Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application is a communication method. In the method, a terminal device ascertains a plurality of small data transmission (SDT) resources by means of received first information, so as to determine a first resource from among the plurality of SDT resources. Alternatively, it is understood that a plurality of terminal devices determine respective first resources from among a plurality of configured SDT resources. Therefore, not only can the contention-based selection among the plurality of SDT resources be implemented, but the reliability of subsequent information transmission performed by means of the first resources can also be improved.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411510061.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 26, 2024, entitled “A Communication Method and Related Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In a communication system, the communication protocol stack between terminal devices and network devices may include a radio resource control (RRC) layer. Furthermore, for terminal devices, there are three RRC states: RRC IDLE, RRC INACTIVE, and RRC CONNECTED.

[0004] In this configuration, a terminal device in RRC connected state establishes an RRC connection with a network device and can transmit data. A terminal device in RRC inactive state suspends its RRC connection with the network device; that is, the RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device is paused or unavailable. Therefore, a terminal device in RRC inactive state can only transmit information through the random access channel (RACH).

[0005] However, since terminal devices in the RRC inactive state do not have channel messages, the reliability of transmitted information cannot be guaranteed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus. A terminal device identifies multiple resources for small data transmission (SDT) by receiving first information, thereby determining a first resource among the multiple resources. Alternatively, the terminal device improves the reliability of subsequent information transmission via the first resource by determining the first resource from a configured set of multiple first resources.

[0007] This application provides a communication method, which is executed by a terminal device, or by a component (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) within the terminal device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. In this first aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described executed by a terminal device. In this method, the terminal device receives first information used to configure multiple resources of a Special Data Type (SDT), or is described as first information used to configure multiple SDT resources. After receiving the first information, the terminal device determines a first resource among the multiple resources. Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device selects the SDT resource from the multiple SDT resources for the data to be transmitted.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device identifies multiple SDT resources by receiving the first information, thereby determining the first resource among the multiple SDT resources. Alternatively, it can be understood that multiple terminal devices determine their respective first resources from the configured multiple SDT resources, which not only enables competitive selection of multiple SDT resources but also improves the reliability of subsequent information transmission through the first resource.

[0009] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned terminal device may also receive second information, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources, wherein the first resource is related to the usage conditions.

[0010] In this possible implementation, the terminal device can determine the usage conditions of at least one resource through the second information, and the first resource determined by the terminal device is related to the usage conditions. That is, by limiting the usage conditions of SDT resources, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same SDT resource can be reduced, thereby reducing the probability of collisions between multiple terminal devices competing for SDT resources.

[0011] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the above-mentioned usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is a channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0012] In this possible implementation, the conditions for using SDT resources can be related to the above-mentioned various possible factors, and some factors are related to the terminal device itself, thereby further reducing the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same SDT resource, so as to improve the reliability of different terminal devices using their respective first resources to transmit information.

[0013] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device specifically determines the first resource based on the first condition and the usage condition, wherein the first condition includes the channel condition of the first channel and / or the terminal device's own condition.

[0014] In this possible implementation, multiple terminal devices can select their respective first resources based on their channel conditions or their own conditions combined with the usage conditions of SDT resources. This reduces the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same SDT resource, thereby improving the reliability of information transmission when different terminal devices use their respective first resources. It also ensures that terminal devices with poor channel conditions can choose SDT resources with higher transmission reliability.

[0015] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the different resources mentioned above correspond to one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0016] In this possible implementation, the parameters corresponding to different resources can be different, thereby increasing the possibilities of different resources. This not only increases the likelihood that different terminal devices can select suitable SDT resources, but also reduces the probability that different terminal devices will select the same SDT resource.

[0017] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device described above may also transmit third information on the first resource. For example, a terminal device in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive or idle state can transmit third information through a selected SDT resource.

[0018] In this possible implementation, after the terminal device determines the SDT resource, it can transmit third information through the SDT resource when it is in the RRC inactive state or idle state. This can not only provide prior information for the network device to schedule the terminal device in the future, but also improve the reliability of the third information transmission.

[0019] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned terminal device may also start a timer; if the timer expires and no correct response to the third information is received, the third information is resent.

[0020] In this possible implementation, the reliability of contention-based SDT resource transmission can be improved by setting a retransmission timer on the terminal device side.

[0021] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, if the number of times the third information is retransmitted equals a preset threshold, then the access procedure for the random access channel (RACH) is executed. Further, if the number of times the third information is retransmitted equals the preset threshold, and no correct response to the third information is received, then the access procedure for the random access channel (RACH) is executed.

[0022] In this possible implementation, if the third information is retransmitted too many times and no correct response is received, the process can fall back to the RACH access procedure, thereby improving the transmission reliability of the third information.

[0023] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network based notification area (RNA) update information, reference signal measurement information, auxiliary information of the terminal device, positioning information of the terminal device, small packet data, etc.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the terminal device can select SDT resources through competition to transmit various information, so that the network device can refer to this information for subsequent scheduling of the terminal device, thereby improving the scheduling effect.

[0025] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned sending of first instruction information is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0026] In this possible implementation, the terminal device may carry first indication information before or when sending the third information on the SDT resource, so that the network device can understand the content of the third information based on the first indication information.

[0027] The second aspect of this application provides a communication method, which is executed by a network device, or by a component (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) within the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. In this second aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described using the example of it being executed by a network device. In this method, the network device determines multiple resources of a Special Data Set (SDT) and sends first information for configuring the multiple SDT resources. Alternatively, the first information is used to configure multiple SDT resources. For example, the network device broadcasts the first information within its coverage area, and correspondingly, one or more terminal devices within the network device's coverage area receive the first information. For example, the network device configures multiple SDT resources for one or more terminal devices; in cases involving multiple terminal devices, the multiple terminal devices compete to select their respective SDT resources from the multiple resources. That is, the communication method provided in this embodiment can be understood as a method of SDT transmission based on competition.

[0028] Based on the above scheme, network devices can allocate multiple SDT resources through the first information, and multiple terminal devices can also compete for SDT resource transmission through the first information, which can also improve the reliability of subsequent information transmission through SDT resources.

[0029] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned first information is used for multiple terminal devices to select resources.

[0030] In this possible implementation, multiple terminal devices can compete for SDT resource transmission through the first information, thereby improving the reliability of subsequent information transmission through SDT resources.

[0031] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device described above may also send second information for determining the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources.

[0032] In this possible implementation, the network device sends a second message to make the terminal device aware of the usage conditions of at least one resource. That is, by limiting the usage conditions of SDT resources, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same SDT resource can be reduced, thereby reducing the probability of collisions when multiple terminal devices compete for SDT resources.

[0033] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the above-mentioned usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is a channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0034] In this possible implementation, the conditions for using SDT resources can be related to the above-mentioned various possible factors, and some factors are related to the terminal device itself, thereby further reducing the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same SDT resource, so as to improve the reliability of different terminal devices using their respective first resources to transmit information.

[0035] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the different resources mentioned above correspond to one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0036] In this possible implementation, the parameters corresponding to different resources can be different, thereby increasing the possibilities of different resources. This not only increases the likelihood that different terminal devices can select suitable SDT resources, but also reduces the probability that different terminal devices will select the same SDT resource.

[0037] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned network device may also receive third information on one or more resources of the SDT.

[0038] In this possible implementation, after the network device sends the first information, it can transmit the third information through SDT resources. This not only provides prior information for the network device to subsequently schedule terminal devices, but also improves the reliability of the third information transmission.

[0039] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned network device may also send a correct response to the third information.

[0040] In this possible implementation, the network device can enable the terminal device to confirm the successful transmission of the third information by providing a correct response to the third information, thereby improving the reliability of the transmission of the third information.

[0041] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

[0042] In this possible implementation, the terminal device can select SDT resources through competition to transmit various information, so that the network device can refer to this information for subsequent scheduling of the terminal device, thereby improving the scheduling effect.

[0043] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device described above may also receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0044] In this possible implementation, the network device can determine the content of the third information based on the first instruction information.

[0045] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a terminal device, or a component of a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a terminal device. Taking the communication device as a terminal device as an example, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0046] The transceiver unit is used to receive first information, which is used to configure multiple resources of the Small Data Transmission Technique (SDT).

[0047] A processing unit is used to determine the first resource among multiple resources.

[0048] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to receive second information, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources, wherein the first resource is associated with the usage conditions.

