Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a related apparatus. In the method, a terminal device first receives a paging message, and then sends a first preamble, wherein the paging message is used for indicating a first index, and the first preamble is related to the first index. On the basis of the solution, the terminal device may send the preamble by means of the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, it can be understood that the present application proposes assisting random access by means of a paging message. For example, an index related to a preamble or a random access channel occasion (RO) used for sending the preamble is indicated in advance by means of a paging message, such that the probability of preamble or RO collisions can be reduced, so as improve the efficiency of random access; in addition, the problem of preamble resources being insufficient due to each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be alleviated.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411599213.0, filed on November 8, 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 wireless 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. For terminal devices, there are three RRC states: RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_CONNECTED. A terminal device in the RRC_CONNECTED state has established an RRC connection with the network device and can transmit data. A terminal device in the RRC_IDLE state has not established an RRC connection with the network device. A terminal device in the RRC_INACTIVE state has a suspended RRC connection with the network device; that is, the RRC connection between the terminal device and the network device is paused or unavailable. Alternatively, this can be understood as a terminal device in the RRC_IDLE state and a terminal device in the RRC_INACTIVE state being unable to transmit uplink data via an RRC connection.

[0004] Currently, when a terminal device is in RRC idle or RRC inactive state, it can transition to RRC connected state through a random access procedure, thereby enabling data transmission. Specifically, during the random access procedure, the terminal device typically selects a preamble from the preambles configured in the system information block (SIB) and initiates the random access procedure. However, the existing method of configuring preambles can no longer meet the requirements for access efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, exploring preamble configuration methods to increase access efficiency is an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus. By using paging messages to assist random access, not only can the efficiency of random access be improved, but the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be reduced.

[0007] This application provides a communication method in its first aspect. This method 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 first receives a paging message and then sends a first preamble. The paging message indicates a first index, and the first preamble is associated with the first index. The association of the first preamble with the first index can be understood as the terminal device sending the first preamble based on the paging message, or as sending the first preamble associated with the first index.

[0008] For example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used to determine the first preamble. As another example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used to determine the random access channel occasion (RO) used to transmit the preamble. Yet another example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used not only to determine the first preamble but also to determine the RO used to transmit the first preamble. The aforementioned preamble and RO can also be collectively referred to as random access resources.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can send the preamble via the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes to assist random access via paging messages. For example, by indicating the preamble or the relevant index of the RO used to send the preamble in advance via the paging message, not only can the probability of preamble collisions be reduced and random access efficiency improved, but the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be mitigated.

[0010] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0011] One possible implementation involves, on the one hand, listing various possibilities related to the first preamble and the first index. That is, the first index can be used to determine the first preamble, or to determine the origin (RO) used for transmitting the preamble, or both. On the other hand, by introducing grouping, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble or RO is reduced. Furthermore, the same preamble can also be transmitted on different ROs, improving the efficiency of preamble usage.

[0012] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first index includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0013] For example, the first index may include or indicate one or more of the following: one or more preambles, one or more ROs, one or more preamble blocks, one or more RO blocks, etc., without specific limitations here. A preamble block can be understood as a set of preambles, and a preamble block includes one or more preambles. Similarly, an RO block can be understood as an RO block, and an RO block includes one or more ROs.

[0014] One possible implementation involves listing various possible paging message indications. For example, the paging message could be used to determine the first preamble, or it could be used to determine the origin (RO) used for transmitting the preamble, or it could be used to determine both the first preamble and the RO used for transmitting the first preamble. Another approach is to introduce packets into the paging message to reduce the probability (or collision probability) of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble or RO. Furthermore, the same preamble can be transmitted on different ROs, improving the efficiency of preamble usage.

[0015] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device may further receive first information, which indicates one or more of the following: a plurality of preamble indices, a plurality of random access channel timing indices, a plurality of preamble block indices, and a preamble index corresponding to each preamble block index, a plurality of random access channel timing block indices, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each random access channel timing block index; each preamble block index in the plurality of preamble block indices is associated with a plurality of preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index in the plurality of random access channel timing block indices is associated with a plurality of random access channel timing indices;

[0016] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0017] In this possible implementation, preliminary configuration is first performed using the first information, and then the paging message indication method is used, which can reduce the number of bits in the paging message. That is, the overhead of the paging message can be reduced by configuring the first information in advance.

[0018] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, the first index being used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indexes.

[0019] Wherein, the block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0020] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0021] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0022] In this possible implementation, by indicating multiple group indices and a second index associated with each group index through the first information, and by indicating the group index through the paging message, the terminal device can combine the paging message and the first information to determine the indicated second index. This not only reduces the overhead of the paging message, but also reduces the probability of collisions between the preamble and / or RO.

[0023] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second index mentioned above includes the maximum and / or minimum index in the group associated with the second index.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the group members included in the group can be indicated by indicating boundary values ​​or intervals, thereby reducing the number of indicator bits for group members and saving indicator overhead.

[0025] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned first information is further used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices. The first quantity can also be understood as the number of groups.

[0026] In this possible implementation, the network device can indicate the number of packets through the first information, thereby indirectly indicating the resources included in each packet in conjunction with preset rules (such as equal allocation or allocation at preset intervals), reducing the bit overhead of the first information indicating multiple packets and their associated members.

[0027] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the aforementioned plurality of grouping indices include indices for plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, a second quantity, and a third index.

[0028] In this context, the random access channel opportunities within the second number of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) periods are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0029] In this possible implementation, when the grouping is RO grouping, in order to prevent the ROs within a single SSB cycle from being insufficient, a second quantity limit can be used to uniformly number the ROs within a certain number of SSB cycles, thereby meeting the quantity requirements of ROs.

[0030] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the grouping rules mentioned above include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain allocation with a preset frequency domain granularity, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain allocation with a preset time domain granularity.

[0031] In this possible implementation, various possibilities for grouping rules are described by examples, thereby increasing the diversity of grouping rules and making them adaptable to different scenarios.

[0032] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first index is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0033] In this possible implementation, the preamble group is indicated by the paging message. On the one hand, the paging message can assist random access. On the other hand, the preamble group can reduce the probability of collisions.

[0034] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information is used to indicate a plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0035] In this possible implementation, multiple Returning Objects (ROs) are pre-configured using the first information, and RO grouping is indicated by paging messages. On the one hand, random access can be assisted by paging messages. On the other hand, not only can the probability of collisions be reduced by RO grouping, but the indication overhead of paging messages can also be reduced by pre-configuring the first information.

[0036] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the number of the aforementioned first indices is multiple, and the priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0037] In this possible implementation, when the paging message indicates multiple packets, multiple preambles, or multiple ROs, the terminal device can determine the order of use among multiple first indices by priority order, thereby clarifying the resources used for random access.

[0038] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the paging message further includes an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0039] In this possible implementation, the paging message not only indicates the first index but also the identifier of the terminal device associated with the first index. Thus, after multiple terminal devices receive the paging message, they can determine their respective first indexes using the terminal device identifiers. This not only increases the number of terminal devices to which the paging message applies but also improves the accuracy of multiple terminal devices in determining random access resources.

[0040] 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 functions of the network device. In this second aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a network device. In this method, the network device first sends a paging message and then receives a first preamble. The paging message indicates a first index, and the first preamble is associated with the first index. The association of the first preamble with the first index can be understood as the terminal device sending the first preamble based on the paging message, or as sending the first preamble associated with the first index.

[0041] For example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used to determine the first preamble. As another example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used to determine the RO used for transmitting the preamble. Yet another example, the first index indicated by the paging message is used not only to determine the first preamble but also to determine the RO used for transmitting the first preamble. The aforementioned preamble and RO can also be collectively referred to as random access resources.

[0042] Based on the above scheme, network devices can provide random access resources to terminal devices through the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes to assist random access through paging messages. For example, by indicating the preamble or sending the relevant index of the RO used for the preamble in advance through the paging message, not only can the probability of preamble collisions be reduced and random access efficiency improved, but the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be mitigated.

[0043] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0044] One possible implementation involves, on the one hand, listing various possibilities related to the first preamble and the first index. That is, the first index can be used to determine the first preamble, or to determine the origin (RO) used for transmitting the preamble, or both. On the other hand, by introducing grouping, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble or RO is reduced. Furthermore, the same preamble can also be transmitted on different ROs, improving the efficiency of preamble usage.

[0045] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first index mentioned above includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0046] For example, the first index may include or indicate one or more of the following: one or more preambles, one or more ROs, one or more preamble blocks, one or more RO blocks, etc., without specific limitations here. A preamble block can be understood as a set of preambles, and a preamble block includes one or more preambles. Similarly, an RO block can be understood as an RO block, and an RO block includes one or more ROs.

[0047] One possible implementation involves listing various possible paging message indications. For example, the paging message could be used to determine the first preamble, or it could be used to determine the origin (RO) used for transmitting the preamble, or it could be used to determine both the first preamble and the RO used for transmitting the first preamble. Another approach is to introduce packets into the paging message to reduce the probability (or collision probability) of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble or RO. Furthermore, the same preamble can be transmitted on different ROs, improving the efficiency of preamble usage.

[0048] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device may further send first information, which indicates one or more of the following: a plurality of preamble indices, a plurality of random access channel timing indices, a plurality of preamble block indices, and a preamble index, a random access channel timing block index, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with a plurality of preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with a plurality of random access channel timing indices.

[0049] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0050] In this possible implementation, preliminary configuration is first performed using the first information, and then the paging message indication method is used, which can reduce the number of bits in the paging message. That is, the overhead of the paging message can be reduced by configuring the first information in advance.

[0051] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, wherein the first index is used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indexes;

[0052] The block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0053] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0054] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0055] In this possible implementation, by indicating multiple group indices and a second index associated with each group index through the first information, and by indicating the group index through the paging message, the terminal device can combine the paging message and the first information to determine the indicated second index. This not only reduces the overhead of the paging message, but also reduces the probability of collisions between the preamble and / or RO.

[0056] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned second index includes the maximum and / or minimum index in the group associated with the second index.

[0057] In this possible implementation, the group members included in the group can be indicated by indicating boundary values ​​or intervals, thereby reducing the number of indicator bits for group members and saving indicator overhead.

[0058] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned first information is further used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices. The first quantity can also be understood as the number of groups.

[0059] In this possible implementation, the network device can indicate the number of packets through the first information, thereby indirectly indicating the resources included in each packet in conjunction with preset rules (such as equal allocation or allocation at preset intervals), reducing the bit overhead of the first information indicating multiple packets and their associated members.

[0060] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the aforementioned plurality of grouping indices include indices for plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, the second quantity, and the third index;

[0061] The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0062] In this possible implementation, when the grouping is RO grouping, in order to prevent the ROs within a single SSB cycle from being insufficient, a second quantity limit can be used to uniformly number the ROs within a certain number of SSB cycles, thereby meeting the quantity requirements of ROs.

[0063] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the grouping rules mentioned above include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain allocation with a preset frequency domain granularity, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain allocation with a preset time domain granularity.

[0064] In this possible implementation, various possibilities for grouping rules are described by examples, thereby increasing the diversity of grouping rules and making them adaptable to different scenarios.

[0065] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first index described above is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, and the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0066] In this possible implementation, the preamble group is indicated by the paging message. On the one hand, the paging message can assist random access. On the other hand, the preamble group can reduce the probability of collisions.

[0067] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information described above is used to indicate a plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0068] In this possible implementation, multiple Returning Objects (ROs) are pre-configured using the first information, and RO grouping is indicated by paging messages. On the one hand, random access can be assisted by paging messages. On the other hand, not only can the probability of collisions be reduced by RO grouping, but the indication overhead of paging messages can also be reduced by pre-configuring the first information.

[0069] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the number of the aforementioned first indices is multiple, and the priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0070] In this possible implementation, when the paging message indicates multiple packets, multiple preambles, or multiple ROs, the terminal device can determine the order of use among multiple first indices by priority order, thereby clarifying the resources used for random access.

[0071] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the paging message mentioned above also includes an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0072] In this possible implementation, the paging message not only indicates the first index but also the identifier of the terminal device associated with the first index. Thus, after multiple terminal devices receive the paging message, they can determine their respective first indexes using the terminal device identifiers. This not only increases the number of terminal devices to which the paging message applies but also improves the accuracy of multiple terminal devices in determining random access resources.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The transceiver unit is used to receive paging messages, which are used to indicate the first index;

[0075] The transceiver unit is also used to send a first preamble, which is associated with a first index.

[0076] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0077] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the first index mentioned above includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0078] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to receive first information, the first information indicating one or more of the following: multiple preamble indices, multiple random access channel timing indices, multiple preamble block indices, and a preamble index, multiple random access channel timing block indices, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with multiple preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with multiple random access channel timing indices.

[0079] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0080] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, the first index being used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indexes;

[0081] The block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0082] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0083] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0084] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned second index includes the maximum and / or minimum index in the group associated with the second index.

[0085] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices.

[0086] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned plurality of grouping indices include indices for plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, the second quantity, and the third index;

[0087] The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0088] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the grouping rules mentioned above include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain allocation with a preset frequency domain granularity, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain allocation with a preset time domain granularity.

[0089] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned first index is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0090] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned first information is used to indicate a plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0091] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the number of the aforementioned first indices is multiple, and the priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0092] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the paging message mentioned above also includes an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0093] A 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.

