmission period of each of a plurality of sub-blocks included in a master information block (MIB) according to a predefined rule comprises: determining the transmission period of each of the plurality of sub-blocks in the MIB as M times of a length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, M satisfying: M = ceil(m / (P*n)); wherein m is a repetition number of a first sub-block in a transmission period of the first sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks, n is a repetition number of the first sub-block in each downlink frame, P is a number of downlink frames used to carry the MIB in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

4. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: determining a transmission period of a system information block (SIB) based on a repetition number of the SIB and a first length, the first length being an interval between adjacent repetitions of the SIB, the transmission period of the SIB being M times of a length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern comprising N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern being periodic, N being an integer greater than 1, and M being a positive integer; determining a time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period; receiving the SIB based on the transmission period and the time-domain starting position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, One repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames; or one repetition of the SIB is carried in K non-consecutive downlink frames, and one downlink frame is included between adjacent downlink frames in the K non-consecutive downlink frames, K being an integer greater than 1.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method of determining the transmission period of the SIB based on the repetition number of the SIB and the first length comprises: determining the transmission period of the SIB as M times of a length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern based on a repetition number of the SIB and a first length, the M satisfying: M = ceil(L / K); wherein K represents a number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The method of determining the time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period comprises: determining the time-domain starting position of the SIB in a period based on a repetition number of the SIB and a physical cell identifier (PCI), the repetition number of the SIB, the PCI, and the time-domain starting position of the SIB in the period corresponding.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 4, and the frame number of the time domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0, ceil(L / K)*N, ceil(L / K)*N*2, or ceil(L / K)*N*3; or The number of repetitions of the SIB is 8 or 16, and the frame number of the time domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0 or ceil(L / K)*N; wherein ceil() represents rounding up.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 4. In the case of PCI%4=0, the time domain starting position of the SIB is 0. In the case of PCI%4=1, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N. In the case of PCI%4=2, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*2; or In the case of PCI%4=3, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*3; wherein % represents the modulo operation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 8 or 16. In the case of PCI%4=0, the time domain starting position of the SIB is 0; or In the case of PCI%4=1, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N; wherein % represents the modulo operation.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first TDD frame pattern includes at least one uplink subframe, at least one downlink subframe, and at least one subframe as a guard band; and the length of the guard band is greater than or equal to the length of two radio frames.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The number of at least one uplink subframe A and the number of at least one downlink subframe B included in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:B=1:2, A:B=1:1, A:B=5:1, or A:B=3:

1.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The number of at least one uplink radio frame A, the number of at least one downlink radio frame B, and the number of at least one radio frame C for a protection period included in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:C:B=4:3:2, A:C:B=1:7:1, A:C:B=5:3:1, A:C:B=45:30:15, or A:C:B=3:3:

3.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, N is 7, 9, or 11.

15. A communications device, characterized by Comprise: Determine the transmission period of each of a plurality of subblocks in a master information block (MIB) according to a predefined rule, the transmission period being M times the length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern including N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern being periodic, N being an integer greater than 1, and M being a positive integer; Receive the MIB according to a plurality of transmission periods corresponding to a plurality of subblocks, respectively, wherein one or more downlink subframes in one of the transmission periods are used to carry one of the subblocks of the MIB.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, The predefined rule includes: the number of repetitions of one subblock in one downlink frame; and / or, the number of downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern used to carry the MIB.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 or 16, wherein, Determine the transmission period of each of a plurality of subblocks included in a master information block (MIB) according to a predefined rule, comprising: The transmission period of each of a plurality of sub-blocks in the MIB is determined to be M times the length of a first TDD frame pattern, M satisfies: M = ceil(m / (P*n)); Wherein, m is the number of repetitions of a first sub-block in the transmission period of the first sub-block in the plurality of sub-blocks; n is the number of repetitions of the first sub-block in each downlink frame; P is the number of downlink frames in the first TDD frame pattern that are predefined for transmitting MIB; and ceil() represents rounding up.

18. A communications device, characterized by Comprise: Based on the number of repetitions of a system information block (SIB) and a first time length, a transmission period of the SIB is determined, the first time length is an interval between adjacent two SIB repetitions, the transmission period of the SIB is M times the length of a first time division duplex (TDD) frame pattern, the first TDD frame pattern comprises N radio frames, and the first TDD frame pattern is periodic, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; A time domain starting position of the SIB in a period is determined; Based on the transmission period and the time domain starting position, the SIB is received.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, One repetition of the SIB is carried in K consecutive downlink frames; or one repetition of the SIB is carried in K non-consecutive downlink frames, one downlink frame is included between adjacent two downlink frames in the K non-consecutive downlink frames, and K is an integer greater than 1.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, The determination of the transmission period of the SIB based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and the first time length comprises: Based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and the first time length, the transmission period of the SIB is determined to be M times the length of the first TDD frame pattern, and the M satisfies: M = ceil(L / K); Wherein, K represents the number of downlink frames included in the first TDD frame pattern, and ceil() represents rounding up.

21. The apparatus of any one of claims 18-20, wherein, The determination of the time domain starting position of the SIB in the period comprises: Based on the number of repetitions of the SIB and a physical cell identifier (PCI), the time domain starting position of the SIB in the period is determined, and the number of repetitions of the SIB, the PCI, and the time domain starting position of the SIB in the period correspond.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 4, and the frame number of the time domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0, ceil(L / K)*N, ceil(L / K)*N*2, or ceil(L / K)*N*3; or The number of repetitions of the SIB is 8 or 16, and the frame number of the time domain starting position of the SIB satisfies one of the following: 0 or ceil(L / K)*N; wherein, ceil() represents rounding up.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 4; In the case of PCI%4=0, the time domain starting position of the SIB is 0; In the case of PCI%4=1, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N; In the case of PCI%4=2, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*2; or In the case of PCI%4=3, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N*3; wherein, % represents the modulo operation.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, The number of repetitions of the SIB is 8 or 16. In the case of PCI%4=0, the time domain starting position of the SIB is 0; or, In the case of PCI%4=1, the time domain starting position of the SIB is ceil(L / K)*N; wherein % represents the modulo operation.

25. The apparatus of any one of claims 15-24, wherein, The first TDD frame pattern comprises at least one uplink subframe, at least one downlink subframe, and at least one subframe as a guard band; and the length of the guard band is greater than or equal to the length of two radio frames.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein, The number of at least one uplink subframe A and the number of at least one downlink subframe B in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:B=1:2, A:B=1:1, A:B=5:1, or A:B=3:

1.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 or 26, wherein, The number of at least one uplink radio frame A, the number of at least one downlink radio frame B, and the number of at least one radio frame C for a guard period in the first TDD frame pattern satisfy one of the following: A:C:B=4:3:2, A:C:B=1:7:1, A:C:B=5:3:1, A:C:B=45:30:15, or A:C:B=3:3:

3.

28. The apparatus of any one of claims 15-26, wherein, N is 7, 9, or 11.

29. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises at least one processor configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14 by executing a computer program and / or by a logic circuit.

30. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor, and the method of any one of claims 1 to 14 is performed.

31. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program is executed by the processor, and the method of any one of claims 1 to 14 is performed.

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