[0049] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the above-mentioned usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is a channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0050] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned processing unit is specifically used to determine the first resource based on the first condition and the usage condition, wherein the first condition includes the channel condition of the first channel and / or the condition of the terminal device itself.

[0051] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the resources mentioned above correspond to one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0052] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to send third information on the first resource.

[0053] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned processing unit is further configured to start a timer; the transceiver unit is further configured to resend the third information if the timer times out and no correct response to the third information is received.

[0054] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned processing unit is further configured to perform the access procedure of the random access channel RACH if the number of times the third information is retransmitted is equal to a preset threshold.

[0055] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

[0056] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to send first indication information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0057] The fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a network device, or a component of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device. Taking the network device as an example, the network device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0058] The processing unit is used to determine multiple resources for small data transmission SDT;

[0059] The transceiver unit is used to send first information, which is used to configure multiple resources of SDT.

[0060] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned first information is used for multiple terminal devices to select resources.

[0061] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to send second information, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources.

[0062] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is a channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0063] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the resources mentioned above correspond to one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0064] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to receive third information on one or more resources of the SDT.

[0065] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is also used to send a correct response to the third information.

[0066] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

[0067] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0068] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device, including at least one processor, and a method for the at least one processor to implement any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect described above.

[0069] In one possible design, the communication device further includes at least one memory, and at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory; the at least one memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to enable the device to implement any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect described above.

[0070] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and at least one input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform a method as described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect above.

[0071] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a communication device that is an implementation of any of the possible embodiments of the third aspect and the fourth aspect.

[0072] The eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform a method as described in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect above.

[0073] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) in which, when the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect described above.

[0074] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0075] In one possible design, the chip system may further include at least one memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to at least one processor.

[0076] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through ten can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0077] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0078] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0079] Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0080] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an independent networking scenario involved in this application;

[0081] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario involved in this application;

[0082] Figure 2C is another schematic diagram of macro and micro technologies involved in this application;

[0083] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the RRC status transition involved in this application;

[0084] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0085] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of different time-domain resources involved in this application;

[0086] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of different frequency domain resources involved in this application;

[0087] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the determination of the first resource involved in this application;

[0088] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of two different channel conditions for the resources involved in this application;

[0089] Figure 8 is another flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0090] Figures 9 to 12 are several structural schematic diagrams of the communication device involved in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0092] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0093] 1. Configuration and Pre-configuration

[0094] This application uses both configuration and pre-configuration. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal via messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0095] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0096] 2. In this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication information as indicating A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0097] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, it can be implemented through direct instruction, such as through the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also be implemented indirectly by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. Alternatively, only a part of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0098] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, MAC layer control elements (CEs); physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0099] 3. In the embodiments of this application, "sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly to B or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be radio access network (RAN) nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information sending and receiving can be information interaction between RAN nodes and terminals, such as information interaction between a base station and a terminal; information sending and receiving can also be information interaction between two RAN nodes, such as information interaction between a CU and a DU; information sending and receiving can also be information interaction between different modules within a device, such as information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or information interaction between a base station chip and other modules in the base station. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, such as the baseband chip outputting information to the radio frequency chip, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface; for example, "sending" can also be understood as the baseband part inside the device outputting information to the radio frequency part, and "receiving" can also be understood as the radio frequency part inside the device receiving the information output by the baseband part.

[0100] 4. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 10 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0102] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in 3GPP. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0103] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminal devices access communication systems wirelessly. Furthermore, RAN nodes can also be called network devices, which are apparatuses deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, etc. The names of network devices may differ in systems employing different radio access technologies. It is understood that all or part of the functions of the access network devices in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or specific device forms used in the radio access network devices.

[0104] In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1A, 110a), a micro base station or an indoor station (as shown in Figure 1A, 110b), a relay node or a donor node, or a radio controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario. Of course, in future communication systems, RAN nodes may also be wearable devices or vehicle-mounted devices, etc.

[0105] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminal devices achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control Protocol (RRCP) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RAN) and MAC layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0106] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes.

[0107] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from RAN nodes. Terminal devices can also be called user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminal devices, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0108] For example, a terminal device is a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not just hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on only one type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry.

[0109] For ease of description, the communication system illustrated in Figure 1A is described using a base station as an example of an access network device. It is understood that when the communication system includes an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network, the base station can be an IAB node. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the base station and the access network device can be interchanged.

[0110] Base stations and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminal equipment.

[0111] The roles of base stations and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1A can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal device 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0112] Communication between base stations and terminal devices, between base stations, and between terminal devices can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0113] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal device can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal device, or by a device that includes terminal device functions.

[0114] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell.

[0115] As can be understood, RAN100, as previously described, includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120).

[0116] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1B, comprising a RAN node 110 and multiple terminal devices (120A and 120B in Figure 1B). In this case, a single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to one or more terminal devices.

[0117] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1C, comprising multiple RAN nodes (110A, 110B, and 110C in Figure 1C) 110 and a terminal device 120. In this case, the multiple RAN nodes can simultaneously transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal device.

[0118] The technical solution of this application can be applied to cellular communication systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, 4th generation (4G) communication systems, 5G communication systems, and communication systems beyond the 5th generation. For example, future communication systems. For example, 4th generation communication systems may include Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems. 5th generation communication systems may include NR communication systems. The technical solution of this application can also be applied to WiFi systems, standalone (SA) scenarios, dual connectivity (DC), macro-micro scenarios composed of base stations of different forms (e.g., scenarios with both wide-coverage and small-coverage base stations), D2D systems, V2X communication systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), IAB communication scenarios, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) communication scenarios, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0119] For ease of description, the following description will use RAN nodes represented by network devices as an example.

[0120] As an example, Figure 2A illustrates an SA scenario where a terminal device is connected to a single network device. The network device to which the terminal device is connected, and the core network to which the network device is connected, are of the same standard. Optionally, the standard may refer to radio access technology (RAT).

[0121] For example, in the implementation of the 5G standard, the core network can be called the 5G core network (denoted as 5G Core), the network equipment can be called the 5G base station (denoted as 5G BS), and the 5G BS is connected to the 5G Core.

[0122] For example, in the implementation of a future standard (denoted as XG), the core network can be called the XG core network (denoted as XG Core), and the network equipment can be called XG base stations (denoted as XG BS), with the XG BS connected to the XG Core. Here, X is a positive integer or fraction greater than 5, and different X values ​​are used to represent different standards.

[0123] As an example, a DC scenario is shown in Figure 2B, where the terminal device is connected to both network device 1 and network device 2. Network device 1 and network device 2 can be network devices of different standards or network devices of the same standard.

[0124] For example, the core network is 5G Core, and the terminal device is connected to both 5G network equipment and XG network equipment. Among them, the 5G network equipment is the master station and the XG network equipment is the auxiliary station.

[0125] For example, the core network is XG Core, and the terminal device connects to both XG network equipment and 5G network equipment. The XG network equipment acts as the primary station, and the 5G network equipment acts as the secondary station.

[0126] For example, the core network is an XG Core, and the terminal device is connected to two XG network devices at the same time, that is, the main station and the auxiliary station are both XG network devices.

[0127] For example, an example of a macro-micro scenario is shown in the two ellipses in Figure 1A. Taking the network device name as a base station as an example, a macro-micro scenario can also be understood as a scenario where both wide-coverage base stations and small-coverage base stations exist simultaneously. Both wide-coverage base stations and small-coverage base stations can serve as access network elements for terminal devices. The signal coverage area of ​​the wide-coverage base station (represented by the larger solid ellipse in Figure 1A) is larger than the signal coverage area of ​​the small-coverage base station (represented by the smaller dashed ellipse in Figure 1A), and the signal coverage areas of the wide-coverage base station and the small-coverage base station overlap.

[0128] Optionally, the signal coverage area of ​​a small-coverage base station is a subset of the signal coverage area of ​​a wide-coverage base station.

[0129] As an example, another example of a macro-micro scenario is shown in Figure 2C. Taking the network device name as a base station as an example, a macro-micro scenario can also be understood as a scenario where both a super base station (super BS) and a ground base station exist simultaneously. The super BS can be a satellite, high altitude platform station (HAPS), air balloon station, drone station, broadcast station, or other implementation methods. The ground base station can be a cellular station in the communication system, such as a macro station, small station, micro station, or other implementation methods.