[0094] The transceiver unit is used to send paging messages, which are used to indicate the first index;

[0095] The transceiver unit is also used to receive a first preamble, which is associated with a first index.

[0096] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0097] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first index mentioned above includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0098] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to transmit first information, the first information indicating one or more of the following: a plurality of preamble indices, a plurality of random access channel timing indices, a plurality of preamble block indices, and a preamble index, a random access channel timing block index, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with a plurality of preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with a plurality of random access channel timing indices.

[0099] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0100] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, the first index being used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indexes;

[0101] The block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0102] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0103] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0104] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the second index described above includes the maximum and / or minimum index in the group associated with the second index.

[0105] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices.

[0106] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the aforementioned plurality of grouping indices include indices for plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, the second quantity, and the third index;

[0107] The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0108] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the grouping rules mentioned above include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain allocation with a preset frequency domain granularity, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain allocation with a preset time domain granularity.

[0109] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first index described above is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0110] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first information described above is used to indicate a plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0111] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the number of the aforementioned first indices is multiple, and the priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0112] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the paging message mentioned above also includes an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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 components. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to at least one processor.

[0121] 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

[0122] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0123] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0124] Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0125] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0126] Figure 3 is an example diagram of the PRACH resources involved in this application;

[0127] Figure 4 is an example diagram of the mapping relationship between RO and SSB involved in this application;

[0128] Figure 5 is another example of the mapping relationship between RO and SSB involved in this application;

[0129] Figure 6 is another example of the mapping relationship between RO and SSB involved in this application;

[0130] Figure 7 is another example of the mapping relationship between RO and SSB involved in this application;

[0131] Figure 8 is an example diagram of the RO grouping involved in this application;

[0132] Figure 9 is another example diagram of the RO grouping involved in this application;

[0133] Figure 10 is another example diagram of the RO grouping involved in this application;

[0134] Figure 11 is an example diagram of the RO resources involved in this application;

[0135] Figure 12 is an example diagram of the priority order of RO resources involved in this application;

[0136] Figure 13A is an example diagram illustrating one understanding of the RO index involved in this application;

[0137] Figure 13B is an example diagram illustrating another interpretation of the RO index involved in this application;

[0138] Figures 14 to 17 are several structural schematic diagrams of the communication device involved in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0139] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0140] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0141] 1. Configuration and Pre-configuration: 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 transmission resources based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0142] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] The instruction information 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 (CE); physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI), sidelink control information (SCI), etc.

[0146] 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.

[0147] 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.

[0148] 5. Other terms.

[0149] (1) Random access channel occasion (RO): RO can be understood as the time and frequency resources used by terminal equipment for random access. RO can also be called random access opportunity.

[0150] (2) Preamble: A preamble is an access sequence sent by a terminal device during random access. In the embodiments of this application, the preamble can also be replaced by other terms, such as preamble, preamble sequence, preamble signal, random access preamble, random access preamble sequence, random access preamble signal, random access signal, random access preamble, etc.

[0151] (3) Physical random access channel (PRACH): The physical random access channel that carries the transmission of the Preamble sequence.

[0152] (4) RO-Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SSB) Mapping: To improve performance, network devices (e.g., base stations) broadcast SSBs using different beams. Terminal devices measure the received signal strength of SSBs under different beams and select the best beam. To facilitate feedback from the terminal on the selected beam, the network device binds SSBs to ROs to form an SSB-RO mapping. In this way, the beam selected by the terminal device can be determined based on the transmit preamble and RO position selected by the terminal device.

[0153] (5) RO-SSB mapping cycle: It can also be understood as SSB cycle, that is, the minimum time interval between all SSBs mapping to RO within a cycle.

[0154] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 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 1000 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.

[0155] 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).

[0156] 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] 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.

[0164] 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.

[0165] 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.

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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).

[0169] 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.

[0170] 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.

[0171] 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.

[0172] 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_IDLE), RRC inactive (RRC_INACTIVE), and RRC connected (RRC_CONNECTED).

[0173] 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.

[0174] Currently, when a terminal device is in RRC idle or RRC inactive state, it can transition to RRC connected state through a random access procedure, thereby enabling data transmission. Specifically, during the random access procedure, the terminal device typically selects a preamble from the preambles configured in the SIB and initiates the random access procedure. However, different terminal devices may select the same preamble, affecting the efficiency of the random access process.

[0175] To avoid collisions, the traditional method is to allocate specific preambles to terminal devices in a non-contention-based manner. However, when there are a large number of terminal devices, the non-contention-based method also faces the problem of insufficient preamble resources. In other words, the existing methods of configuring preambles can no longer meet the requirements for access efficiency or collision reduction.

[0176] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related apparatus, allowing a terminal device to send a preamble via a first index indicated by a paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes using paging messages to assist random access. For example, by pre-indicating the index related to the preamble group via the paging message, not only can the probability of preamble collisions be reduced, improving random access efficiency, but it can also mitigate the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble.

[0177] Please refer to Figure 2, a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application embodiment. This method may include steps 201 to 203. Steps 201 to 203 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 201 to 203 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 1C, and specific limitations are not specified here.

[0178] Due to the long intervals between the steps, steps 201 to 203 will be briefly described here first, and then described in detail later. Step 201: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device. Step 202: The network device sends a paging message to the terminal device. Step 203: The terminal device sends the first preamble to the network device.

[0179] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the terminal device is in an RRC disconnected state when receiving the paging message and sending the first preamble. The RRC state of the terminal device in step 201 is not limited. For example, when the terminal device is in an RRC connected state, the network device sends the first information to the terminal device. Or, for example, when the terminal device is in an RRC disconnected state, the network device sends the first information to the terminal device. The terminal device in the RRC disconnected state can be understood as a terminal device in an RRC inactive state, a terminal device in an RRC idle state, a terminal device in power-saving mode, a terminal device in basic mode, or a terminal device in default mode, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0180] Step 201: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device. This step is optional.

[0181] Optionally, the network device sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information sent by the network device. The terminal device can be one of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1A to 1C, and the network device can be one of the RAN nodes shown in Figures 1A to 1C.

[0182] Optionally, the first information can be carried in one or more of the following: system information block (SIB), paging (e.g., paging DCI or paging message), RRC signaling, etc., without specific limitations here. Here, SIB can be understood as SIB1 or other system information (OSI), and OSI can be understood as at least one of SIB2-SIBX, where X is an integer greater than 1. Of course, this first information can also be reflected in the static protocol configuration, without specific limitations here.

[0183] Furthermore, this first information can be for multiple terminal devices or for a specific terminal device, etc., without limitation here. For example, when the terminal device is in RRC disconnected state, the first information can be a general configuration (or non-SSB-specific) performed through SIB, OSI, or paging, meaning it can be used for multiple unspecified terminal devices and SSBs. As another example, when the terminal device is in RRC connected state, the network device can configure first information for a specific terminal device (UE-specific) or a specific SSB (SSB-specific) through RRC signaling, i.e., first information configured for a specific user. Of course, when the terminal device is in RRC connected state, the network device can also perform general / specific configurations for one or more terminal devices through RRC signaling, etc., without limitation here.

[0184] In this embodiment of the application, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: multiple preambles, multiple preamble indices, multiple random access channel occasions (ROs), multiple RO indices, multiple preamble groups, multiple preamble group indices, multiple RO groups, multiple RO group indices, a first quantity, grouping rules, a second quantity, a third index, whether the indices are consecutive, etc., and the specific details are not limited here.

[0185] The preamble and RO mentioned above can also be collectively referred to as random access resources. The random access channel occasion can also be understood as the time-frequency resources used by the terminal device to send the preamble. The random access channel occasion can be called (random access channel occasion, RO) or other names, which are not limited here.

[0186] Optionally, the first information is specifically used to indicate multiple grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index. For example, the grouping index is an index of the preamble group, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble group. Another example is that the grouping index is a RO grouping index, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the RO included in the RO group. Yet another example is that the grouping index includes both the index of the preamble group and the index of the RO group, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble group and the index of the RO included in the RO group.

[0187] The second index can include the maximum index of the members in the group associated with the second index. Alternatively, the second index can include the minimum index of the members in the group associated with the second index. Or, the second index can include both the maximum and minimum indexes of the members in the group associated with the second index. Or, the second index can include all member indices in the group associated with the second index. This will be described in conjunction with preamble groups or RO groups later, and will not be elaborated on here.

[0188] For example, the aforementioned "instruction" can be understood as configuration or configuration instruction, activation or activation instruction, or enable or enable instruction, etc., without being specifically limited here. That is, step 201 can also be understood as the process by which the network device configures one or more of the above-mentioned configurations for the terminal device. It can also be understood as the process by which the network device activates or enables one or more of the above-mentioned configurations for the terminal device.

[0189] For example, when the instruction is interpreted as a configuration, the network device configures one or more of the above-mentioned features for the terminal device using the first information. For instance, after receiving the first information, the terminal device can use the above configuration. Alternatively, after receiving the first information, the terminal device may also need to receive an activation instruction before it can use the above configuration, etc. Specific details are not limited here.

[0190] For example, if the instruction is interpreted as an activation instruction, the network device has already configured / pre-configured one or more of the above-mentioned features for the terminal device before step 201. However, the terminal device needs to receive the activation instruction before use. This can also be understood as the configuration previously provided by the network device to the terminal device not being activated; the activation of the configuration through the first information allows the terminal device to use it. In other words, after configuration or pre-configuration, the terminal device knows which configurations are available based on the content of the first information instruction.

[0191] For ease of subsequent description, the instructions will be explained as configuration examples for illustrative purposes.

[0192] The following is a description of each item indicated by the first information above:

[0193] 1. Multiple preambles / multiple preamble indices.

[0194] The first information can indicate the preamble by directly indicating the preamble index, or by indirectly indicating the preamble index, or by indicating multiple preambles in other ways (such as certain intermediate parameters), etc., without being limited here.

[0195] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different preambles, and the number of preambles corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different.

[0196] For ease of description, this application uses different indexes for different preambles as an example. In practical applications, different preambles can also be distinguished by identifiers (ID), numbers, sorting, or intermediate parameters, etc., which are not limited here.

[0197] In this embodiment of the application, the number of preambles can be two or more. For example, the number of preambles can be any value from 1 to 64 (e.g., 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, etc.), or any value from 1 to 128 (e.g., 72, 80, 88, 96, 104, 112, 120, 128, etc.), etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0198] Optionally, the network device may indicate multiple preambles to the terminal device through the first information by enumerating the preamble index, or by index range (also known as by the maximum index and minimum index), or by the maximum index, or by the minimum index, or by a preset interval, etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0199] It is understandable that the enumeration method, interval method, maximum index method, minimum index method, and preset interval method mentioned above can all be applied to scenarios where multiple preamble indices are consecutive. For scenarios where multiple preamble indices are not consecutive, enumeration, or a combination of interval and preset interval, or a combination of maximum index value and preset interval, or a combination of minimum index value and preset interval, etc., are usually used, and no specific restrictions are made here.

[0200] For example, the first information includes a first field used to indicate multiple preambles. Furthermore, the first field can also be used to indicate whether the indices of the multiple preambles are consecutive. For instance, the first field uses "C" to indicate consecutive indices and "D" to indicate non-consecutive indices.

[0201] For example, an example of the first field is shown below:

[0202] Preamble Index C::=SEQUENCE{

[0203] Preamble Index 0

[0204] Preamble Index 1

[0205] Preamble Index 2

[0206] Preamble Index 3

[0207] …}

[0208] For example, another example of the first field is shown below:

[0209] Preamble Index D::=SEQUENCE{

[0210] Preamble Index 0

[0211] Preamble Index 3

[0212] …}

[0213] The following example illustrates the above method using a set of 5 preambles, which can be denoted as Preamble0, Preamble1, Preamble2, Preamble3, and Preamble4.

[0214] Example 1, using enumeration as an example, the first piece of information includes: Preamble0, Preamble1, Preamble2, Preamble3, Preamble4. The network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first piece of information, including: Preamble0, Preamble1, Preamble2, Preamble3, Preamble4.

[0215] Example 2, taking the interval method as an example, the first information includes: Preamble0 and Preamble4. The network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first information, including: [Preamble0, Preamble4].

[0216] Example 3, taking the minimum index value and preset interval as an example, the first information includes: Preamble0. Assuming the preset interval is 1, the network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first information, including: Preamble0, Preamble2, and Preamble4.

[0217] It is understood that the above indication method is just an example. In actual application, it can also be indicated by skipping a preset threshold at preset intervals, etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0218] 2. Multiple ROs / Multiple RO indexes.

[0219] Here, RO can be understood as the time-frequency resource for the terminal device to send the Preamble. Similarly, the first information can indicate RO by directly indicating the RO index, or by indirectly indicating the RO index, or by indicating multiple ROs in other ways (such as certain intermediate parameters), etc., without being limited here.

[0220] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different ROs, and the number of ROs corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different.

[0221] Similarly, this application uses different indexes for different ROs as an example for illustrative description. In practical applications, different ROs can also be distinguished by identifier (ID), number, sorting, or intermediate parameters, etc., which are not limited here.

