Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: receiving information of M non-contiguous transmission patterns and N pieces of adjustment amount information, wherein each of the M non-contiguous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more of the N pieces of adjustment amount information, the adjustment amount information is used for adjusting the non-contiguous transmission patterns, the M non-contiguous transmission patterns comprise a first non-contiguous transmission pattern, the first non-contiguous transmission pattern corresponds to P pieces of adjustment amount information among the N pieces of adjustment amount information, and the P pieces of adjustment amount information comprise first adjustment amount information; determining a second non-contiguous transmission pattern on the basis of the first non-contiguous transmission pattern and the first adjustment amount; and performing data transmission on the basis of the second non-contiguous transmission pattern. By means of the method, a communication device in a cell can use a correct non-contiguous transmission pattern to perform transmission, thereby reducing the energy / power consumption of the communication device.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411581698.0, filed on November 6, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to communication methods and communication apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In non-terrestrial networks (NTN) scenarios, hopping beam satellite communication systems have emerged to alleviate the contradiction between small payload capacity and wide coverage of a single satellite. Specifically, in a hopping beam satellite system, a single satellite is equipped with only a small number of beams (such as dozens of beams), and these beams serve the entire coverage area of ​​the single satellite in a time-division manner.

[0004] To achieve energy conservation, communication equipment within a cell can transmit data based on a configured discontinuous transmission pattern (such as data transmission, control information transmission, or reference signal transmission). Existing standards configure the same discontinuous transmission pattern for all communication equipment within a cell. However, in NTN scenarios, due to the large number of areas covered by a single satellite and the inability to provide services to all areas within the cell simultaneously, how to enable communication equipment within a cell to use the correct discontinuous transmission pattern for data transmission is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device, which enables communication devices in a cell to transmit data using the correct discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or circuit, or a logic module, hardware, and / or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the communication device).

[0007] The method may include: receiving information of M discontinuous transmission patterns and N adjustment amount information, wherein each of the M discontinuous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more adjustment amount information among the N adjustment amount information, the adjustment amount information being used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the M discontinuous transmission patterns including a first discontinuous transmission pattern, the first discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to P adjustment amount information among the N adjustment amount information, the P adjustment amount information including the first adjustment amount information, wherein M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1, N≥M, P≤N; and performing data transmission according to a second discontinuous transmission pattern, the second discontinuous transmission pattern being determined based on the first discontinuous transmission pattern and the first adjustment amount.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the communication device can determine the first discontinuous transmission pattern as the reference pattern, and adjust it through the corresponding first adjustment amount information to obtain the second discontinuous transmission pattern, which is a discontinuous transmission pattern applicable to the communication device.

[0009] In some implementations, the adjustment information used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern includes: the adjustment information used to adjust at least one parameter of the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the at least one parameter including start position, duration, and period.

[0010] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the first adjustment amount information.

[0011] Based on the above scheme, the network device instructs the communication device which adjustment information to use, so that the communication device can obtain an accurate discontinuous transmission pattern for data transmission and save the power consumption of the communication device.

[0012] In some implementations, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of a time-domain resource or signal, an identifier of a frequency-domain resource or signal, or an identifier of a spatial-domain resource or location.

[0013] In some implementations, the identifier of the time-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal Index (CSI-RS), Resource Group Index (group index), Logical Channel Identifier (LCID); and / or, the identifier of the frequency-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Partial Bandwidth Identifier (BWP ID), Frequency Identifier (frequency ID); and / or, the identifier of the spatial-domain resource or location includes at least one of the following: Wavelength Identifier, Geographic Region Identifier, Reference Point Location.

[0014] In some implementations, the information of the M discontinuous transmission patterns is carried in the Common MAC SDU within the Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU).

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the configuration overhead of discontinuous transmission patterns can be reduced.