[0130] In Figure 2C, both the super BS and the terrestrial base station can serve as access network elements for terminal devices. The signal coverage area of ​​the super BS (represented by the elliptical dashed box in Figure 2C) is larger than the signal coverage area of ​​the terrestrial base station (represented by the hexagonal box in Figure 2C), and the signal coverage areas of the super BS and the terrestrial base station overlap.

[0131] Optionally, in the scenarios shown in Figures 1A and 2C, base stations with larger signal coverage areas can be referred to as macro base stations, and base stations with smaller signal coverage areas can be referred to as micro base stations. Therefore, the scenarios shown in Figures 1A and 2C can also be referred to as macro-micro scenarios.

[0132] It should be noted that in practical applications, the shape of the signal coverage area is not limited to the above-mentioned elliptical and hexagonal implementations. For example, the shape of the signal coverage area can also be rectangular, circular, or irregular. No limitation is made here.

[0133] Currently, in communication systems, the communication protocol stack between terminal devices and network devices can include an RRC layer. Furthermore, for terminal devices, there are three RRC states: RRC IDLE, RRC INACTIVE, and RRC CONNECTED.

[0134] Optionally, the RRC idle state and RRC inactive state can also be referred to as the RRC disconnected state. Terminal devices in the RRC idle state or RRC inactive state can also be referred to as disconnected terminal devices, energy-saving terminal devices, basic mode terminal devices, etc.

[0135] Please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates the transition of an RRC state for a terminal device. Specifically, taking a network device described using a base station as an example, when the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, an RRC connection exists between the terminal device and the base station, allowing it to send and receive user data and other information. The terminal device can transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC idle state under the instruction of the base station. When the terminal device is in the RRC idle state, there is no RRC connection between the terminal device and the base station. For example, after the terminal device receives an RRC connection release message from the base station, the RRC connection between the terminal device and the base station will be terminated, and the base station will delete the terminal device's context.

[0136] The RRC inactive state is a newly added RRC state in NR. Generally, for terminal devices with infrequent data transmission, the base station usually keeps the terminal device in the RRC inactive state. The terminal device can also enter the RRC inactive state from the RRC connected state under the instruction of the base station. For example, after the terminal device receives an RRC connection release message with a pause indication from the base station, the RRC connection between the terminal device and the base station will be paused, but at least one base station will retain the terminal device's context. Therefore, the terminal device can enter the RRC connected state from the RRC inactive state faster than from the RRC idle state. The terminal device can also enter the RRC idle state from the RRC inactive state under the instruction of the base station, and the specific process is similar to that described above for entering the RRC idle state from the RRC connected state.

[0137] In this scenario, when a terminal device is in an RRC inactive state, the RRC connection between it and the base station is suspended or unavailable. Therefore, terminal devices in an RRC inactive state can only transmit information via the random access channel (RACH), resulting in high power consumption. Furthermore, because terminal devices in an RRC inactive state lack channel messages, the reliability of contention-based small packet data transmission cannot be guaranteed.

[0138] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related apparatus. A terminal device identifies multiple resources for small data transmission (SDT) by receiving first information, thereby determining a first resource among the multiple resources. Alternatively, the terminal device improves the reliability of subsequent information transmission via the first resource by determining the first resource from a configured set of multiple first resources.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 4, a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application embodiment. This method may include steps 401 to 403. Steps 401 to 403 can be executed by a communication device, or by some components of the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description uses execution by a communication device as an example. The processing performed by a single execution entity in steps 401 to 403 can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, when the communication device is an access network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one network element such as CU, DU, and RU. This method can be applied to any of the system architectures shown in Figures 1A to 2C, and specific limitations are not specified here.

[0140] Due to the long intervals between the steps, steps 401 to 403 will be briefly described here first, and then described in detail later. Step 401: The network device sends first information to the terminal device. Step 402: The terminal device determines the first resource among multiple resources. Step 403: The terminal device sends third information to the network device.

[0141] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the terminal device is in an RRC disconnected state when sending third information to the network device. The RRC state of the terminal device in steps 401 and 402 is not limited. For example, when the terminal device is in an RRC connected state, the network device configures multiple resources for the terminal device. When the terminal device is in an RRC disconnected state, it can perform SDT (Software-Defined Technology) using resources from among the multiple resources. For another example, the terminal device is in an RRC disconnected state when the network device configures multiple resources for the terminal device and when the terminal device performs SDT using resources from among the multiple resources; specific details are not limited here. The terminal device in the RRC disconnected state can be in an RRC inactive state, an RRC idle state, an energy-saving terminal device, or a terminal device in basic mode, etc.; specific details are not limited here.

[0142] Step 401: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0143] The network device sends first information to the terminal device. This first information is used to configure multiple resources for Small Data Transmission Deployment (SDT). Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information sent by the network device. This terminal device can be one of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1A to 2C, and the network device can be a RAN node or base station, etc., as shown in Figures 1A to 2C.

[0144] The phrase "first information is used to configure multiple resources of the Small Data Transfer (SDT)" can be interpreted in several ways: for example, it may be used to configure two or more SDT resources; for another example, it may be used to configure at least two SDT resources; for yet another example, it may be used to configure multiple SDT resources; or it may indicate the configuration of multiple SDT resources, and so on.

[0145] Optionally, the first information may be referred to as SDT resource configuration information and / or SDT configuration indication information, etc., and is not specifically limited here. For example, step 401 can also be understood as the process by which the network device configures multiple SDT resources for the terminal device.

[0146] Optionally, the first information can be called configuration enable information or configuration activation information, etc. That is, step 401 can also be understood as the process by which the network device activates or enables multiple SDT resources for the terminal device.

[0147] For example, the first information is used to enable multiple resources of the SDT. Alternatively, it can be understood that the network device has already configured / pre-configured multiple SDT resources for the terminal device before step 401. However, the terminal device needs to receive the first information before using any of the multiple resources. It can also be understood that the multiple SDT resources previously allocated to the terminal device by the network device were not activated, and the activation of these resources through the first information allows the terminal device to use them. It is understood that this example is merely illustrative; in practical applications, the terminal device may directly use the resources after receiving the configuration of the multiple SDT resources, or it may directly use the resources after receiving the first information, etc. Specific limitations are not specified here.

[0148] Optionally, after determining multiple SDT resources, the network device broadcasts first information within its coverage area, and correspondingly, one or more terminal devices within the network device's coverage area receive the first information. For example, the network device configures multiple SDT resources for one or more terminal devices. When multiple terminal devices are involved, they compete to select their respective SDT resources from the multiple resources. That is, the communication method provided in this embodiment can be understood as a contention-based SDT transmission method.

[0149] Optionally, the first information may be carried in at least one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE, etc., without being limited here.

[0150] Optionally, the first information may be carried in at least one of the following: system information block (SIB), master information block (MIB), wake-up signal (WUS), low-power signal (or low-power signal), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), etc., without being limited here.

[0151] In this application embodiment, the low-power signal or WUS may include one or more of the following: low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS), linear frequency modulated chirp signal, on-off keying (OOK) signal (such as OOK-1, OOK-2, OOK-3, OOK-4, etc.), low-power sequence signal (such as Gold sequence signal, M sequence signal, ZC sequence signal, chirp sequence signal, Walsh sequence signal, Golay sequence signal, Kasami sequence signal, low-density sequence signal, discrete fourier transform (DFT) / fast fourier transform (FFT) sequence signal, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal, symbol-based sequence signal, etc.), amplitude shift keying (ASK) signal, frequency shift keying (FSK) signal, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal. Multiplexing (OFDM) signals, etc., or low-power signals can be signals obtained by optimizing the above signals, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0152] For example, downlink (DL) WUS can also be called downlink low-power signal or downlink non-low-power signal (such as PDCCH), etc., and the name is not limited here. Similarly, uplink (UL) WUS can also be called uplink low-power signal or uplink non-low-power signal (such as physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)), etc., and the name is not limited here.

[0153] Optionally, the aforementioned low-power signal can be a digital signal and / or an analog signal, and there is no specific limitation here.

[0154] In this embodiment, the multiple resources may also be referred to as multiple SDT resources. Different resources may correspond to one or more of the following: transmission resources, transmission configuration, terminal device grouping, etc. These are described below:

[0155] I. Transmitting Resources.

[0156] Transmission resources can refer to one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, etc., without being limited here.

[0157] In this embodiment of the application, different transmission resources may refer to different time-domain resources, different frequency-domain resources, different frequency-domain resources, and different time-domain resources, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0158] It should be noted that when "different transmission resources" refers specifically to different time-domain resources, the corresponding frequency-domain locations of different transmission resources can be the same or different; this is not limited here. Similarly, when "different transmission resources" refers specifically to different frequency-domain resources, the corresponding time-domain locations of different transmission resources can be the same or different; this is not limited here.