[0222] It should be noted that the RO index in the embodiments of this application can be unique to a certain SSB or shared by multiple SSBs, and the specifics are not limited here. The case where the RO index is shared by multiple SSBs can also be understood as the RO indexes of multiple SSBs having the same order, or as the RO index being reused on multiple SSBs, or as the RO index indicating a group of ROs, and each RO in the group having the same mapping order in the corresponding SSB, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0223] For example, taking the case where the RO index is shared by multiple SSBs, within an SSB period that is broadcast in all directions, the ROs corresponding to a certain SSB are sorted sequentially from front to back in time and from smallest to largest in the frequency domain. Furthermore, the sorted ROs can not only be applied to that SSB but also reused in other SSBs. For instance, there are four SSBs in an SSB period: SSB0, SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3. Assuming that the ROs corresponding to SSB0 are sorted, this sorting rule can also be applied to SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3. In this way, regardless of which SSB the subsequent terminal device selects through measurement, it can determine which RO to use for transmitting the preamble based on the reused RO sorting.

[0224] In this embodiment, the number of multiple Original Routers (ROs) can be two or more. For example, the number of ROs can be 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., and is not limited here. An RO can be considered as a time-frequency resource for transmitting a preamble, and multiple preamble code division multiplexing transmissions can be supported on one RO. For example, an RO can contain more or fewer preamble codes such as 32, 64, or 128.

[0225] Similarly, the network device can indicate multiple ROs to the terminal device through the first information by enumerating RO indices, by index range (also known as by the maximum and minimum indices), by the maximum index, by the minimum index, or by a preset interval, etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0226] For example, a network device can configure the starting position and frequency division multiplexing (FDM) of the PRACH in the frequency domain according to the parameters msg1-FrequencyStart and msg1-FDM in the higher-layer information cell RACH-ConfigGeneric. The terminal device can determine the frequency domain position of the PRACH according to the parameters msg1-FrequencyStart and msg1-FDM.

[0227] For example, with msg1-FDM=4, an example of the PRACH resource expressed by the above two parameters is shown in Figure 3. The vertical direction in Figure 3 represents the frequency domain, and each square is 1 RO. The ROs are arranged starting from the frequency domain position specified by msg1-FrequencyStart, with 4 ROs.

[0228] For example, a network device can configure the parameter `ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB` to explicitly define the mapping between SSBs and ROs (e.g., one SSB index can correspond to multiple ROs, or multiple SSB indices can correspond to one RO) and the number of contention-based preambles allocated to each RO. That is, the above `ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB` can be divided into two parts. One part is `ssb-perRACH-Occasion`, which represents the mapping between SSBs and ROs. The other part is `CB-PreamblesPerSSB`, which represents how many contention-based preambles are mapped to each SSB.

[0229] For example, ssb-perRACH-Occasion less than 1 indicates that one SSB corresponds to multiple ROs (or can be understood as one SSB can be mapped to multiple ROs). Conversely, ssb-perRACH-Occasion greater than 1 indicates that multiple SSBs correspond to one RO (or can be understood as multiple SSBs can be mapped to one RO). msg1-FDM can be understood as the number of frequency division multiplexing operations, or the number of ROs in the frequency domain, or how many frequency domain ROs are included in one time domain RO.

[0230] In this embodiment of the application, the number of SSBs (or the number of beams) can be one or more, for example, 4, 8, 16 or more or fewer SSBs, and the specific number is not limited here.

[0231] For example, ssb-perRACH-Occasion = Y, as shown in Figure 4. When Y = 1 / 2, one SSB is associated with two ROs. When Y = 2, one RO is associated with two SSBs (the two SSBs on one RO are associated with different preambles).

[0232] For example, taking a total of 4 SSBs as an example, assuming ssb-perRACH-Occasion = 1 / 4 and msg1-FDM = 4, the correspondence between SSBs and ROs can be shown in Figure 5. That is, one SSB corresponds to 4 ROs, as shown in Figure 5: SSB0 corresponds to 4 ROs, SSB1 corresponds to 4 ROs, SSB2 corresponds to 4 ROs, and SSB3 corresponds to 4 ROs.

[0233] For example, taking a total of 8 SSBs as an example, assuming ssb-perRACH-Occasion = 2 and msg1-FDM = 4, the correspondence between SSBs and ROs can be shown in Figure 6. That is, two SSBs correspond to one RO, and one RO in Figure 6 corresponds to two SSBs. For example, SSB0 / 1 (i.e., SSB0 and SSB1) corresponds to one RO, SSB2 / 3 (i.e., SSB2 and SSB3) corresponds to one RO, SSB4 / 5 (i.e., SSB4 and SSB5) corresponds to one RO, and SSB6 / 7 (i.e., SSB6 and SSB7) corresponds to one RO.

[0234] For example, taking a total of 4 SSBs as an example, assuming ssb-perRACH-Occasion = 2 and msg1-FDM = 4, the correspondence between SSBs and ROs can be shown in Figure 7. That is, two SSBs correspond to one RO, and one RO in Figure 7 corresponds to two SSBs. For example, SSB0 / 1 (i.e., SSB0 and SSB1) corresponds to one RO, and SSB2 / 3 (i.e., SSB2 and SSB3) corresponds to one RO.

[0235] Similarly, the network device can indicate multiple ROs to the terminal device through the first information in an enumeration manner, or in a range manner (also known as in a maximum index and minimum index manner), or in a maximum index manner, or in a minimum index manner, or in a preset interval manner, etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0236] It is understandable that the enumeration method, interval method, maximum index method, minimum index method, and preset interval method mentioned above can all be applied to scenarios where multiple RO indexes are consecutive. For scenarios where multiple RO indexes are not consecutive, the enumeration method, or a combination of interval and preset interval, or a combination of maximum index value and preset interval, or a combination of minimum index value and preset interval, etc., are usually used, and no specific restrictions are made here.

[0237] For example, the first information includes a second field that indicates multiple Returning Orders (ROs). Furthermore, the second field can also be used to indicate whether the indexes of the multiple ROs are contiguous. For instance, the second field could use "C" to indicate contiguous indexes and "D" to indicate non-contiguous indexes.

[0238] For example, an example of the second field is shown below:

[0239] RO Index C::=SEQUENCE{

[0240] RO Index 0

[0241] RO Index 1

[0242] RO Index 2

[0243] RO Index 3

[0244] …}

[0245] For example, another example of the second field is shown below:

[0246] RO Index D::=SEQUENCE{

[0247] RO Index 1

[0248] RO Index 3

[0249] …}

[0250] The following example illustrates the above method using a total of 6 ROs, which can be denoted as RO0, RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, and RO5.

[0251] Example 4, using enumeration as an example, the first information includes: RO0, RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, RO5. The network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first information, including: RO0, RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4, RO5.

[0252] Example 5, taking the interval method as an example, the first information includes: RO0 and RO5. The network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first information, including: [RO0, RO5].

[0253] Example 6, taking the minimum index value and preset interval as an example, the first information includes: RO0. Assuming the preset interval is 1, the network device configures multiple preambles for the terminal device using the first information, including: RO0, RO2, and RO4.

[0254] It is understood that the above indication methods are just examples. In actual applications, other methods such as indicating at preset intervals or skipping preset thresholds can also be used. The specific indication method is not limited here.

[0255] In addition, to increase the efficiency of preamble usage, the same preamble can be sent on different ROs.

[0256] It should be noted that the terminal device can determine the RO used to send the preamble by combining the multiple ROs indicated by the first information with the subsequent paging message, or it can combine the ROs used to send the preamble with existing RO determination methods, etc. The specifics are not limited here. This will be described in detail in step 203, and will not be elaborated here.

[0257] 3. Multiple preamble blocks / multiple preamble block indexes.

[0258] Similarly, the first information can indicate the preamble group by directly indicating the preamble group index, or by indirectly indicating the preamble group index, or by indicating multiple preamble groups in other ways (such as certain intermediate parameters), etc., without being limited here.

[0259] Each of the multiple preamble blocks includes one or more preambles. The number of preambles included in each of the multiple preamble blocks can be the same or different. Alternatively, each preamble block index in the multiple preamble block indices can correspond to one or more preamble indices, and the number of preamble indices corresponding to each preamble block index in the multiple preamble block indices can be the same or different.

[0260] It should be noted that this situation involves preamble group indexing, which, compared to preamble indexing, can further reduce the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble. In other words, by dividing multiple preambles into multiple groups, since each group includes one or more preambles, even if different terminal devices select the same preamble group, the probability of selecting the same preamble is not high.

[0261] For ease of description, this application uses the example of different preamble groups being distinguished by an index. In practical applications, different preamble groups can also be distinguished by an ID, number, or sorting, etc., which is not limited here.

[0262] For example, multiple preamble blocks include preamble block 1 and preamble block 2. For instance, if both blocks contain the same number of preambles, preamble block 1 contains 32 preambles, and preamble block 2 contains 32 preambles. Alternatively, if the two blocks contain different numbers of preambles, preamble block 1 contains 32 preambles, and preamble block 2 contains 16 preambles.

[0263] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different preamble groups, and the number of preamble groups corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different.

[0264] Furthermore, different preamble groups can include partially or completely different preambles. Alternatively, this can be understood as different preamble groups containing completely different preambles or partially identical preambles, or as different preamble groups containing non-overlapping preambles or partially overlapping preambles. Additionally, different preamble groups can contain the same or different numbers of preambles.

[0265] For example, multiple preamble blocks include preamble block 1 and preamble block 2. For instance, assuming the two blocks have different preamble portions, preamble block 1 includes: preamble 0, preamble 1, preamble 2, preamble 3, preamble 4, and preamble 5; preamble block 2 includes: preamble 4, preamble 5, preamble 6, preamble 7, preamble 8, and preamble 9. That is, both preamble block 1 and preamble block 2 include preamble 4 and preamble 5. As another example, assuming the two blocks have completely different preambles, preamble block 1 includes: preamble 0, preamble 1, preamble 2, preamble 3, preamble 4, and preamble 5; preamble block 2 includes: preamble 6, preamble 7, preamble 8, preamble 9, and preamble 10.

[0266] Alternatively, multiple preamble blocks can also be referred to as any of the following: multiple preamble groups, multiple preamble sets, multiple preamble set, preamble block set, multiple preamble group set, etc. The specific name of multiple preamble blocks is not limited here.

[0267] For example, the first information includes a third field used to indicate multiple preamble groups. Furthermore, the third field can also be used to indicate whether the indices of the multiple preamble groups are consecutive. For instance, the third field uses "C" to indicate consecutive indices and "D" to indicate non-consecutive indices. Examples of different indication methods will follow, but will not be elaborated upon here.

[0268] In this application embodiment, there are several ways in which the first information indicates multiple preamble groups, which are described below.

[0269] In Method 1, the first information is only used to indicate multiple preamble group indices. The preamble / preamble index associated with each preamble group index has been previously informed to the terminal device through configuration or pre-configuration. After the terminal device determines the group indices of multiple preambles based on the first information, it can determine which preambles are included in each group according to the previous configuration or pre-configuration.

[0270] For example, the third field in this approach can indicate multiple preamble grouped indexes.

[0271] For example, an example of the third field is shown below:

[0272] PreambleGroup C::=SEQUENCE{

[0273] PreambleGroupIndex 0,1,2

[0274] …}

[0275] For example, another example of the third field is shown below:

[0276] PreambleGroup D::=SEQUENCE{

[0277] PreambleGroupIndex 0,2,4

[0278] …}

[0279] Example 7, taking the first information specifically indicating multiple preamble group indices as an example, assumes that the multiple preamble group indices specifically indicated by the first information include: Preamble Group Index 0 and Preamble Group Index 3. Furthermore, the preamble indices previously configured or pre-configured with Preamble Group Index 0 include: Preamble Index 0 and Preamble Index 1. The preamble indices previously configured or pre-configured with Preamble Group Index 3 include: Preamble Index 2 and Preamble Index 3. Then, the association relationship between the multiple preamble group indices and the preamble indices can be shown in Table 1:

[0280] Table 1

[0281] Specifically, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Index 0 and Preamble Index 1. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Index 2 and Preamble Index 3.

[0282] Alternatively, it can be understood as: Preamble Group Index 0 <--> Preamble Index 0,1. Preamble Group Index 3 <--> Preamble Index 2,3.

[0283] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes Preamble Index 0 and 1. Preamble Group Index 3 includes Preamble Index 2 and 3.

[0284] For example, an example of the third field is shown below:

[0285] PreambleGroup C::=SEQUENCE{

[0286] PreambleGroupIndex0 0,1

[0287] PreambleGroupIndex3 2,3

[0288] …}

[0289] For example, another example of the third field is shown below:

[0290] PreambleGroup C::=SEQUENCE{

[0291] PreambleGroupIndex0 0,2

[0292] PreambleGroupIndex3 1,3

[0293] …}

[0294] Method 2: The first information is specifically used to indicate multiple preamble block indices and a second index associated with each preamble block index. Alternatively, it can be understood as the first information specifically used to indicate the association (or mapping) between multiple preamble block indices and the second index. Or, it can be understood as the first information specifically used to indicate multiple sets and the elements included in each set, or as the first information specifically used to indicate multiple groups and the group members included in each group.

[0295] The second index may include any of the following: all indices of multiple preambles in the corresponding group, the maximum index of multiple preambles in the corresponding group, the minimum index of multiple preambles in the corresponding group, the maximum and minimum indices of multiple preambles in the corresponding group (which can also be understood as an interval), etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0296] The relationships in the embodiments of this application can be represented by arrays, sets, tables, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0297] Optionally, when the second index includes the maximum or minimum index, other information can be combined to determine the preamble included in the group. For example, whether the preamble indices are consecutive, the total number of preambles in all groups, the number of groups, the preset interval between preamble indices, etc., are not specifically limited here.