[0159] Optionally, different time-domain resources can refer to different starting positions, different granularities, different lengths, or different sizes, etc., without specific limitations here. Similarly, different frequency-domain resources can refer to different starting positions, different granularities, different widths, or different sizes, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0160] For example, transmission resource 1 uses more resources than transmission resource 2. When transmission resource 1 and transmission resource 2 are used to transmit the same information bits, transmission resource 1 has better reliability.

[0161] The time-domain resources or the granularity of time-domain resources in the embodiments of this application may include one or more of the following: radio frame, subframe, slot, mini-slot, OFDM symbol, cyclic prefix (CP), absolute time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds, etc.), etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0162] The frequency domain resources or the granularity of frequency domain resources in the embodiments of this application may include one or more of the following: frequency band, frequency band, subband, bandwidth part (BWP), physical resource block (PRB), resource block (RB), resource element (RE), RE set, carrier, subcarrier, subcarrier spacing (SCS), grid, bandwidth, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0163] The different time-domain resources mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be continuous in the time domain, such as transmitting data in consecutive symbols, time slots, or subframes. They can also be discontinuous in the time domain, such as being periodically distributed across several symbols, time slots, or subframes, with each transmission occupying only one or a portion of these symbols, time slots, or subframes. Similarly, in the frequency domain, the frequency domain resources occupied by each information block can be continuous, such as occupying several frequency domain subcarriers, subcarrier groups, resource blocks, or resource block groups. They can also be discontinuous, such as being periodically distributed across several subcarriers, one or more resource blocks, or one or more resource block groups, with each period occupying only one or a portion of the frequency domain resources for transmission.

[0164] As an example, one example of different time-domain resources is shown in Figure 5A. It can be seen that the time-domain starting positions of resource 1 and resource 2 are different.

[0165] As an example, one example of different frequency domain resources is shown in Figure 5B. It can be seen that the frequency domain ranges of resource 1 and resource 2 are different. The frequency domain range of resource 1 is within BWP1, while the frequency domain range of resource 2 is within BWP2.

[0166] II. Transmission Configuration.

[0167] The transmission configuration can also be referred to as the transmission mode. The transmission configuration may refer to one or more of the following: the phase rotation angle of the resource, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the redundancy version (RV), the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, the number of retransmissions, the SCS, uplink power-related parameters, etc., without being limited here.

[0168] 1. Phase rotation angle of the resource.

[0169] In this embodiment, different phase rotation angles corresponding to different resources can mean that the phase of one resource does not rotate, while the phase of another resource rotates by a certain angle. Alternatively, it can mean that different resources have different phase rotation angles. For example, one resource's phase rotates by angle A, and another resource's phase rotates by angle B, where A and B represent different angles.

[0170] By limiting the phase rotation angles of different resources, even if transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2 use the same transmission resources, the terminal device or network device can identify the signal transmitted using the two transmission configurations based on the phase rotation angle, thereby improving transmission reliability. Furthermore, different phase rotation angles can correspond to the same transmission resources or different transmission resources; this is not specifically limited here.

[0171] Optionally, the phase of a resource can be represented using a constellation diagram, and correspondingly, the rotation angle of the phase can be understood as the rotation angle of the constellation diagram. It is understood that in practical applications, the phase of a resource can be represented in other ways, and this is not limited here.

[0172] For example, the phase rotation angles of resources corresponding to different transmission configurations are different. For instance, the constellation diagram of transmission configuration 1 is not rotated, while the constellation diagram of transmission configuration 2 is rotated by 45 degrees.

[0173] 2. MCS.

[0174] MCS can represent the number of effective bits that a RE can carry, or the number of bits that a RE can use for data transmission. Different numbers of effective bits often correspond to different MCS indices; the higher the MCS index, the more effective bits it can carry. MCS may also be related to the signal quality in the wireless link. For example, the better the signal quality, the more bits a RE can use for data transmission. Conversely, the worse the signal quality, the fewer bits a RE can use for data transmission.

[0175] It is understandable that the above explanation of MCS is based on RE as an example. In practical applications, MCS can also represent the number of effective bits that other resource granularities (such as RE set, PRG, PRB, etc.) can carry, but this is not limited here.

[0176] For example, different transport configurations correspond to different MCS (Multi-Segment Class). The MCS index of transport configuration 1 is different from that of transport configuration 2. For instance, the MCS index used by transport configuration 1 is smaller than that used by transport configuration 2. When transport configuration 1 and transport configuration 2 use the same amount of transport resources, transport configuration 1 has better reliability, while transport configuration 2 can transmit more bits of data.

[0177] 3. RV.

[0178] Channel-coded data typically consists of a basic data segment and two redundant data segments, which are placed sequentially within a circular buffer. The RV (Reference Root) indicates the position in this buffer from which data to be transmitted is retrieved; or, more accurately, different RVs correspond to different starting positions within the buffer.

[0179] For example, different transport configurations correspond to different RVs. The RV of transport configuration 1 is different from the RV of transport configuration 2. For example, transport configuration 1 uses RV0, and transport configuration 2 uses RV2.

[0180] 4. DMRS configuration.

[0181] The DMRS configuration may include one or more of the following: DMRS resource size, DMRS cyclic shift, DMRS resource location, DMRS type, DMRS maximum length, DMRS scrambling identifier (ID), etc., which are not limited here.

[0182] For example, different transport configurations correspond to different DMRS configurations. Transport configuration 1 uses more DMRS resources than transport configuration 2. When transport configuration 1 and transport configuration 2 use the same size MCS, transport configuration 1 has better reliability.

[0183] 5. SCS.

[0184] SCS refers to the spacing between adjacent subcarriers. Commonly used SCS include one or more of the following: 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, etc., but no specific limit is specified here.

[0185] Optionally, different transmission configurations correspond to different SCS. For example, transmission configuration 1 uses an SCS of 15kHz, while transmission configuration 2 uses an SCS of 30kHz.

[0186] If at least two of the multiple terminal devices support different SCS, then the multiple terminal devices can choose the corresponding transmission configuration according to their own supported SCS to reduce the competition between different terminal devices for the same transmission configuration.

[0187] 6. Number of retransmissions.

[0188] Optionally, different transmission configurations may use different numbers of retransmissions. For example, transmission configuration 1 uses C retransmissions and transmission configuration 2 uses D retransmissions, where C and D are different and both are positive integers greater than or equal to 0.

[0189] For example, different transmission configurations correspond to different numbers of retransmissions. Transmission configuration 1 uses more retransmissions than transmission configuration 2. When transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2 use the same size MCS, transmission configuration 1 has better reliability.

[0190] 7. Parameters related to uplink power.

[0191] Uplink power-related parameters may include one or more of the following: transmission power-related parameters of SDT, power offset-related parameters of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) and SDT, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0192] For example, different transmission configurations correspond to different transmission powers. For instance, transmission configuration 1 uses a transmission power of E, while transmission configuration 2 uses a transmission power of F. E and F are different, and both are real numbers.

[0193] It is understandable that the above transmission configuration scenarios are just examples. In practical applications, there may be other transmission configuration scenarios, which are not limited here.

[0194] III. Grouping of terminal devices.

[0195] In this embodiment, the grouping of terminal devices can be determined based on the parity of the identifiers associated with the terminal devices, the type of terminal devices, the location of the terminal devices, or the production date of the terminal devices, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0196] Optionally, different resources may correspond to different groups.

[0197] Optionally, the types of terminal devices can include: low-power terminal devices (e.g., redcapped), artificial intelligence (AI) devices, etc. For example, low-power terminal devices use resource 1, while AI devices use resource 2. In this way, non-competitive resources can be distributed among different types of terminal devices, thereby reducing the probability of different types of terminal devices colliding when selecting the same resource.

[0198] For example, terminal devices with odd-numbered identifiers correspond to different resources than those with even-numbered identifiers. For instance, odd-numbered terminal devices use resource 1, while even-numbered terminal devices use resource 2. This way, non-competitive resources can distribute the identifiers of terminal devices, thereby reducing the probability of collisions when terminal devices with different identifiers select the same resource. For example, this can also achieve the effect of user diversion in scenarios with a single user type (such as factory scenarios, AI scenarios, etc.).

[0199] It is understandable that the above situations are just examples of different resources. In practical applications, there may be other situations, which are not specified here.

[0200] The above describes the transmission of the first information between network devices and terminal devices. The following describes further optional solutions.

[0201] Optionally, the network device can also configure usage conditions for at least one of the multiple SDT resources for the terminal devices. The usage conditions are used by multiple terminal devices to determine their respective SDT resources. By limiting the usage conditions of SDT resources, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same resource can be reduced, i.e., the probability of collisions due to multiple terminal devices competing for SDT resources can be reduced. One SDT resource can correspond to one or more usage conditions; this is not specifically limited here.

[0202] The usage conditions of a resource can also be referred to as the resource's triggering conditions, the resource's usage requirements, or the relationship between the resource and parameters, etc., without being specifically limited here. For example, the aforementioned multiple resources can also be represented by multiple resource types, with the same resource type corresponding to the same usage conditions, and different resource types corresponding to different usage conditions (i.e., one type of resource corresponds to one usage condition).

[0203] For example, some of the resources might be usable by all terminal devices (or understood as resources with no usage conditions, or resources with low usage thresholds), while other resources might be adapted to only some terminal devices that meet the usage conditions. Furthermore, each of the resources could have its own usage conditions. These usage conditions for different resources can be the same or different; specific details are not limited here.

[0204] In this embodiment of the application, the usage conditions of the aforementioned resources can be configured or pre-configured, and the specific method is not limited here. The description of configuration or pre-configuration can be found in the explanations of the terms used in the foregoing sections, and the specific method is not limited here.

[0205] Optionally, the network device sends second information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information sent by the network device. This second information is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of a plurality of resources.

[0206] Optionally, similar to the transmission of the first information, the network device can broadcast the second information within its coverage area. Accordingly, one or more terminal devices within the network device's coverage area receive the second information.

[0207] It should be noted that the second information and the aforementioned first information can be carried in the same signaling or different signaling, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0208] Optionally, the second information can be at least one of the following: RRC information, MAC CE, etc., without being limited here.

[0209] Optionally, the second information may be carried in at least one of the following: SIB, MIB, WUS, LP-WUS, PDCCH, etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0210] The usage conditions in this application embodiment are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, the service type, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0211] Alternatively, the previous paragraph can be understood as network devices associating resources with one or more parameters based on usage conditions, thus establishing a relationship between resources and parameters. In other words, network devices can configure corresponding parameters for resources, or configure the association between resources and parameters, allowing multiple terminal devices to select appropriate resources based on the parameters and the association.

[0212] For example, parameter 1 corresponds to resource 1, and parameter 2 corresponds to resource 2. That is, parameter 1 and resource 1 have an association relationship 1, and parameter 2 and resource 2 have an association relationship 2. The network device can configure association relationship 1 for the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device can first determine parameter 1, and then determine resource 1 based on parameter 1 and association relationship 1.

[0213] The parameters mentioned above are described below:

[0214] 1. Parameters related to the channel state of the first channel.

[0215] Parameters related to the channel state of the first channel can also be called sensing parameters, such as parameters related to the radio frequency map (RF map) and channel condition levels. For example, measurement values ​​obtained by the terminal device from measuring objects related to the first channel.

[0216] The first channel is the channel between the terminal device and the network device, which can be either an uplink channel or a downlink channel; no specific limitation is made here.

[0217] Optionally, the parameters or information related to the channel state of the first channel may refer to one or more of the following: channel state information (CSI), rank indicator (RI), channel quality indicator (CQI) or precoding matrix indicator (PMI), reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference noise ratio (SINR), received signal code power (RSCP), the ratio of chip energy to total interference energy density (EcN0), CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI), etc., without being limited here.

[0218] For example, taking RSRP as an example, the usage condition for resource 1 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the usage condition for resource 2 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is less than a threshold. Alternatively, it can be understood that the usage condition for resource 1 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is in a first interval, and the usage condition for resource 2 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is in a second interval, and the first and second intervals do not overlap. It is understood that when the number of resources is greater than 2, the number of thresholds or intervals involved in the usage conditions of the resources can be greater; specific details are not limited here.

[0219] 2. Time-domain information in the resources.

[0220] The time-domain information in the resource may include one or more of the following: time-domain start position, time-domain resource size, time related to the third information subsequently transmitted through the SDT resource, and parameters related to the transmission time of the third information (such as the identifier of the time-domain resource). The specific details are not limited here.

[0221] The timing related to the third information can be related to its specific content. For example, if the third information is RAN-based notification area (RNA) update information, the timing related to the third information could be the moment when the terminal device initiates the RNA update, the moment when the RNA changes, or the moment when RNA update information is periodically sent, etc. Specific details are not limited here. In addition to RNA update information, the third information can also be UE assistance information (UAI), measurement information, positioning information, small packet data, etc. The third information will be described in detail in step 403, and will not be elaborated here.

[0222] For example, taking the granularity of time-domain resources as frames, the usage condition of resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is in the first half of the frame, and the usage condition of resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is in the second half of the frame. Taking the granularity of time-domain resources as slots, the usage condition of resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is in slot 2, and the usage condition of resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is in slot 4.

[0223] For example, taking the granularity of time-domain resources as slots, the usage condition of resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is on an odd-numbered slot, and the usage condition of resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is on an even-numbered slot. Taking the granularity of time-domain resources as symbols, the usage condition of resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is on an odd-numbered symbol, and the usage condition of resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is on an even-numbered symbol.

[0224] 3. Location of the terminal equipment.

[0225] The location of the terminal device can refer to its relative position to other devices (such as base stations), or it can be its latitude and longitude; there is no specific limitation here. Furthermore, the latitude and longitude of the terminal device can be determined using methods such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System; there is no specific limitation here either.

[0226] In addition, the location of the terminal device can also be referred to as the area or range where the terminal device is located. For example, the condition for using resource 1 is that the terminal device is located within range 1, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the terminal device is located within range 2.

[0227] 4. The strength of the first signal received by the terminal device.

[0228] The first signal can be a synchronization signal (SS), a reference signal (RS), a low-power signal, etc. The terminal device can receive the first signal before or after receiving the first information; this is not limited here.

[0229] Optionally, the strength of the first signal can be the strength measured based on SS, such as SS-RSRP. The strength of the first signal can also be the strength measured based on low-power SS, such as low-power (LP)-SS RSRP.

[0230] For example, the usage condition for resource 1 is that the strength of the first signal is greater than a threshold, and the usage condition for resource 2 is that the strength of the first signal is less than a threshold. Similar to the description in point 1 above, the usage conditions for resources can be not only thresholds but also intervals, and the number of thresholds or intervals involved in the usage conditions can be greater, which is not limited here.

[0231] 5. Business types.

[0232] The service type can refer to the type of service handled by the terminal device, or it can refer to the type of data transmitted between the network device and the terminal device through SDT resources, etc., and there is no specific limitation here.

[0233] The service type in this application embodiment may refer to one or more of the following: AI service, redcap service, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) service, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) service, XR service, IoT service, 5G service, LTE service, NR service, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0234] For example, the condition for using resource 1 is that the business type of the data to be transmitted is AI business, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the business type of the data to be transmitted is IoT business.

[0235] It is understandable that the above-mentioned parameters related to usage conditions are just examples. In practical applications, there may be other parameters related to usage conditions, such as path loss estimated by other signals, etc., which are not limited here.

[0236] Furthermore, the second information in the embodiments of this application can directly indicate the usage conditions of at least one resource, or it can indirectly indicate the usage conditions of at least one resource, etc. The descriptions of direct and indirect indications can be found in the explanations of the terms used in the foregoing sections, and will not be repeated here.

[0237] Step 402: The terminal device determines the first resource among multiple resources.

[0238] After receiving the first information sent by the network device, the terminal device determines the first resource among multiple SDT resources.

[0239] Optionally, the first resource may be used to transmit one or more of the following: RNA update information, auxiliary information of the transmission terminal device, measurement information, positioning information, small packet data, etc., without being limited here.