[0298] Example 8, taking the case where the second index includes all preamble indices in its group, shows the specific association between multiple Preamble Group Indexes and multiple Preamble Indexes indicated by the first information. For example, the association between Preamble Group Indexes and Preamble Indexes can be shown in Table 2:

[0299] Table 2

[0300] Among them, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Index 0, Preamble Index 3, Preamble Index 7, and Preamble Index 14. Preamble Group Index 1 is associated with Preamble Index 8, Preamble Index 15, Preamble Index 17, and Preamble Index 19. Preamble Group Index 2 is associated with Preamble Index 16, Preamble Index 20, Preamble Index 22, and Preamble Index 24. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Index 5, Preamble Index 9, Preamble Index 11, and Preamble Index 25.

[0301] Or understood as, Preamble Group Index 0<-->Preamble Index 0,3,7,14. Preamble Group Index 1<-->Preamble Index 8,15,17,19. Preamble Group Index 2<-->Preamble Index 16,20,22,24. Preamble Group Index 3<-->Preamble Index 5,9,11,25.

[0302] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes: Preamble Index 0, 3, 7, 14. Preamble Group Index 1 includes: Preamble Index 8, 15, 17, 19. Preamble Group Index 2 includes: Preamble Index 16, 20, 22, 24. Preamble Group Index 3 includes: Preamble Index 5, 9, 11, 25.

[0303] For example, the field of Example 8 is as follows:

[0304] PreambleGroup D::=SEQUENCE{

[0305] PreambleGroupIndex0 0,3,7,14

[0306] PreambleGroupIndex1 8,15,17,19

[0307] PreambleGroupIndex2 16,20,22,24

[0308] PreambleGroupIndex3 5,9,11,25

[0309] …}

[0310] Example 9: Assuming the indices of multiple preamble groups are consecutive, consider an example where the second index includes the largest and smallest preamble index within its group (or, as the first information indicates multiple preamble groups through intervals). For instance, the relationship between the Preamble Group Index and the Preamble Index can be shown in Table 3:

[0311] Table 3

[0312] Specifically, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Indexes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Preamble Group Index 1 is associated with Preamble Indexes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Preamble Group Index 2 is associated with Preamble Indexes 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Indexes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29.

[0313] Or understood as, Preamble Group Index 0<-->Preamble Index 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Preamble Group Index 1<-->Preamble Index 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15. Preamble Group Index 2<-->Preamble Index16,17,18,19,20,21,22. Preamble Group Index 3<-->Preamble Index 23,24,25,26,27,28,29.

[0314] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes: Preamble Index 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Preamble Group Index 1 includes: Preamble Index 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Preamble Group Index 2 includes: Preamble Index 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Preamble Group Index 3 includes: Preamble Index 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.

[0315] For example, the third field of Example 9 is as follows:

[0316] PreambleGroup C::=SEQUENCE{

[0317] PreambleGroupIndex0 0,7

[0318] PreambleGroupIndex1 8,15

[0319] PreambleGroupIndex2 16,22

[0320] PreambleGroupIndex3 23,29

[0321] …}

[0322] Example 10: Assume that the indices of multiple preamble groups are consecutive, and the number of preamble groups configured or pre-configured is 4. Take the case where the second index includes the smallest preamble index within its group as an example. For instance, the relationship between the Preamble Group Index and the Preamble Index can be shown in Table 4:

[0323] Table 4

[0324] Specifically, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Indexes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Preamble Group Index 1 is associated with Preamble Indexes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Preamble Group Index 2 is associated with Preamble Indexes 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Indexes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29.

[0325] Or understood as, Preamble Group Index 0<-->Preamble Index 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Preamble Group Index 1<-->Preamble Index 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15. Preamble Group Index 2<-->Preamble Index16,17,18,19,20,21,22. Preamble Group Index 3<-->Preamble Index 23,24,25,26,27,28,29.

[0326] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes: Preamble Index 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Preamble Group Index 1 includes: Preamble Index 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Preamble Group Index 2 includes: Preamble Index 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Preamble Group Index 3 includes: Preamble Index 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.

[0327] For example, the third field of Example 10 is as follows:

[0328] PreambleGroup C::=SEQUENCE{

[0329] PreambleGroupIndex0 0

[0330] PreambleGroupIndex1 8

[0331] PreambleGroupIndex2 16

[0332] PreambleGroupIndex3 23

[0333] …}

[0334] In method 3, the preamble index is continuous, and the first information can also specifically indicate the number of multiple preamble blocks.

[0335] In this approach, the first information can be used to indicate multiple preamble packets in various ways. For example, the first information may specifically indicate the number of preamble packets and the total number of preambles included in all preamble packets. Alternatively, the first information may specifically indicate the number of preamble packets, and the network device may have pre-configured or pre-configured the total number of preambles included in all preamble packets for the terminal device.

[0336] Optionally, the first information includes a fourth field, which indicates the number of preamble groups. This fourth field may also be referred to as the preamble group number field (PreambleGroupNumber).

[0337] Optionally, the first information can also be used to indicate grouping rules, which can be used to determine the specific preambles included in each preamble group based on the total number of preambles. For example, the grouping rule is uniform distribution. Alternatively, if the total number of preambles cannot be uniformly distributed, it can be specified that the number of preambles included in the preamble group with the larger index is greater than the number of preambles included in the preamble group with the smaller index. Another example is that the number of preambles included in the preamble group with the larger index is less than the number of preambles included in the preamble group with the smaller index. Yet another example is that the same number of preambles can be evenly distributed to each preamble group first, and then the excess preambles can be randomly placed into a preamble group, or the excess preambles can be placed into the group with the largest preamble group index, or the excess preambles can be placed into the group with the smallest preamble group index, etc. The specific grouping rule is not limited here.

[0338] In this way, after receiving the first information, the terminal device can determine multiple preamble groups by the number of groups and the grouping rules.

[0339] For example, let A be the number of preambles and B be the number of preamble blocks. If A is divisible by B (i.e., A / B = C), then the number of preambles in each of the B preamble blocks is C. If A / B = C with a remainder of D, then the number of preambles in B-1 preamble blocks is C, and the number of preambles in a single preamble block is D. Here, A, B, C, and D are integers greater than 0.

[0340] For example, if the number of preambles is A = 30 and the number of preamble blocks is B = 3, then the number of preambles included in each preamble block is A / B = C = 10. Assuming the indices of the 30 preambles are Preamble Index 0-29, an example of a 3-preamble block can be shown in Table 5.

[0341] Table 5

[0342] Specifically, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Indexes 0-9. Preamble Group Index 1 is associated with Preamble Indexes 10-19. Preamble Group Index 2 is associated with Preamble Indexes 20-29.

[0343] Or understood as, Preamble Group Index 0<-->Preamble Index 0-9. Preamble Group Index 1<-->Preamble Index 10-19. Preamble Group Index 2<-->Preamble Index 20-29.

[0344] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes Preamble Indexes 0-9. Preamble Group Index 1 includes Preamble Indexes 10-19. Preamble Group Index 2 includes Preamble Indexes 20-29.

[0345] For example, if the number of preambles is A = 30 and the number of preamble blocks is B = 4, then the number of preambles in each preamble block is C remainder D, i.e., 30 / 4 = 7 remainder 2. Assume the two extra preambles are assigned to the two preamble blocks with the smallest indices, and the indices of the 30 preambles include: Preamble Index 0-29. Then, an example of 4 preamble blocks can be shown in Table 6:

[0346] Table 6

[0347] Specifically, Preamble Group Index 0 is associated with Preamble Indexes 0-7. Preamble Group Index 1 is associated with Preamble Indexes 8-15. Preamble Group Index 2 is associated with Preamble Indexes 16-22. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Indexes 23-29.

[0348] Or understood as, Preamble Group Index 0<-->Preamble Index 0-7. Preamble Group Index 1<-->Preamble Index 8-15. Preamble Group Index 2<-->Preamble Index 16-22. Preamble Group Index3 is associated with Preamble Index 23-29.

[0349] Alternatively, it can be understood that Preamble Group Index 0 includes Preamble Indexes 0-7. Preamble Group Index 1 includes Preamble Indexes 8-15. Preamble Group Index 2 includes Preamble Indexes 16-22. Preamble Group Index 3 is associated with Preamble Indexes 23-29.

[0350] 4. Multiple RO groups / Multiple RO group indexes.

[0351] Similarly, the first information can indicate RO groups by directly indicating the RO group index, or by indirectly indicating the RO group index, or by indicating multiple RO groups in other ways (such as certain intermediate parameters), etc., without being limited here.

[0352] In this context, each of the multiple RO groups includes one or more ROs. The number of ROs included in each of the multiple RO groups can be the same or different. Alternatively, it can be understood that each RO group index in the multiple RO group indexes can correspond to one or more RO indexes, and the number of RO indexes corresponding to each RO group index in the multiple RO group indexes can be the same or different.

[0353] Similarly, this situation involves RO grouping indexes, which, compared to RO indexes, can further reduce the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same RO. In other words, by dividing multiple ROs into multiple groups, since each group includes one or more ROs, even if different terminal devices select the same RO group, the probability of selecting the same RO is not high.

[0354] For ease of description, this application uses the example of different RO groups being distinguished by an index. In practical applications, different RO groups can also be distinguished by an identifier (ID), number, or sorting, etc., which is not limited here.

[0355] It should be noted that, similar to the RO index, the RO grouping index in this embodiment can be unique to a single SSB or shared by multiple SSBs; the specifics are not limited here. The case where the RO grouping index is shared by multiple SSBs can also be understood as the RO grouping indexes of multiple SSBs having the same order, or as the RO grouping index being reused on multiple SSBs, or as the RO grouping index indicating multiple RO groups, and each RO group having the same mapping order in its corresponding SSB, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0356] For example, taking the case where the RO group index is shared by multiple SSBs, within an SSB cycle that is broadcast in all directions, the RO groups corresponding to a certain SSB are grouped and numbered according to a preset rule. Furthermore, the grouped and numbered ROs can not only be applied to that SSB but also reused in other SSBs. For instance, there are four SSBs in an SSB cycle: SSB0, SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3. Assuming that the ROs corresponding to SSB0 are grouped and sorted, this sorting rule can also be applied to SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3. Thus, regardless of which SSB the subsequent terminal device selects through measurement, it can determine from which RO group to select the RO for transmitting the preamble based on the reused RO group index.

[0357] For example, multiple RO groups include RO group 1 and RO group 2. For instance, if the two groups contain the same number of ROs, RO group 1 contains 2 ROs and RO group 2 contains 2 ROs. As another example, if the two groups contain different numbers of ROs, RO group 1 contains 3 ROs and preamble group 2 contains 2 ROs.

[0358] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different RO groups, and the number of multiple RO groups corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different.

[0359] Furthermore, different RO groups can include some or all different ROs. Alternatively, this can be understood as different RO groups containing all different ROs or some that are the same, or different RO groups containing non-overlapping ROs or some that overlap. Additionally, different RO groups can contain the same or different numbers of ROs.

[0360] For example, multiple RO groups include RO group 1 and RO group 2. For instance, if the two groups have different RO components, RO group 1 includes RO0, RO1, and RO2; RO group 2 includes RO2, RO3, and RO4. That is, both RO group 1 and RO group 2 include RO2. As another example, if the two groups have completely different RO components, RO group 1 includes RO0, RO1, and RO2; RO group 2 includes RO3, RO4, and RO5.

[0361] Alternatively, multiple RO groups can also be referred to as any of the following: multiple RO groups, multiple RO groups, RO group set, multiple RO group set, etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0362] For example, the first information includes a fifth field, which is used to indicate multiple RO groups. Furthermore, the fifth field can also be used to indicate whether the indexes of multiple RO groups are contiguous. For example, the fifth field uses "C" to indicate contiguous indexes and "D" to indicate non-contiguous indexes. Examples of different indication methods will follow, but will not be elaborated here.

[0363] The way the first information is used to indicate multiple RO groups is similar to the ways of indicating multiple preamble groups in point 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0364] In addition, to increase the efficiency of preamble usage, the same preamble can be sent on different ROs.

[0365] It should be noted that the terminal device can determine the RO used to send the preamble by combining the RO group indicated by the first information with the subsequent paging message, or it can combine it with existing RO determination methods to determine the RO used to send the preamble. Specific details are not specified here. This will be described in detail in step 203, and will not be elaborated on here.

[0366] 5. Grouping rules.

[0367] The grouping rule may include grouping rules for multiple preamble groups and / or grouping rules for multiple RO groups.

[0368] In this embodiment, the grouping rule can be uniform distribution; it can also be uniform distribution first, and then the extra group members (e.g., preamble or RO) can be preferentially allocated to the low-index group; it can also be uniform distribution first, and then the extra group members can be preferentially allocated to the high-index group; it can also be grouped according to the parity of the index (e.g., odd-numbered indexes in one group and even-numbered indexes in another group); it can also be that multiple reference indexes are specified first (e.g., start index or end index, etc.), and then the group member index associated with each group is determined according to the preset interval corresponding to each reference index and the corresponding reference index, etc., and the specific rules are not limited here.

[0369] Optionally, the first information can indicate the grouping rule through direct or indirect indication. For example, the first information can indicate the grouping rule through an index or other means.

[0370] For example, the first information can indicate different packet rules through an index. For instance, the network device may have configured or pre-configured the association between packet rule indexes and packet rule content for the terminal device. After determining the packet rule index using the first information, the terminal device can determine the packet rule content indicated by the first information based on the previously configured or pre-configured association.

[0371] For example, the relationship between the grouping rule index and the grouping rule content can be shown in Table 7:

[0372] Table 7

[0373] The rules in Table 7 above are described in detail below:

[0374] 1. Evenly distributed.

[0375] Even distribution can also be understood as dividing equally, or dividing equally according to the total number of group members, etc., without being limited to a specific meaning here. For example, dividing equally according to the total number of group members from smallest to largest. Or, dividing equally according to the total number of group members from largest to smallest.

[0376] In one possible implementation, grouping refers to preamble grouping. Uniform distribution in this approach means grouping the preamble evenly based on its total number.

[0377] For example, suppose the total number of preambles is M, and there are P groups, where M is an integer greater than 0 and P is an integer greater than 1. Then each preamble group includes M / P preambles.

[0378] For example, with M=24 and P=3, the indices of the 24 preambles can be evenly distributed into 3 groups from low to high or from high to low, with each group containing 8 preambles.

[0379] In another possible implementation, grouping refers to RO grouping. Uniform allocation in this approach can refer to uniform allocation in the frequency domain, uniform allocation in the time domain, or uniform allocation in both the time and frequency domains, etc.

[0380] Optionally, uniform distribution in the frequency domain includes: dividing the frequency domain into equal parts from smallest to largest, or dividing the frequency domain into equal parts from largest to smallest.

[0381] For example, the frequency domain can be divided into equal parts from smallest to largest as shown in Figure 8. An example of the frequency domain from smallest to largest is RO#0, RO#1, RO#2, and RO#3. For example, RO group 1 includes RO#0 and RO#1, and RO group 2 includes RO#2 and RO#3.

[0382] For example, the time domain can be divided into equal parts from smallest to largest as shown in Figure 9. For instance, RO group 1 includes RO#0 and RO#4, and RO group 2 includes RO#3 and RO#7.

[0383] 2. First, distribute the members evenly, and then assign any surplus members to other groups.

[0384] The aforementioned "certain groups" can refer to any one or more groups, or to groups with certain characteristics (such as low index or high index), etc., without being specifically limited here.

[0385] This rule can be understood as follows: when even distribution is not possible, some members are first evenly distributed, and then the remaining members are further distributed according to a certain rule. For example, random distribution, or distribution to low-index or high-index groups, as mentioned above.

[0386] For example, taking preamble grouping as an example, assuming the total number of preambles is 10 and the number of groups is 3, since 10 / 3 = 3 + 1, the 9 preambles can be evenly distributed first, and the excess preambles can be randomly distributed or assigned to the low index group or the high index group, thereby realizing the division of preamble grouping.

[0387] 3. Interval allocation.

[0388] This rule can be understood as having a preset interval between multiple member indices associated with a group, or it can be understood as first setting a reference member index in each of the multiple groups, and then determining the multiple member indices included in each group through the corresponding preset interval and the index of the reference member.

[0389] Optionally, the preset intervals corresponding to any two groups in the multiple groups can be the same or different.

[0390] Optionally, the preset interval corresponding to a group can refer to a single interval or intervals of different multiples (similar to the concept of a period), etc., without any specific limitation here. Of course, when the preset interval refers to intervals of different multiples, the value of the multiple must meet a preset condition, which is that the group member index selected after multiplying the multiple by the interval cannot exceed the total number of group members.

[0391] It is understandable that if the grouping refers to RO grouping, the aforementioned preset interval can also be understood as a preset frequency domain granularity and / or a preset time domain granularity. For example, the grouping rules corresponding to RO grouping include: a preset frequency domain granularity allocation in the frequency domain, and / or a preset time domain granularity allocation in the time domain.

[0392] For example, if the preset interval is K, the member indices in the group can include: reference member index - nK, ..., reference member index - 2K, reference member index - K, reference member index, reference member index + K, reference member index + 2K, ..., reference member index + nK. N is an integer greater than 2, and K is an integer greater than 0.

[0393] For example, suppose the group is divided into two groups, with multiple groups sharing the same preset interval of 1. The reference member index for group 1 is 3, and for group 2 it is 4. The number of members is 6, with member indices of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Therefore, group 1 includes the following member indices: 3-1-1, 3-1, 3 (reference member index), 3+1, 3+1+1. Group 2 includes the following member indices: 4-1-1-1, 4-1-1, 4-1, 4 (reference member index), 4+1, 4+1+1. In other words, group 1 includes the following member indices: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and group 2 includes the following member indices: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

[0394] For example, suppose the group is divided into two groups, with different preset intervals for each group. Group 1 has a preset interval of 1, and Group 2 has a preset interval of 2. The reference member index for Group 1 is 3, and for Group 2 it is 4. The number of members is 6, with member indices of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Then, the member indices for Group 1 are: 3-1-1, 3-1, 3, 3+1, 3+1+1, and the member indices for Group 2 are: 4-2, 4, 4+2. In other words, the member indices for Group 1 include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the member indices for Group 2 include 2, 4, 6.

[0395] For example, taking RO grouping as an example, one way to allocate intervals is shown in Figure 10. RO group 1 includes RO#0 and RO#2, and RO group 2 includes RO#1 and RO#3. It is understood that in the example in Figure 10, the preset intervals corresponding to RO group 1 and RO group 2 are the same. In practical applications, the preset intervals corresponding to different RO groups can also be different; this is not limited here.

[0396] 4. Parity Allocation.

[0397] This rule can be understood as grouping members based on the parity of their indexes.

[0398] Optionally, when there are two groups, one group may include members with odd-numbered indices, and the other group may include members with even-numbered indices.

[0399] For example, if the indices of multiple group members include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and two groups are set up, then one group includes 1, 3, 5, and the other group includes 2, 4.

[0400] It is understandable that the above rules are just examples. In practical applications, there may be other grouping rules, which are not specified here.

[0401] 5. First quantity.

[0402] The first quantity can be understood as the number of groups. That is, the first information is used to indicate the number of groups. In this way, by indicating the number of groups through the first information, the resources included in each group can be indirectly indicated in conjunction with preset rules (such as equal allocation or allocation at preset intervals), reducing the bit overhead of the first information indicating multiple groups and group members.

[0403] Optionally, the first quantity may include: the number of preamble blocks and / or the number of RO blocks.

[0404] For example, taking the first data as the number of preamble packets, the network device can indicate the number of preamble packets to the terminal device using the first quantity. The terminal device can then determine multiple preamble packets and the preambles included in each preamble packet based on the total number of preambles and the first quantity. For instance, assuming the grouping rule is uniform distribution, the terminal device can group the packets according to the grouping rule using the total number of preambles and the number of packets. This grouping rule can be indicated by an index carrying the grouping rule in the first information, or by other information, or it can be preset in advance, etc., and is not limited here.

[0405] Optionally, the first information includes a fourth field indicating the number of packets. For example, the fourth field may indicate the number of multiple preamble packets. This fourth field can also be called the Preamble Group Number field. As another example, the fourth field may indicate the number of multiple Original Route (RO) packets. This fourth field can also be called the RO Group Number field.

[0406] 6. Second quantity, third index.

[0407] In the case of RO grouping, the first information can also indicate the second quantity and the third index. The ROs within the SSB period of the second quantity are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second quantity.

[0408] For example, within a SSB period that is broadcast in all directions, the ROs corresponding to a given SSB are sorted sequentially from earliest to latest time and from smallest to largest frequency domain. Considering that a single period may not be sufficient to fully utilize RO resources, a second quantity indicator and a third index indicator can be added to the first information.

[0409] For example, the first information includes a fifth field and a sixth field. The fifth field indicates how many SSB cycles the ROs are numbered as a whole, and the sixth field indicates the SSB order in the second quantity.

[0410] The fifth field can also be called the RACH-OccasionCycle, and the sixth field can also be called the RACH-OccasionCycleIndex.

[0411] For example, with ssb-perRACH-Occasion=1 / 4, msg1-FDM=4, and RACH-OccasionCycle=2, the RO resources can be shown in Figure 11. It can be seen that within the first SSB0 cycle, the RO numbers range from #0 to #3, and within the second SSB0 cycle, the RO numbers range from #4 to #7. It can be seen that the RO numbers are consecutively numbered across the two SSB0 cycles.

[0412] It is understood that the above-mentioned first information indicates only a few examples. In practical applications, the first information can also be used to indicate other content, which is not limited here. Furthermore, the above items can be configured individually or in combination. For example, a network device can use the first information to configure multiple preamble packets and the preamble corresponding to each preamble packet for a terminal device. Another example is that a network device can also use the first information to configure multiple RO packets and the RO corresponding to each RO packet for a terminal device. Yet another example is that a network device can also use the first information to configure multiple preamble packets and multiple RO packets for a terminal device, etc., which is not limited here.

[0413] In addition, the first device can also configure backup resources for the terminal device (such as backup preamble, backup RO, backup preamble packet, backup RO packet, etc.) through the first information.

[0414] There are multiple ways to enable or activate the backup resource. It can be indicated by the first message whether the backup resource can be used / activated / enabled, or by a subsequent paging message, or by other indication information. The specific method is not limited here.

[0415] Step 202: The network device sends a paging message to the terminal device.

[0416] The network device sends a paging message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the paging message sent by the network device. This paging message is used to indicate the first index. The paging message can also be called paging information, paging, etc., but this is not specifically defined here.

[0417] The first index and the first information are used by the terminal device to send the first preamble. Alternatively, the first index can be understood as being related to the first preamble. Or, the first information and the paging message can be understood as being used to determine the first preamble and / or the first RO, where the first RO is the RO used to transmit the first preamble.

[0418] Optionally, the first preamble is related to the first index, and may specifically include one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the RO used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0419] Optionally, the first index is used to indicate one or more of the following: at least one preamble index, at least one RO index, at least one preamble grouping index, at least one RO grouping index, etc., without specific limitations here. Alternatively, it can be understood that the paging message is used to indicate one or more of the following: at least one preamble index, at least one RO index, at least one preamble grouping index, at least one RO grouping index, etc., without specific limitations here. Or, it can be understood that the paging message includes one or more fields, and these fields are used to indicate one or more of the following: at least one preamble index, at least one RO index, at least one preamble grouping index, at least one RO grouping index, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0420] The indications in the embodiments of this application can be direct or indirect, and are not specifically limited here. For example, the first index is used to directly indicate at least one preamble index, which can be understood as the first index including at least one preamble index. As another example, the first index is used to indirectly indicate at least one preamble index, which can also be understood as the first index indirectly indicating at least one preamble index by indicating an interval / maximum value / minimum value, etc. As yet another example, the first index includes one or more of the following: at least one preamble index, at least one RO index, at least one preamble block index, at least one RO block index, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0421] Furthermore, the network device sends a paging message to one or more terminal devices. This paging message includes a terminal device identifier and a first index associated with that identifier.

[0422] Optionally, the principle for assigning a first index to multiple terminal devices is to make the preamble or RO selected by different terminal devices as different or not completely the same as possible, thereby reducing the probability that different terminal devices will select the same preamble or RO and improving random access efficiency.

[0423] For example, different terminal devices correspond to different first indices. Thus, when the first index indicates a preamble index or a preamble group index, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble can be further reduced. When the first index indicates a RO index or a RO group index, the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same RO can be further reduced.

[0424] In this application embodiment, different terminal devices may refer to one or more of the following: different terminal device identifiers, different terminal device types, different service types, terminal devices in different locations, terminal devices with different priorities, terminal devices with different quality of service (QoS), etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0425] For example, different terminal device identifiers correspond to different first indices. For example, different terminal device types correspond to different first indices. For example, different terminal device service types correspond to different first indices. For example, terminal devices in different locations correspond to different first indices. For example, terminal devices with different priorities correspond to different first indices. For example, terminal devices with different Quality of Service (QoS) correspond to different first indices, and so on. Specific details are not limited here.

[0426] For example, the type of terminal device can also be called the user type. For instance, the user type may include one or more of the following: artificial intelligence (AI) user, Redcap service user, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) user, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) user, XR user, IoT user, 5G user, LTE user, NR user, etc., without being limited here.

[0427] Optionally, the paging message includes a seventh field and an eighth field, wherein the seventh field is used to indicate the terminal device identifier (UE_ID) and the eighth field is used to indicate a first index associated with the terminal device identifier.

[0428] For example, the eighth field can be a field added to the PagingRecord indicating each UE_ID in the paging message, or it can be a field added to other parts of the paging message; the specifics are not limited here.

[0429] For example, PagingRecord includes a seventh field and an eighth field. An example of PagingRecord is as follows:

[0430] Furthermore, when there are multiple first indices, the selection of resources for sending the first preamble from these indices can be based on rules (such as the priority order of the multiple first indices, business requirements, etc.) or without rules (i.e., random selection), etc., without specific limitations here. The priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message, etc.

[0431] For example, taking the first index indicating two RO group indices as shown in Figure 12, the paging message is used to indicate RO group index 1 and RO group index 3, and the priority level of RO group index 3 is higher than that of RO group index 1. The PagingRecord in this example can be as follows:

[0432] The following describes various scenarios for this step based on different paging messages. Since the paging message is used to indicate the first index, different paging messages can specifically refer to different first indexes.