[0240] In one possible implementation, the network device does not configure resource usage conditions. For example, the network device does not send second information to the terminal device. The terminal device can determine the first resource among multiple SDT resources based on actual needs, channel conditions, or its own conditions. Alternatively, the terminal device can determine its respective first resource from multiple SDT resources based on actual needs, channel conditions, or its own conditions. These actual needs, channel conditions, or its own conditions may be related to one or more of the following: the channel through which the data to be transmitted is located, the transmission time of the data to be transmitted, the service type of the data to be transmitted, the time of resource selection, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0241] For example, after receiving the first information, multiple terminal devices can select their respective first resources from multiple SDT resources according to the order in which they selected resources. Alternatively, multiple terminal devices can determine the resource with the closest time domain among the multiple SDT resources as the first resource based on the transmission time of their respective data to be transmitted. Or, multiple terminal devices can determine their respective first resources among the multiple SDT resources based on the service type of their respective data to be transmitted. For example, if the service type of the data to be transmitted by UE1 is a time-sensitive service, then UE1 will determine the resource with the closest time domain among the multiple SDT resources as the first resource.

[0242] For example, assuming the transmission time of the third information to be transmitted by the terminal device is as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 6, the terminal device can select the resource with the closest time domain among multiple SDT resources as the first resource. As can be seen from Figure 6, resource 2 is closer to the transmission time of the third information; therefore, the terminal device can determine resource 2 as the first resource. This reduces latency and also minimizes resource collisions with other terminal devices.

[0243] In another possible implementation, the network device configures resource usage conditions for the terminal devices. For example, in the case where the network device sends second information to multiple terminal devices, the terminal devices can determine a first resource among multiple SDT resources based on a first condition and usage conditions. The first condition includes channel conditions of a first channel and / or the terminal device's own conditions.

[0244] For example, after receiving the first information, multiple terminal devices can jointly determine their respective first resources among multiple SDT resources based on the first condition and the usage condition.

[0245] One SDT resource can correspond to one or more usage conditions. Taking a network device configuring multiple SDT resources and multiple usage conditions for a terminal device as an example, the determination of the first resource among multiple SDT resources by multiple terminal devices based on the first condition and usage conditions can be interpreted in several ways. For example, the terminal device determines the first usage condition that matches the first condition among multiple usage conditions, and then determines the SDT resource corresponding to the first usage condition as the first resource. Another example is that the terminal device determines the usage condition that satisfies the first condition among multiple usage conditions as the first usage condition, and then determines the SDT resource corresponding to the first usage condition as the first resource.

[0246] In this embodiment of the application, the first resource mentioned above can also be referred to as a contention-based SDT resource.

[0247] Since the terminal-side behavior may differ under different usage conditions, in order to facilitate understanding of the terminal device-side behavior, the following descriptions are provided for each parameter involved in the aforementioned preset conditions.

[0248] As previously mentioned, the usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resource, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, service type, etc., which are not specifically limited here. It is understood that the various parameters below have been explained and described in step 401, and the following is just an example to describe the process of the terminal device determining the first resource.

[0249] 1. Parameters related to the channel state of the first channel.

[0250] The terminal device can measure the channel conditions of the first channel to obtain a measurement value, and compare the measurement value with the parameters in the usage conditions of each SDT resource to determine the first resource among multiple SDT resources.

[0251] The channel conditions in this embodiment can be represented by the measured values ​​of parameters related to the channel state of the first channel. For example, the related parameters include one or more of the following: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSCP, EcN0, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0252] Optionally, the terminal device measures the reference signal on the downlink channel to obtain a measurement value. The measurement value is then compared with a threshold or interval related to the usage conditions of each SDT resource to determine the first resource among multiple SDT resources.

[0253] For example, taking RSRP as an example, the condition for using resource 1 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is greater than or equal to a threshold, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is less than a threshold. Assuming the RSRP measurement value obtained by the terminal device is greater than the threshold, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1. Assuming the RSRP measurement value obtained by the terminal device is less than the threshold, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2.

[0254] For example, the usage condition for resource 1 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is in the first interval, and the usage condition for resource 2 is that the RSRP measurement value of the first channel is in the second interval, and the first interval and the second interval do not overlap. Assuming the RSRP measurement value obtained by the terminal device is in the second interval, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2. Assuming the RSRP measurement value obtained by the terminal device is in the first interval, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1. Similarly, when the number of resources is greater than 2, the number of thresholds or intervals involved in the usage conditions of the resources can be greater, and this is not limited here.

[0255] 2. Time-domain information in the resources.

[0256] The temporal information in the resources can be found in the description in step 401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] For example, suppose that the condition for using resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is in the first half of the frame, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is in the second half of the frame. Accordingly, if the terminal device determines that the transmission time of the third information is in the first half of the frame, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1. If the terminal device determines that the transmission time of the third information is in the second half of the frame, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2.

[0258] For example, suppose that the condition for using resource 1 is that the third information to be transmitted is in an odd-numbered slot, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the third information to be transmitted is in an even-numbered slot. Accordingly, if the terminal device determines that the transmission time of the third information is in an even-numbered slot, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2. If the terminal device determines that the transmission time of the third information is in an odd-numbered slot, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1.

[0259] 3. Location of the terminal equipment.

[0260] The location of the terminal device can be referred to in step 401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0261] For example, suppose that the condition for using resource 1 is that the terminal device is located within range 1, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the terminal device is located within range 2. Accordingly, if the terminal device is located within range 1, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1. If the terminal device is located within range 2, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2.

[0262] 4. The strength of the first signal received by the terminal device.

[0263] The first signal can be referred to in the description of step 401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0264] For example, suppose that the condition for using resource 1 is that the strength of the first signal is greater than a threshold, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the strength of the first signal is less than a threshold.

[0265] 5. Business type.

[0266] The business type can be referred to in step 401 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0267] For example, suppose that the condition for using resource 1 is that the service type of the data to be transmitted is AI service, and the condition for using resource 2 is that the service type of the data to be transmitted is IoT service. Accordingly, if the service type of the data to be transmitted by the terminal device is IoT service, then the first resource is determined to be resource 2. If the service type of the data to be transmitted by the terminal device is AI service, then the first resource is determined to be resource 1.

[0268] It is understandable that the above methods for determining the primary resource are just examples. In practical applications, there may be other methods, which are not limited here.

[0269] For example, taking multiple resources including resource 1 and resource 2 as an example, as shown in Figure 7, assume that resource 1 has poor channel conditions, while resource 2 has good channel conditions. To improve the transmission reliability of resource 1 with poor channel conditions, more transmission resources can be allocated to resource 1. For example, resource 1 can be configured with more transmission resources, a lower MCS, more DMRS resources, more transmissions, higher power, etc., compared to resource 2. Resource 2 can be configured with fewer transmission resources, a higher MCS, fewer DMRS resources, fewer transmissions, lower power, etc., compared to resource 1. When the channel conditions of the first channel are greater than or equal to a preset threshold (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSCP, EcN0, etc.), the first resource can be determined as resource 2. When the channel conditions of the first channel are less than a preset threshold (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSCP, EcN0, etc.), the first resource can be determined as resource 1. In this way, terminal devices with different channel conditions can use different resources, which can not only reduce resource collisions but also improve the reliability of information transmission by terminal devices with poor channel conditions.

[0270] Step 403: The terminal device sends third information to the network device. This step is optional.

[0271] Optionally, after the terminal device determines the first resource, it can directly use the first resource to send the third information, or it can wait for the network device's instruction information before using the first resource to send the third information, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0272] The aforementioned use of the first resource to send third information can also be understood as the terminal device sending third information on the first resource. For example, the terminal device sends third information to the network device on the first resource. Correspondingly, the network device receives the third information sent by the terminal device on the first resource, or the network device receives the third information sent by the terminal device on one or more resources of the SDT.

[0273] The third information may include one or more of the following: RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, UAI, location information, small packet data, etc., without being limited here.

[0274] Optionally, the data in the small packet may include one or more of the following: instant messaging messages such as WeChat and QQ, infrequent notification messages such as push messages from applications, and periodic data such as heartbeat packets, step count detection, heart rate detection, and smart meter readings from applications. No specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0275] Furthermore, to clarify the content of the third information for the network device, the terminal device can also send a first indication message to the network device, and the network device receives the first indication message sent by the terminal device. This first indication message indicates the content carried by the third information. Alternatively, to clarify which information the SDT resources are used to transmit for the terminal device, the network device can also send a second indication message to the terminal device. This second indication message indicates that the SDT resources are used to transmit the third information. For example, the second indication message indicates that the SDT resources are used to transmit one or more of the following: RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, UAI, positioning information, small packet data, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0276] For example, taking RNA update information as the third piece of information, the terminal device sends the RNA update information on the corresponding first resource based on the actual time of the RNA update or the time when it needs to be reported. Optionally, the terminal device carries first indication information when reporting the RNA update information.