[0433] In the first case, the first index is used to indicate at least one preamble index.

[0434] In this context, at least one preamble index includes the index of the first preamble. Alternatively, it can be understood that the preamble index indicated by the network device to the terminal device via a paging message includes the index of the first preamble.

[0435] Optionally, the embodiments of this application do not limit how the first preamble is selected from at least one preamble index. It can be selected randomly or based on some rule, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0436] Furthermore, the preamble indexes of different terminal devices are partially or completely different, and the number of at least one preamble index of different terminal devices is the same or different (or, to put it another way, the number of preambles of different terminal devices is the same or different).

[0437] In one possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate a preamble index. This preamble index is the index of the first preamble. This approach can also be understood as the network device directly indicating the first preamble via a paging message.

[0438] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different indices for the first preamble. Alternatively, this can be understood as different terminal devices being assigned different first preambles. This reduces the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble.

[0439] In another possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate multiple preamble indices. These multiple preamble indices include the first preamble index. This approach can also be understood as the network device indicating multiple preamble indices via a paging message, and the terminal device selecting the index of the first preamble from among these multiple preamble indices.

[0440] For example, multiple preamble indices have no priority order. The terminal device can randomly select a preamble from multiple preamble indices. That is, the first preamble is randomly selected from multiple preamble indices.

[0441] For example, multiple preamble indices have a priority order, and the terminal device can select one preamble from the multiple preamble indices according to the priority order. That is, the first preamble is selected according to the priority order of the multiple preamble indices.

[0442] Optionally, some preamble indices in the first index may be different for different terminal devices, or all preamble indices in the first index may be different for different terminal devices.

[0443] The fact that some preamble indices differ in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices can be understood as follows: The first indices corresponding to different terminal devices have partially overlapping preambles. Alternatively, they can be understood as having partially non-overlapping preambles.

[0444] For example, assuming the terminal devices include UE1 and UE2, the cases where the multiple preamble indices associated with UE1 and the multiple preamble indices associated with UE2 in the paging message are partially different are shown in Table 8:

[0445] Table 8

[0446] As can be seen in the examples in Table 8, the preamble indices associated with UE1 include 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, while the preamble indices associated with UE2 include 4, 5, 6, and 7. That is, the preamble indices corresponding to UE1 and UE2 include the same preamble (e.g., 4, 5) and different preambles.

[0447] For example, the paging message fields corresponding to the examples shown in Table 8 are as follows:

[0448] In the second case, the first index is used to indicate at least one RO index, and the at least one RO index includes the index of the first RO used to send the first preamble.

[0449] Similarly, at least one RO index includes the index of the first RO. Alternatively, this can be understood as the RO index indicated by the network device to the terminal device via a paging message including the index of the first RO.

[0450] Optionally, this application embodiment does not limit how the first RO is selected from at least one RO index. It can be selected randomly or based on some rule, etc., and is not limited here.

[0451] Furthermore, the RO indexes corresponding to different terminal devices are partially or completely different, and the number of at least one RO index corresponding to different terminal devices is the same or different (or, to put it another way, the number of ROs corresponding to different terminal devices is the same or different).

[0452] In one possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate a RO index. This RO index is the index of the first RO. This approach can also be understood as the network device directly indicating the first RO via a paging message.

[0453] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different first RO indices. Alternatively, different terminal devices may be assigned different first ROs. This reduces the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same RO.

[0454] In another possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate multiple RO indices. These multiple RO indices include the index of the first RO. This approach can also be understood as the network device indicating multiple RO indices via a paging message, and the terminal device selecting the index of the first RO from among these multiple RO indices.

[0455] Optionally, some RO indexes in the first index may be different for different terminal devices, or all RO indexes in the first index may be different for different terminal devices.

[0456] In this context, some RO (Return Onset) indexes differ in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices. This can be understood as some ROs overlapping in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices. Alternatively, it can be understood as some ROs not overlapping in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices.

[0457] For example, assuming the terminal devices include UE1 and UE2, the cases where the multiple RO indices associated with UE1 and the multiple RO indices associated with UE2 in the paging message are partially different are shown in Table 9:

[0458] Table 9

[0459] As can be seen in the example in Table 9, the multiple RO indexes associated with UE1 include 2, 3, 4, and 5, while the multiple RO indexes associated with UE2 include 4, 5, 6, and 7. That is, the multiple RO indexes corresponding to UE1 and UE2 include the same RO (e.g., 4, 5) and different ROs.

[0460] For example, the paging message fields corresponding to the examples shown in Table 9 are as follows:

[0461] In the third case, the first index is used to indicate at least one preamble block index, and the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble.

[0462] Specifically, at least one preamble packet index includes the index of the packet containing the first preamble. Alternatively, this can be understood as the network device indicating to the terminal device via a paging message that the preamble packet index includes the index of the packet containing the first preamble.

[0463] For example, the aforementioned first information is used to indicate multiple preamble block indices and a preamble index associated with each preamble block index. In this case, the first index is used to indicate at least one preamble block index among the multiple preamble block indices. Thus, the terminal device can determine the preamble associated with at least one preamble block index based on the first index and the first information.

[0464] Alternatively, the first information can be understood as indicating multiple preamble block indices and the corresponding preamble index for each preamble block index. The first index indicates at least one preamble block index among the multiple preamble block indices. The number of at least one preamble block index is less than or equal to the number of multiple preamble block indices indicated by the first information.

[0465] This example can also be understood as follows: the network device first uses initial information to indicate multiple resource pools and the resources included in each resource pool, and then uses a paging message to indicate at least one resource pool among the multiple resource pools. Thus, the terminal device clarifies the resources included in at least one resource pool, and then determines the resources required for random access from the resources included in at least one resource pool.

[0466] For example, in the absence of step 201, or in the case where the aforementioned first information does not indicate the preamble index associated with each preamble block index, the preamble / preamble index associated with each preamble block index has been previously communicated to the terminal device through configuration or pre-configuration. Thus, the terminal device can determine at least one preamble block index based on the paging message, and determine which preambles are included in each of the at least one preamble block based on the previous configuration or pre-configuration.

[0467] This example can also be understood as follows: the network device uses a paging message to indicate at least one resource pool, and the terminal device uses the paging message and the resources included in each resource pool that has been previously configured or pre-configured to determine the resources required for random access from at least one resource pool.

[0468] Optionally, the embodiments of this application do not limit how the first preamble is selected in at least one preamble block index. It can be selected randomly or based on some rule, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0469] Furthermore, the preamble block indices corresponding to different terminal devices may be partially or completely different, and the number of at least one preamble block index corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different (or, in other words, the number of preamble blocks corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different). Additionally, the number of preambles included in different preamble blocks may be the same or different.

[0470] It should be noted that this situation involves preamble group indexing, which, compared to preamble indexing, can further reduce the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same preamble. In other words, by dividing multiple preambles into multiple groups, since each group includes one or more preambles, even if different terminal devices select the same preamble group, the probability of selecting the same preamble is not high.

[0471] In one possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate a preamble block index. This preamble block index is associated with the index of the first preamble. This approach can also be understood as the network device directly indicating the index of the preamble block containing the first preamble via a paging message.

[0472] Optionally, different terminal devices may use different preamble block indices. Alternatively, this can be understood as different terminal devices being assigned different preamble blocks. This not only reduces the probability of collisions through block grouping, but also further reduces the probability of collisions by assigning different blocks to different terminal devices.

[0473] In another possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate multiple preamble packet indices. These multiple preamble packet indices include the index of the packet containing the first preamble. This approach can also be understood as the network device indicating multiple preamble packets via a paging message, and the terminal device selecting the first preamble from among these multiple preamble packets.

[0474] Optionally, some preamble group indices in the first index may be different for different terminal devices, or all preamble group indices in the first index may be different for different terminal devices.

[0475] The fact that some preamble group indices differ in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices can be understood as follows: There are partially overlapping preamble group indices for the first indices corresponding to different terminal devices. Alternatively, there are partially non-overlapping preamble group indices corresponding to the first indices corresponding to different terminal devices.

[0476] For example, assuming the terminal devices include UE1 and UE2, the cases where the multiple preamble block indices associated with UE1 and UE2 in the paging message are partially different are shown in Table 10:

[0477] Table 10

[0478] As can be seen in the examples in Table 10, the multiple preamble block indices associated with UE1 include 1, 2, and 3, while the multiple preamble block indices associated with UE2 include 3 and 4. That is, the multiple preamble block indices corresponding to UE1 and UE2 include the same preamble block (e.g., 3) and different preamble blocks. Furthermore, preamble block 1 includes preamble 1, preamble 2, and preamble 3. Preamble block 2 includes preamble 4, preamble 5, and preamble 6. Preamble block 3 includes preamble 7, preamble 8, and preamble 9. Preamble block 4 includes preamble 10, preamble 11, and preamble 12.

[0479] It should be noted that the third column in Table 10, namely the preamble index associated with each group index, can be indicated by the first information, or by the paging message, or by pre-configuration or pre-configuration, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0480] For example, an example of the paging message field corresponding to the example shown in Table 10 is as follows:

[0481] PreambleGroupIndex 1 1,2,3

[0482] PreambleGroupIndex 2 4,5,6

[0483] PreambleGroupIndex 3 7,8,9

[0484] PreambleGroupIndex 4 10,11,12

[0485] In the fourth case, the first index is used to indicate at least one RO grouping index, and the at least one RO grouping index includes the index of the group in which the first RO is located.

[0486] Similarly, at least one RO packet index includes the index of the packet containing the first RO. Alternatively, this can be understood as the RO packet index indicated by the network device to the terminal device via a paging message including the index of the packet containing the first RO.

[0487] For example, the aforementioned first information is used to indicate multiple RO grouping indexes and the RO index associated with each RO grouping index. In this case, the first index is used to indicate at least one RO grouping index among the multiple RO grouping indexes. Thus, the terminal device can determine the RO associated with at least one RO grouping index based on the first index and the first information.

[0488] Alternatively, the first information can be understood as indicating multiple RO grouping indexes and the corresponding RO index for each RO grouping index. The first index indicates at least one RO grouping index among the multiple RO grouping indexes. The number of at least one RO grouping index is less than or equal to the number of multiple RO grouping indexes indicated by the first information.

[0489] This example can also be understood as follows: the network device first uses initial information to indicate multiple resource pools and the resources included in each resource pool, and then uses a paging message to indicate at least one resource pool among the multiple resource pools. Thus, the terminal device clarifies the resources included in at least one resource pool, and then determines the resources required for random access from the resources included in at least one resource pool.

[0490] For example, in the absence of step 201, or in the case where the aforementioned first information does not indicate the RO index associated with each RO group index, the RO / RO index associated with each RO group index has been previously informed to the terminal device through configuration or pre-configuration. Thus, the terminal device can determine at least one RO group index based on the paging message, and clarify which ROs each RO group includes based on the previous configuration or pre-configuration.

[0491] This example can also be understood as follows: the network device uses a paging message to indicate at least one resource pool, and the terminal device uses the paging message and the resources included in each resource pool that has been previously configured or pre-configured to determine the resources required for random access from at least one resource pool.

[0492] Optionally, this application embodiment does not limit how the first RO is selected from at least one RO group index. It can be selected randomly or based on some rule, etc., and is not limited here.

[0493] Furthermore, the RO group indexes corresponding to different terminal devices may be partially or completely different, and the number of at least one RO group indexes corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different (or, to put it another way, the number of RO groups corresponding to different terminal devices may be the same or different). In addition, the number of ROs included in different RO groups may be the same or different.

[0494] Similarly, this situation involves RO grouping indexes, which, compared to RO indexes, can further reduce the probability of different terminal devices selecting the same RO. In other words, by dividing multiple ROs into multiple groups, since each group includes one or more ROs, even if different terminal devices select the same RO group, the probability of selecting the same RO is not high.

[0495] In one possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate a RO group index. This RO group index is associated with the index of the first RO. This approach can also be understood as the network device directly indicating the index of the RO group containing the first RO via a paging message.

[0496] Optionally, different terminal devices may have different indices for their first RO groups. Alternatively, this can be understood as different terminal devices being assigned different first RO groups. This not only reduces the probability of collisions through grouping, but also further reduces the probability of collisions by assigning different groups to different terminal devices.

[0497] In another possible implementation, the first index is used to indicate multiple RO group indices. These multiple RO group indices include the index of the group containing the first RO. This approach can also be understood as the network device indicating multiple RO groups via a paging message, and the terminal device selecting the first RO from among these multiple RO groups.

[0498] Optionally, some RO grouping indexes in the first index may be different for different terminal devices, or all RO grouping indexes in the first index may be different for different terminal devices.

[0499] In this context, the RO grouping indexes in the first index corresponding to different terminal devices are different. This can be understood as the first index corresponding to different terminal devices having partially overlapping RO groups. Alternatively, it can be understood as the first index corresponding to different terminal devices having partially non-overlapping RO groups.

[0500] For example, assuming the terminal devices include UE1 and UE2, the cases where the multiple RO packet indices associated with UE1 and the multiple RO packet indices associated with UE2 in the paging message are partially different are shown in Table 11:

[0501] Table 11

[0502] As can be seen in the example in Table 11, the multiple RO group indices associated with UE1 include 2, 3, and 4, while the multiple RO group indices associated with UE2 include 4, 5, and 6. That is, the multiple RO group indices corresponding to UE1 and UE2 include the same RO group (e.g., 4) and different RO groups. Additionally, RO group 2 includes RO1, RO2, and RO3. RO group 3 includes RO4 and RO5. RO group 4 includes RO6, RO7, and RO8. RO group 5 includes RO9, RO10, and RO11. RO group 6 includes RO12, RO13, and RO14.

[0503] It should be noted that the third column in Table 11, namely the RO index associated with each group index, can be indicated by the first information, or by the paging message, or by pre-configuration or pre-configuration, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0504] For example, an example of the paging message fields corresponding to the examples shown in Table 11 is as follows:

[0505] For example, another example of the paging message field corresponding to the example shown in Table 11 is as follows:

[0506] ROGroupIndex 2 1,2,3

[0507] ROGroupIndex 3 4,5

[0508] ROGroupIndex 4 6,7,8

[0509] ROGroupIndex 5 9,10,11

[0510] ROGroupIndex 6 12,13,14

[0511] In the fifth case, the first index is used to indicate at least one preamble index and at least one RO index.

[0512] This situation can be understood as a combination of the first and second situations mentioned above. Similar descriptions can be found in the first and second situations mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0513] For example, assuming that UE1 and UE2 are the same terminal device in the examples in Tables 8 and 9, then in conjunction with the aforementioned...

[0514] Examples of paging message fields in Tables 8 and 9 are as follows:

[0515] In the sixth case, the first index is used to indicate at least one preamble grouping index and at least one RO grouping index.

[0516] This situation can be understood as a combination of the third and fourth situations mentioned above. Similar descriptions can be found in the third and fourth situations mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0517] For example, assuming that UE1 and UE2 are the same terminal device in the examples in Tables 10 and 11, the paging message fields combined with the examples in Tables 10 and 11 are as follows:

[0518] It is understandable that the above situations can exist individually or in combination; no specific restrictions are made here.

[0519] The above describes different scenarios for the first index of the paging message indication. The following provides an exemplary supplementary description of the access scenarios, broadcast methods, and whether the location information of the terminal device is sensed when the first index of the paging message indication is applied.

[0520] The access scenarios in this application embodiment can be divided into contention access scenarios and non-contention access scenarios, and can also be divided into 2-step random access scenarios and 4-step random access scenarios. They can also be combined with each other, for example, 2-step contention random access scenario, 2-step non-contention random access scenario, 4-step contention random access scenario, 4-step non-contention random access scenario, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0521] The broadcasting methods in this application embodiment can be divided into broadcasting in all directions, broadcasting in some directions, beamforming, etc., and are not specifically limited here.

[0522] For example, in contention-based access scenarios (e.g., 2-step or 4-step contention-based access scenarios), where paging messages are broadcast in all directions, the preamble and RO can use a generic configuration (i.e., non-SSB-specific). The paging message indicates one or more of the following: preamble index, preamble group index, RO index, and RO group index. For example, the paging message may be used to indicate the preamble group index and / or the RO group index.

[0523] For example, in non-contention access scenarios (such as 2-step or 4-step non-contention access scenarios), where the paging message is broadcast in all directions, the preamble can be configured according to existing protocols, the RO can adopt a general configuration (i.e., non-SSB-specific), and the paging message is used to indicate the RO index or RO group index. For example, the paging message is used to indicate the RO group index.

[0524] For example, in contention-based access scenarios (e.g., 2-step or 4-step contention-based access scenarios), where paging messages employ beamforming but do not perceive the location information of the terminal device, the preamble and RO can be specifically configured (e.g., SSB-specific). Since the paging message is bound to the SSB at this time, paging messages in each direction generate specific configurations based on the SSB of that direction (e.g., different SSBs configure different preamble groups; different SSBs configure different RO groups; different SSBs configure different preambles; different SSBs configure different ROs; different SSBs configure different preamble groups and RO groups; different SSBs configure different preambles and ROs, etc.). The paging message is used to indicate one or more of the following: preamble index, preamble group index, RO index, and RO group index. For example, the paging message is used to indicate the preamble group index and / or the RO group index.

[0525] For example, in non-contention access scenarios (e.g., 2-step or 4-step non-contention access scenarios), where paging messages use beamforming but are unaware of the terminal device's location information, the preamble can be configured according to existing protocols or use a specific configuration (e.g., SSB-specific), and the RO can use a specific configuration (e.g., SSB-specific). Since the paging message is bound to the SSB at this time, paging messages in each direction generate specific configurations based on the SSB for that direction. The paging message is used to indicate one or more of the following: preamble index, preamble block index, RO index, and RO block index. For example, the paging message is used to indicate the preamble block index and the RO block index.

[0526] For example, in contention-based access scenarios (e.g., 2-step or 4-step contention-based access scenarios), paging messages employ beamforming but sense the location information or partial information of the sensing terminal device. The preamble and RO can be configured specifically (e.g., SSB-specific). Since the paging message is bound to the SSB at this time, paging messages in each direction generate specific configurations based on the SSB of that direction. The paging message is used to indicate one or more of the following: preamble index, preamble block index, RO index, and RO block index. For example, the paging message is used to indicate the preamble block index and the RO block index.

[0527] In addition, if a network device can sense the location information or partial information of a terminal device, it can send a paging message only in the direction in which the terminal device appears.

[0528] Step 203: The terminal device sends the first preamble to the network device.

[0529] After receiving a paging message, the terminal device can send a first preamble to the network device based on the paging message. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first preamble sent by the terminal device.

[0530] Optionally, if applied in a 4-step random access scenario, this step 203 can also be referred to as message 1 (Msg1). If applied in a 2-step random access scenario, this step 203 can also be referred to as message A (MsgA).

[0531] This step is further divided into two cases depending on whether step 201 exists, which are described below:

[0532] In the first scenario, where step 201 is absent, the terminal device determines the first preamble for initiating the random access procedure based on the paging message and sends the first preamble to the network device.

[0533] In this case, the terminal device can determine the first preamble for initiating the random access procedure based on the paging message, or it can determine the first preamble for initiating the random access procedure based on the preconfiguration and the paging message, etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0534] Optionally, the paging message in this case may include at least one of the following cases from step 202 above: the first case, the second case, the fifth case, the sixth case, etc.

[0535] For example, a paging message may indicate at least one preamble index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can select a first preamble from the at least one preamble indicated in the paging message and send the first preamble to the network device. In this example, there are no restrictions on the method of selecting the first preamble or the method of determining the RO used to transmit the first preamble. For example, the method of selecting the first preamble can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and there are no specific restrictions here.

[0536] For example, a paging message can indicate at least one RO index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can select the corresponding first RO from the at least one RO index indicated by the paging message and send a first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, the method of selecting the first RO and the method of determining the first preamble are not limited. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0537] For example, a paging message can indicate at least one preamble index and at least one RO index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can not only select the corresponding first preamble from the at least one preamble index indicated by the paging message, but also select the corresponding first RO from the at least one RO index indicated by the paging message, and send the first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, the selection method of the first RO and the selection method of the first preamble are not limited. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be different according to different terminal settings, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0538] For example, a paging message can indicate at least one preamble packet index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can select a first preamble packet from the at least one preamble packet indicated by the paging message, select a first preamble from the first preamble packet, and then send the first preamble to the network device. In this example, there are no restrictions on the selection method of the first preamble packet, the selection method of the first preamble, or the method of determining the RO used to transmit the first preamble. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and there are no specific restrictions here.

[0539] For example, a paging message can indicate at least one RO (Redirect Origin) packet index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can select the corresponding first RO packet from the at least one RO packet index indicated by the paging message, select the first RO from the first RO packet, and then send the first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, there are no restrictions on the selection method of the first RO packet, the selection method of the first RO, or the determination method of the first preamble. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and there are no specific restrictions here.

[0540] For example, a paging message may indicate at least one preamble packet index and at least one RO packet index. After receiving the paging message, the terminal device can, on the one hand, select a first preamble packet from the at least one preamble packet indicated by the paging message, and select a first preamble from the first preamble packet. On the other hand, it can also select a first RO packet from the at least one RO packet indicated by the paging message, and select a first RO from the first RO packet. Then, it sends a first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, there are no limitations on the selection method of the first preamble packet, the first preamble, the first RO packet, and the first RO. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be different according to different terminal settings, etc., and there are no specific limitations here.

[0541] In the second scenario, if step 201 exists, the terminal device determines the first preamble for initiating the random access procedure based on the first information and the paging message, and sends the first preamble to the network device.

[0542] In this case, the terminal device can determine the first preamble for initiating the random access procedure based on the first information and the paging message, and send the first preamble to the network device.

[0543] Optionally, the paging message in this case may include at least one of the following cases from step 202: the first case, the second case, the third case, the fourth case, etc.

[0544] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple preamble indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one preamble index among the multiple preamble indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device selects a first preamble from the at least one preamble indicated by the paging message and sends the first preamble to the network device. In this example, the method of selecting the first preamble and the method of determining the RO used to transmit the first preamble are not limited. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0545] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple RO indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one RO index among the multiple RO indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device can select the corresponding first RO from the at least one RO index indicated by the paging message, and send a first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, the method of selecting the first RO and the method of determining the first preamble are not limited. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0546] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple preamble indices and multiple RO indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one preamble index among the multiple preamble indices and at least one RO index among the multiple RO indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device can not only select the corresponding first preamble from the at least one preamble index indicated by the paging message, but also select the corresponding first RO from the at least one RO index indicated by the paging message, and send the first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, the selection method of the first RO and the selection method of the first preamble are not limited. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be different according to different terminal settings, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0547] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple preamble packet indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one preamble packet index among the multiple preamble packet indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device can select a first preamble packet from the at least one preamble packet indicated by the paging message, select a first preamble from the first preamble packet, and then send the first preamble to the network device. In this example, there are no limitations on the selection method of the first preamble packet, the selection method of the first preamble, or the method of determining the RO used to transmit the first preamble. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and there are no specific limitations here.

[0548] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple RO packet indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one RO packet index among the multiple RO packet indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device can select the corresponding first RO packet from the at least one RO packet index indicated by the paging message, select the first RO from the first RO packet, and then send the first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, there are no limitations on the selection method of the first RO packet, the selection method of the first RO, and the determination method of the first preamble. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be based on different methods set by different terminals, etc., and there are no specific limitations here.

[0549] For example, the first information is used to indicate multiple preamble packet indices and multiple RO packet indices, and the paging message is used to indicate at least one preamble packet index among the multiple preamble packet indices and at least one RO packet index among the multiple RO packet indices. After receiving the first information and the paging message, the terminal device can, on the one hand, select a first preamble packet from the at least one preamble packet indicated by the paging message, and select a first preamble from the first preamble packet. On the other hand, it can also select a first RO packet from the at least one RO packet indicated by the paging message, and select a first RO from the first RO packet. Then, it sends the first preamble to the network device on the first RO. In this example, there are no limitations on the selection method of the first preamble packet, the first preamble, the first RO packet, and the first RO. For example, the selection method can be random, or it can be different according to different terminal settings, etc., which are not limited here.

[0550] It is understood that the descriptions in the above two scenarios are merely examples, and the various situations in each step of the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, without being limited here. For example, the first information in step 201 indicates multiple preamble packets, the paging message or first index in step 202 is used to indicate at least one preamble packet among the multiple preamble packets, and the terminal device in step 203 can determine the first preamble in at least one preamble packet and send the first preamble to the network device. As another example, the first information in step 201 indicates multiple RO packets, the paging message or first index in step 202 is used to indicate at least one RO packet among at least multiple RO packets, and the terminal device in step 203 can determine the first RO in at least one RO packet and send the preamble to the network device on the first RO. For example, the first information in step 201 indicates multiple preamble packets and multiple RO packets; the paging message or first index in step 202 is used to indicate at least one preamble packet among the multiple preamble packets and at least one RO packet among the multiple RO packets; in step 203, the terminal device can determine the first preamble in at least one preamble packet and the first RO in at least one RO packet. Thus, the terminal device sends the first preamble to the network device on the first RO, etc. The combination of these is not limited here.

[0551] It should be noted that if the method provided in the embodiments of this application involves RO or RO grouping, the terminal device may determine the RO by means of paging message indication or by combining existing protocols, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0552] For example, on one hand, network equipment (e.g., a base station) broadcasts SSBs using different beams. The terminal equipment measures the received signal strength of the SSBs under different beams and determines the SSB corresponding to the best beam. On the other hand, the terminal equipment determines the RO index based on the paging message. Finally, the terminal equipment determines the first RO used for transmitting the preamble based on the SSB corresponding to the best beam and the RO index. Alternatively, the terminal equipment can determine the first RO used for transmitting the preamble based on the RO index indicated by the paging message and the measured SSB.

[0553] Furthermore, the RO index in the embodiments of this application can be interpreted in multiple ways. The RO index can refer to a single RO or multiple ROs.

[0554] In one possible implementation, the RO index refers to a single RO. When determining the first RO, the terminal device needs to first determine the order among the multiple ROs associated with the SSB corresponding to the RO index, and then find the first RO among the multiple ROs associated with the SSB corresponding to the best beam according to the order.

[0555] For example, taking a single RO index as an example, as shown in Figure 13A, assuming ssb-perRACH-Occasion = 1 / 4, msg1-FDM = 4, and the terminal device determines the SSB corresponding to the best beam as SSB1 through measurement, the terminal device determines the first RO index as RO#2 based on the paging message. It then finds the RO corresponding to SSB1 in the correct order as the first RO and sends a preamble on the first RO. For example, if RO#2 is understood as a single RO, and RO#2 is the third RO from the bottom (i.e., the RO marked with an × in Figure 13A), then the first RO is the third RO from the bottom of SSB1.