[0277] It should be noted that the first / second indication information can be sent together with or separately from the other aforementioned information. For example, the second indication information can be the same as the first information, meaning that when the network device configures multiple SDT resources, it can indicate that one or more SDT resources can be used to transmit the third information. Alternatively, the second indication information can be the same as the second information, meaning that the usage conditions can specify that one or more SDT resources are used to transmit the third information. Another example is that the first indication information can be the same as the third information. Yet another example is that the first or second indication information can be sent separately from the first, second, and third information; specific details are not limited here.

[0278] It is understood that if the first or second instruction message is a separate message sent in addition to the first, second, and third messages, the terminal device may send the first instruction message after receiving the first message, after receiving the second message, or before sending the third message, etc., without any specific limitation here. Similarly, the network device may send the second instruction message after sending the first message, or after sending the second message, etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0279] For example, a terminal device sends a message to a network device containing both a first instruction and a third message. Alternatively, the terminal device may report the third message along with the first instruction. Or, if the first and third messages are two separate pieces of information, the terminal device may send the first instruction before sending the third message.

[0280] For example, taking RNA update information as the third piece of information, the first indication information can be understood as the resume cause. The resume cause indicates that the third piece of information is RNA update information, or indicates that the third piece of information is used for RNA update. In addition, the RNA update information may also carry one or more of the following: the identifier of the terminal device, the identifier of the last serving base station of the terminal device, the identifier of the last camped base station of the terminal device, a preset scrambling sequence (e.g., a combination of the aforementioned identifiers), etc., without being limited here.

[0281] The UE ID (Unique User Equipment ID) may include one or more of the following: 5G-temporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI), the UE ID configured in LP-WUS, etc., without specific limitations here. The preset scrambling sequence is a combination of at least two of the following: the UE ID, the identifier of the last serving base station of the UE, the identifier of the last base station the UE camped on, etc. For example, the preset scrambling sequence may also be an inactive-radio network temporary identifier (I-RNTI), etc., without specific limitations here.

[0282] Optionally, after receiving the third information sent by the terminal device on the first resource, the network device can send a correct acknowledgment (ACK) to the terminal device. The ACK is used to indicate that the network device has received or has correctly received the third information.

[0283] Furthermore, the ACK carries the aforementioned UE ID or is scrambled using a preset scrambling sequence.

[0284] For example, if a network device does not receive a third message within a preset time period after sending the first message, it sends a third indication message. This third indication message is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the third message or to indicate that the third message has not been received, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0285] Based on the above scheme, on the one hand, the terminal device identifies multiple SDT resources by receiving the first information, thereby determining the first resource among them. Alternatively, multiple terminal devices determine their respective first resources from the configured multiple SDT resources, which not only enables competitive selection of multiple SDT resources but also improves the reliability of subsequent transmission of third information through the first resource. On the other hand, during the process of determining the first resource, multiple terminal devices can combine their own conditions / channel conditions with the usage conditions of each resource to jointly determine the first resource suitable for themselves, thereby reducing the probability of collisions when different terminal devices select the same SDT resource. Furthermore, compared to the existing RACH transmission method, the method of transmitting third information by competing for SDT resources not only improves the reliability of transmitting third information but also simplifies the interaction process and reduces energy consumption.

[0286] Furthermore, to improve the reliability of the contention-based SDT transmission method, this application also provides another communication method, which is described below:

[0287] Please refer to Figure 8, a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application embodiment. This method may include steps 801 to 807. Steps 801 to 807 can be executed by a communication device, or by some components of the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description uses execution by a communication device as an example. The processing performed by a single execution entity in steps 801 to 807 can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, when the communication device is an access network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of network elements such as CU, DU, and RU. This method can be applied to any of the system architectures shown in Figures 1A to 2C, and specific limitations are not specified here.

[0288] Step 801: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0289] Step 802: The terminal device determines the first resource among multiple resources.

[0290] Step 803: The terminal device sends the first instruction information to the network device. This step is optional.

[0291] Step 804: The terminal device sends third information to the network device.

[0292] Steps 801 to 804 can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0293] Step 805: The terminal device starts the timer. This step is optional.

[0294] Optionally, after sending the third information, the terminal device starts a timer. This timer is used to control the retransmission of the third information. Correspondingly, the third information can also be understood as the initial transmission.

[0295] In this embodiment of the application, the duration of the timer can be set according to actual needs, and the time unit of the duration can be absolute time, such as seconds, milliseconds, etc., or time-domain granularity, such as slots, micro-slots, etc., and is not limited here.

[0296] For example, different terminal devices can be set with different durations. Similarly, terminal devices with different qualities of service (QoS) can be set with different durations. Furthermore, different third-party information can be set with different durations. Different service types can be set with different durations. Third-party information using different time-domain resources can also have different durations. Finally, third-party information using different frequency-domain resources can also have different durations.

[0297] Optionally, different services correspond to different timer durations or time units. For example, the timer durations or time units corresponding to eMBB services and URLLC services are different. For instance, the timer duration for eMBB services is longer than that for URLLC services. For example, the timer duration for eMBB services is 2 slots, while the timer duration for URLLC services is 1 slot.

[0298] Optionally, different frequency bands correspond to different timer durations or time units. For example, the timer durations or time units corresponding to the 5G band (sub 6GHz) and millimeter wave (mm wave) are different. For instance, the timer duration corresponding to the 5G band is longer than the timer duration corresponding to the millimeter wave. For example, the timer duration corresponding to the 5G band is 1 millisecond, while the timer duration corresponding to the millimeter wave is 0.5 milliseconds.

[0299] Optionally, different SCS correspond to different timer durations or time units. For example, the timer duration or time unit corresponding to SCS=15kHz and SCS=30kHz is different. For instance, the timer duration corresponding to SCS=15kHz is longer than the timer duration corresponding to SCS=30kHz. For example, the timer duration corresponding to SCS=15kHz is 1 millisecond, while the timer duration corresponding to SCS=30kHz is 0.5 milliseconds.

[0300] Step 806: If the timer expires and no correct response to the third information is received, the terminal device resends the third information to the network device. This step is optional.

[0301] Optionally, if the timer expires and no correct response to the third information is received, the terminal device resends the third information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the third information sent by the terminal device.

[0302] Furthermore, the SDT resources used for retransmitting the third information can be the same as or different from those used for the initial transmission of the third information; no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0303] For example, this third information can be carried in RRC signaling or downlink SDT, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0304] In this way, the terminal device can use a timer and the correct response to the third information to jointly decide whether to trigger the retransmission of the third information, thereby improving the stability of transmitting the third information based on contention for SDT resources.

[0305] It is understandable that terminal devices can also decide whether to trigger the retransmission of third-party information through a timer, but this is not specifically limited here.

[0306] Optionally, if the terminal device receives a correct response from the third information, the timer can be released.

[0307] Step 807: If the number of times the third information is resent equals the preset threshold, then the RACH access procedure is executed. This step is optional.

[0308] This step 807 is not dependent on the aforementioned steps 805 and 806. Alternatively, it can be understood that the step of resending the third information in step 807 may or may not be related to the timer in step 805. No specific limitation is made here.

[0309] Optionally, the terminal device can count the number of times it sends the third information, i.e., the terminal device records the number of times the third information is sent. If the number of times the third information is sent or the number of times it is resent is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the RACH access procedure is executed.

[0310] The RACH access process can be a 2-step RA or a 4-step RA, etc., and is not limited here. In addition, the preset threshold can be configured by the network device to the terminal device, or it can be set by the terminal device according to actual needs, etc., and is not limited here.

[0311] It is understandable that the number of times the third message is sent differs from the number of times the third message is resent by one. For ease of description, this will be referred to as the number of times the message is sent from now on.

[0312] Furthermore, if the number of times the third message is sent is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and no correct response to the third message is received, then the RACH access procedure is executed.

[0313] For example, if the number of times the third message is sent equals a preset threshold, then the RACH access procedure is executed. For instance, if the preset threshold is 3, then the RACH access procedure is executed after the terminal device sends the third message 3 times. Alternatively, if the terminal device sends the third message 3 times and does not receive a correct response to the third message, then the RACH access procedure is executed.

[0314] It should be noted that if the terminal device's judgment or the counting of counts has a periodicity, the count may not be continuous. That is, when counting counts, if the count has already exceeded the preset threshold, the RACH access process will be executed.

[0315] The method provided in this embodiment has multiple variations. For example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801, 802, and 804. Another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801 to 804. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801, 802, and steps 804 to 806. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801 to 806. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801, 802, and steps 804 to 807. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801, 802, 804, and 807. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801 to 804 and step 807. Yet another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 801 to 807.