[0556] In another possible implementation, the RO index refers to multiple ROs. When determining the first RO, the terminal device finds the first RO corresponding to the RO index among the multiple ROs associated with the SSB corresponding to the best beam.

[0557] For example, taking multiple ROs as an index, as shown in Figure 13B, assuming ssb-perRACH-Occasion = 1 / 4, msg1-FDM = 4, and the terminal device determines the SSB corresponding to the best beam as SSB1 through measurement, the terminal device determines the first RO index as RO#2 based on the paging message. It then finds the RO corresponding to SSB1 in the correct order as the first RO and sends a preamble on the first RO. For example, if RO#2 is understood as a group of ROs, RO#2 can be represented by the dashed box shown in Figure 13B. The terminal device then uses RO#2 and the measured SSB1 to determine the specific first RO (i.e., the RO marked with an × in Figure 13B).

[0558] Here, we would like to use Figures 13A and 13B as examples to illustrate that an RO index can refer to an index of a single RO corresponding to an SSB (i.e., an RO index refers to a single RO), or it can refer to an index of an RO corresponding to each of multiple SSBs (i.e., an RO index refers to multiple ROs). The specific definition is not limited here.

[0559] In this application embodiment, on the one hand, the terminal device can send a preamble through the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes to assist random access through paging messages. For example, indicating the preamble or the relevant index of the RO used to send the preamble in advance through the paging message can not only reduce the probability of preamble collisions and improve random access efficiency, but also reduce the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble. On the other hand, the network device can first configure multiple packet indices and the group members associated with each packet index through pre-configuration of RRC, SIB, or OSI, and then specifically indicate at least one packet index among the multiple packet indices through the paging message. Thus, after receiving the paging message, the terminal device can determine the preamble or RO associated with at least one packet index, and then perform random access through the preamble or RO. Furthermore, compared to the existing SIB method, the network device can obtain some information about the terminal device in advance by indicating the relevant index of the RO used to send the preamble or preamble in the paging message, and then perform paging through this information. For example, when network devices are aware of the location information of terminal devices, they can send paging messages in beamforming mode based on the location of the terminal device, instead of sending paging messages in all directions, thereby reducing paging overhead. On the other hand, network devices can also assign different preambles, ROs, preamble packets, and RO packets to different terminal devices. This can further reduce the probability of different terminal devices using the same preamble or RO, improving the access efficiency of different terminal devices. Furthermore, by using paging instruction preamble packets or RO packets, not only can the utilization rate of PRACH resources be improved, but also the flexibility of PRACH scheduling can be enhanced.

[0560] 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 FIG14, which shows an embodiment of the communication device 1400 in this application. This communication device 1400 can implement the functions of the first device or the 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 1400 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 1400 includes: a transceiver unit 1401.

[0561] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1400 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 13B above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0562] The transceiver unit 1401 is used to receive paging messages, which are used to indicate the first index;

[0563] The transceiver unit 1401 is also used to send a first preamble, which is associated with a first index.

[0564] Optionally, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0565] Optionally, the first index includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0566] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1401 is further configured to receive first information, the first information indicating one or more of the following: multiple preamble indices, multiple random access channel timing indices, multiple preamble block indices, and a preamble index, multiple random access channel timing block indices, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with multiple preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with multiple random access channel timing indices.

[0567] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0568] Optionally, the first information is specifically used to indicate multiple grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, wherein the first index is used to indicate at least one of the multiple grouping indexes;

[0569] The block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0570] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0571] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0572] Optionally, the second index includes the largest and / or smallest index in the group associated with the second index.

[0573] Optionally, the first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices.

[0574] Optionally, the multiple packet indexes include indexes of multiple random access channel timing packets, and the first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the multiple random access channel timing packets, the second number, and the third index;

[0575] The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0576] Optionally, the grouping rules include any of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain granularity allocation at preset intervals, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain granularity allocation at preset intervals.

[0577] Optionally, the first index is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, and the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0578] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate multiple random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the multiple random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0579] Optionally, there may be multiple first indices, and the priority order of the multiple first indices may be related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0580] Optionally, the paging message may also include an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0581] 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 13B above, and will not be repeated here.

[0582] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1401 can send the preamble via the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes to assist random access via paging messages. For example, by indicating the preamble or sending the relevant index of the RO used for the preamble via the paging message in advance, not only can the probability of preamble collisions be reduced and random access efficiency improved, but the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be mitigated.

[0583] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1400 is a network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 13B above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0584] The transceiver unit 1401 is used to send a paging message, which is used to indicate the first index;

[0585] The transceiver unit 1401 is also used to receive a first preamble, which is associated with a first index.

[0586] Optionally, the first preamble is associated with the first index, including one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group containing the first preamble is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group containing the random access channel used to send the first preamble is a subset of the first index.

[0587] Optionally, the first index includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block containing the first preamble, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block containing the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0588] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1401 is further configured to transmit first information, which indicates one or more of the following: a plurality of preamble indices, a plurality of random access channel timing indices, a plurality of preamble block indices, and a preamble index, a random access channel timing block index, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with a plurality of preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with a plurality of random access channel timing indices.

[0589] The first information and paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, where the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

[0590] Optionally, the first information is specifically used to indicate multiple grouping indexes and a second index associated with each grouping index, wherein the first index is used to indicate at least one of the multiple grouping indexes;

[0591] The block index is the index of the preamble block, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble block; or,

[0592] The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or,

[0593] The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet. The second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

[0594] Optionally, the second index includes the largest and / or smallest index in the group associated with the second index.

[0595] Optionally, the first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of multiple grouping indices.

[0596] Optionally, the multiple packet indexes include indexes of multiple random access channel timing packets, and the first information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the multiple random access channel timing packets, the second number, and the third index;

[0597] The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

[0598] Optionally, the grouping rules include any of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, frequency domain granularity allocation at preset intervals, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and time domain granularity allocation at preset intervals.

[0599] Optionally, the first index is used to indicate a first preamble block index, the first preamble block index being associated with at least one preamble, and the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

[0600] Optionally, the first information is used to indicate multiple random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the multiple random access channel timings, and the at least one random access channel timing includes the transmission of the first random access channel timing.

[0601] Optionally, there may be multiple first indices, and the priority order of the multiple first indices may be related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

[0602] Optionally, the paging message may also include an identifier of the terminal device, which is associated with the first index.

[0603] 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 13B above, and will not be repeated here.

[0604] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1401 can provide random access resources to the terminal device through the first index indicated by the paging message. Alternatively, this application proposes to assist random access through paging messages. For example, by indicating the preamble or the relevant index of the RO used to send the preamble in advance through the paging message, not only can the probability of preamble collisions be reduced and random access efficiency improved, but the problem of insufficient preamble resources caused by each terminal device using a specific preamble can also be mitigated.

[0605] Please refer to Figure 15, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1500 provided in this application. The communication device 1500 includes a logic circuit 1501 and an input / output interface 1502. The communication device 1500 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0606] The transceiver unit 1401 shown in Figure 14 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1502 in Figure 15. The input / output interface 1502 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 1402 shown in Figure 14 can be the logic circuit 1501 in Figure 15.

[0607] The logic circuit 1501 and the input / output interface 1502 can also perform other steps performed 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.

[0608] Optionally, the logic circuit 1501 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0609] 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.

[0610] 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.

[0611] 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.

[0612] Please refer to Figure 16, which shows the communication device 1600 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1600 can be a communication device that serves as a network device or a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0613] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1600, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1601 and a communication port 1602.

[0614] In Figure 14, the transceiver unit 1401 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1602 in Figure 16. The communication port 1602 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1602 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0615] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1603 and a bus. In embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1601 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1600.

[0616] Furthermore, the processor 1601 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.

[0617] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of the various components shown in Figure 16. For example, the number of processors 1601, the number of communication ports 1602, and the number of memory 1603 can each be one or more, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0618] It should be noted that the communication device 1600 shown in Figure 16 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 16 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0619] Please refer to Figure 17, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1700 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1700 can be the communication device that serves as the first network device or the second network device in the above embodiments. The structure of the communication device can be referred to the structure shown in Figure 17.

[0620] The communication device 1700 includes at least one processor 1711 and at least one network interface 1714. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1712, at least one transceiver 1713, and one or more antennas 1715. The processor 1711, memory 1712, transceiver 1713, and network interface 1714 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 1715 is connected to the transceiver 1713. The network interface 1714 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1714 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.

[0621] In Figure 17, the transceiver unit 1701 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1714 in Figure 17. The network interface 1714 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1714 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0622] Processor 1711 is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing 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 for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used for controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs. Processor 1711 in Figure 17 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.

[0623] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1712 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1711. Optionally, the memory 1712 can be integrated with the processor 1711, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1712 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1711. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1711.

[0624] Figure 17 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.

[0625] Transceiver 1713 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1713 can be connected to antenna 1715. Transceiver 1713 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1715 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1713 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1711 so that processor 1711 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1713 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1711, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1715. 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.

[0626] The transceiver 1713 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.

[0627] It should be noted that the communication device 1700 shown in Figure 17 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device 1700 shown in Figure 17 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0628] 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.

[0629] 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.

[0630] 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.

[0631] 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.

[0632] 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 a paging message, the paging message being used to indicate a first index; Send a first preamble, which is associated with the first index.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first preamble is related to the first index and includes one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group in which the first preamble is located is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group in which the random access channel used to send the first preamble is located is a subset of the first index.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first index includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block in which the first preamble is located, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block in which the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble is located.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Before receiving the paging message, the method further includes: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate one or more of the following: multiple preamble indices, multiple random access channel timing indices, multiple preamble block indices, and a preamble index, multiple random access channel timing block indices, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with multiple preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with multiple random access channel timing indices. The first information and the paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, wherein the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indices and a second index associated with each grouping indices, wherein the first index is used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indices; The group index is an index of the preamble group, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble group; or, The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or... The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second index includes the largest and / or smallest index in the group associated with the second index.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of the plurality of grouping indices.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The plurality of group indexes include indexes of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, a second quantity, and a third index; The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The grouping rules include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, allocation of the frequency domain at a preset frequency granularity interval, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and allocation of the time domain at a preset time granularity interval.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first index is used to indicate a first preamble group index, which is associated with at least one preamble, the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, the at least one random access channel timing includes the timing of transmitting the first random access channel.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, There are multiple first indices, and the priority order of the multiple first indices is related to one or more of the following: the size order of the multiple first indices, and the order in which the multiple first indices appear in the paging message.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The paging message also includes the identifier of the terminal device, which is related to the first index.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a paging message, the paging message being used to indicate a first index; Receive the first preamble, which is associated with the first index.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first preamble is related to the first index and includes one or more of the following: the index of the first preamble is a subset of the first index, the index of the group in which the first preamble is located is a subset of the first index, and the index of the group in which the random access channel used to send the first preamble is located is a subset of the first index.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The first index includes one or more of the following: a preamble index, at least one preamble block index, and at least one random access channel timing block index; the at least one preamble block index includes the index of the block in which the first preamble is located, and the at least one random access channel timing block index includes the index of the block in which the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble is located.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, Before sending the paging message, the method further includes: Send first information, which indicates one or more of the following: multiple preamble indices, multiple random access channel timing indices, multiple preamble block indices, and a preamble index, multiple random access channel timing block indices, and a random access channel timing index corresponding to each preamble block index; each preamble block index is associated with multiple preamble indices, and each random access channel timing block index is associated with multiple random access channel timing indices. The first information and the paging message are used to determine the first preamble and / or the first random access channel timing, wherein the first random access channel timing is the random access channel timing used to transmit the first preamble.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first information is specifically used to indicate a plurality of grouping indices and a second index associated with each grouping indices, wherein the first index is used to indicate at least one of the plurality of grouping indices; The group index is an index of the preamble group, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble group; or, The packet index is an index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet; or... The packet index includes the index of the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing packet, and the second index is used to indicate the index of the preamble included in the preamble packet and the index of the random access channel timing included in the random access channel timing packet.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second index includes the largest and / or smallest index in the group associated with the second index.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate a first quantity, which is the number of the plurality of grouping indices.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that, The plurality of group indexes include indexes of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, and the first information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the grouping rules of the plurality of random access channel timing groups, a second quantity, and a third index; The second number of synchronization signals and random access channel opportunities within the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) period are numbered as a whole, and the third index is used to indicate the order of the SSBs in the second number.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The grouping rules include any one of the following: equal division in the frequency domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the frequency domain from largest to smallest, allocation of the frequency domain at a preset frequency granularity interval, equal division in the time domain from smallest to largest, equal division in the time domain from largest to smallest, and allocation of the time domain at a preset time granularity interval.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The first index is used to indicate a first preamble group index, which is associated with at least one preamble, the at least one preamble including the first preamble.

24. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the plurality of random access channel timings, the first index is used to indicate a first random access channel timing group, the first random access channel timing group is associated with at least one of the plurality of random access channel timings, the at least one random access channel timing includes the timing of transmitting the first random access channel.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. 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 24.

27. 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 24.

28. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 13, and a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 14 to 24.

29. 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 24.

30. 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 24.

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