[0316] Based on the above scheme, on the one hand, the terminal device identifies multiple SDT resources by receiving the first information, thereby determining the first resource among them. Alternatively, multiple terminal devices determine their respective first resources from the configured multiple SDT resources, which not only enables contention for SDT resources but also improves the reliability of subsequent transmission of third information via the first resource. On the other hand, during the determination of the first resource, multiple terminal devices can combine their own conditions / channel conditions with the usage conditions of each resource to jointly determine the first resource suitable for themselves, thereby reducing the probability of collisions when different terminal devices select the same SDT resource. Furthermore, compared to the existing RACH transmission method, the method of transmitting third information by competing for SDT resources not only improves the reliability of third information transmission but also simplifies the interaction process and reduces energy consumption. Additionally, setting a retransmission timer on the terminal device side can improve the reliability of contention-based SDT resource transmission. Moreover, if the number of retransmissions of third information is too high and a correct response to the third information is not received, the process can fall back to the RACH access procedure, thereby improving the transmission reliability of the third information.

[0317] The communication method in the embodiments of this application has been described above. The communication device in the embodiments of this application is described below. Please refer to Figure 9, which shows an embodiment of the communication device 900 in this application. This communication device 900 can implement the functions of the first or second device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 900 can be a communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the communication device, such as a chip. The communication device 900 includes: a transceiver unit 901 and a processing unit 902.

[0318] In one possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 8 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0319] The transceiver unit 901 is used to receive first information, which is used to configure multiple resources of the Small Data Transmission Technique (SDT).

[0320] Processing unit 902 is used to determine the first resource among multiple resources.

[0321] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive second information, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources, and the first resource is related to the usage conditions.

[0322] Optionally, the usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is the channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0323] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is specifically used to determine a first resource based on a first condition and a usage condition, wherein the first condition includes the channel conditions of the first channel and / or the conditions of the terminal device itself.

[0324] Optionally, different resources may have different values ​​for one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0325] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also used to send third information on the first resource.

[0326] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is also used to start a timer; the transceiver unit 901 is also used to resend the third information if the timer expires and no correct response to the third information is received.

[0327] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further configured to perform the access procedure of the random access channel RACH if the number of times the third information is retransmitted is equal to a preset threshold.

[0328] Optionally, the third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

[0329] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to send first indication information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0330] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the terminal devices shown in the embodiments of Figures 1A to 9 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0331] In this embodiment, the processing unit 902 identifies multiple SDT resources through the first information received by the transceiver unit 901, thereby determining the first resource among the multiple SDT resources. Alternatively, it can be understood that by multiple terminal devices determining their respective first resources from the configured multiple SDT resources, not only can the competitive selection of multiple SDT resources be realized, but the reliability of subsequent information transmission through the first resource can also be improved.

[0332] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 is a network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 8 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0333] Processing unit 902 is used to determine multiple resources for small data transmission SDT;

[0334] The transceiver unit 901 is used to send first information, which is used to configure multiple resources of SDT.

[0335] Optionally, the first information is used for multiple terminal devices to select resources.

[0336] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to send second information, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the multiple resources.

[0337] Optionally, the usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is the channel between the terminal device and the network device.

[0338] Optionally, different resources may have different values ​​for one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

[0339] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive third information on one or more resources of the SDT.

[0340] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also used to send a correct response to the third information.

[0341] Optionally, the third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

[0342] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

[0343] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the network devices shown in the embodiments of Figures 1A to 9 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0344] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 901 can allocate multiple SDT resources through the first information, and multiple terminal devices can also compete for SDT resource transmission through the first information, which can also improve the reliability of subsequent information transmission through SDT resources.

[0345] Please refer to Figure 10, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1000 provided in this application. The communication device 1000 includes a logic circuit 1001 and an input / output interface 1002. The communication device 1000 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0346] The transceiver unit 901 shown in Figure 9 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1002 in Figure 10. The input / output interface 1002 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 902 shown in Figure 9 can be the logic circuit 1001 in Figure 10.

[0347] The logic circuit 1001 and the input / output interface 1002 can also perform other steps executed by the first computing node, the first network device, the second network device, the gateway, or the terminal device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0348] Optionally, the logic circuit 1001 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0349] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0350] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0351] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any group of the above chips or processors.

[0352] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows the communication device 1100 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1100 can be a communication device that serves as a network device or a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0353] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1100, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1101 and a communication port 1102.

[0354] In Figure 9, the transceiver unit 901 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1102 in Figure 11. The communication port 1102 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1102 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0355] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1103 and a bus. In embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1101 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1100.

[0356] Furthermore, the processor 1101 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0357] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of the various components shown in Figure 11. For example, the number of processors 1101, the number of communication ports 1102, and the number of memory 1103 can each be one or more, and no specific limit is set here.

[0358] It should be noted that the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the first computing node, gateway or terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and achieve the corresponding technical effects. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 11 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0359] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1200 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device 1200 can specifically be the communication device that serves as a first network device or a second network device in the above embodiments. The structure of the communication device can be referred to the structure shown in Figure 12.

[0360] The communication device 1200 includes at least one processor 1211 and at least one network interface 1214. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1212, at least one transceiver 1213, and one or more antennas 1215. The processor 1211, memory 1212, transceiver 1213, and network interface 1214 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1215 is connected to the transceiver 1213. The network interface 1214 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1214 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0361] In Figure 9, the transceiver unit 901 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1214 in Figure 12. The network interface 1214 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1214 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0362] The processor 1211 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the communication device. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used to control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. The processor 1211 in Figure 12 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the communication device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0363] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1212 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1211. Optionally, the memory 1212 can be integrated with the processor 1211, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1212 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1211. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1211.

[0364] Figure 12 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual communication devices, there can be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0365] Transceiver 1213 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1213 can be connected to antenna 1215. Transceiver 1213 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1215 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1213 is used to receive the radio frequency signals from the antennas, convert the radio frequency signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to processor 1211 so that processor 1211 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1213 is also used to receive the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals from processor 1211, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals into radio frequency signals, and transmit the radio frequency signals through one or more antennas 1215. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0366] The transceiver 1213 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0367] It should be noted that the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0368] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the terminal by the base station; or, the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the base station by the terminal. For example, when the first device is a terminal, the terminal sending information can be understood as the process of the terminal's chip outputting information.

[0369] When the aforementioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station module receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the terminal to the base station; or, the base station module sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the base station to the terminal. Here, the base station module can be the baseband chip of the base station, or a DU (Digital Unit) or other modules. The DU can be a DU under an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture. For example, when the first device is a base station, the base station sending information can be understood as the process of the base station's chip outputting information.

[0370] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0371] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0372] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive first information, which is used to configure multiple resources for Small Data Transmission Technology (SDT); Determine the first resource among the plurality of resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information, the second information being used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the plurality of resources, the first resource being associated with the usage conditions.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is the channel between the terminal device and the network device.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, Determining the first resource among the plurality of resources includes: The first resource is determined based on the first condition and the usage condition, wherein the first condition includes the channel condition of the first channel and / or the condition of the terminal device itself.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The various resources may differ in one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and the grouping of the terminal device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the third message on the first resource.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Start the timer; If the timer times out and no correct response to the third message is received, the third message is resent.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the number of times the third information is retransmitted equals a preset threshold, then the access procedure of the random access channel RACH is executed.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first instruction message, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third message.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Identify multiple resources for small data transfer SDT; Send first information, which is used to configure multiple resources of the SDT.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information is used by multiple terminal devices to select resources.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message, which is used to determine the usage conditions of at least one of the plurality of resources.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The usage conditions are related to one or more of the following: parameters related to the channel state of the first channel, time-domain information in the resources, the location of the terminal device, the strength of the first signal received by the terminal device, and the service type; the first channel is the channel between the terminal device and the network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, The resources mentioned above differ in one or more of the following aspects: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, phase rotation angle of resources, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), redundancy version (RV), demodulation reference signal (DMRS) configuration, number of retransmissions, subcarrier spacing (SCS), uplink power-related parameters, and terminal device grouping.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information on one or more resources of the SDT.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: A correct response to the sending of the third information.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The third information includes one or more of the following: radio access network notification area RNA update information, reference signal measurement information, and auxiliary information of the terminal device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first instruction information, which is used to indicate the content carried by the third information.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, The chip or chip system is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

23. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 10, and a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 11 to 19.

24. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

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