[0016] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information indicating the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0017] In some implementations, applied to a communication device, the method further includes: when a first condition is met, employing the first discontinuous transmission pattern, wherein the first discontinuous transmission pattern is a discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to a first non-terrestrial network (NTN) device; wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following conditions: the distance between the location of the communication device and a first reference location is greater than a first threshold, the first threshold being pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; the clock of the communication device is located in a first time period, the first time period being pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; a first moment received by the communication device from the network device is located in a second time period, the second time period being pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; the distance between the location of the NTN device and a second reference location is greater than a second threshold, the second threshold being pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device.

[0018] Based on the above scheme, when the communication device determines that the triggering conditions of the first discontinuous transmission pattern are met, it determines to use the first discontinuous transmission pattern for transmission.

[0019] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); determining a channel measurement report based on the CSI-RS; and sending the channel measurement report.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, the integrated IAB node for access and backhaul can still perform channel measurements after activating the second discontinuous transmission pattern, thereby reducing the downtime of IAB node movement.

[0021] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or circuit, or a logic module, hardware, and / or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device).

[0022] The method may include: sending information on M discontinuous transmission patterns and N adjustment amount information, wherein each of the M discontinuous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more adjustment amount information among the N adjustment amount information, the adjustment amount information being used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the M discontinuous transmission patterns including a first discontinuous transmission pattern, the first discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to P adjustment amount information among the N adjustment amount information, the P adjustment amount information including the first adjustment amount information, wherein M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1, N≥M, P≤N; and performing data transmission based on the information on the M discontinuous transmission patterns and the N adjustment amount information.

[0023] In some implementations, the adjustment amount information used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern includes: the adjustment amount information used to adjust at least one parameter of the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the at least one parameter including start position, duration, and period.

[0024] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the first adjustment amount information.

[0025] In some implementations, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of a time-domain resource or signal, an identifier of a frequency-domain resource or signal, or an identifier of a spatial-domain resource or location.

[0026] In some implementations, the identifier of the time-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal Index (CSI-RS), Resource Group Index (group index), Logical Channel Identifier (LCID); and / or, the identifier of the frequency-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Partial Bandwidth Identifier (BWP ID), Frequency Identifier (frequency ID); and / or, the identifier of the spatial-domain resource or location includes at least one of the following: Wavelength Identifier, Geographic Region Identifier, Reference Point Location.

[0027] In some implementations, the information of the M discontinuous transmission patterns is carried in the Common MAC SDU within the Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU).

[0028] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending a second indication message, the second indication message indicating the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0029] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending a second discontinuous transmission pattern, wherein the first discontinuous transmission pattern is used by the terminal device for data transmission, and the second discontinuous transmission pattern is used to access the integrated backhaul IAB node for data transmission, wherein the first discontinuous transmission pattern is different from the second discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0030] Optionally, the second discontinuous transmission pattern has a shorter period and a longer duration compared to the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0031] In some implementations, the method further includes: transmitting a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); and receiving a channel measurement report, the channel measurement report being determined based on the CSI-RS.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which has the function of implementing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described function.

[0033] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which has the function of implementing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described function.

[0034] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor configured to cause the communication device to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory for storing computer programs or instructions, and the at least one processor is configured to call and run the computer program or instructions from the at least one memory, causing the communication device to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor may be included in the communication device or may be configured outside the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes the at least one memory. Furthermore, the communication device may optionally include a communication interface coupled to the at least one processor, which can be used to input information and / or data to the at least one processor, or to output information and / or data from the at least one processor. As an example, the communication interface may include an input interface and / or an output interface, or an interface circuit, etc.

[0035] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication interface and a circuit. The communication interface is configured to receive a signal to be processed and transmit the signal to the circuit. The circuit is configured to process the signal to perform a method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof; or to perform a method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication interface is further configured to output the signal processed by the circuit. As an example, the communication interface may be a transceiver, hardware circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. The signal includes information and / or data. Optionally, the communication device may be a chip.

[0036] A seventh aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented; or, the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0037] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented; or, as in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the method to be implemented.

[0038] A ninth aspect provides a wireless communication system, including a communication device as described in the third aspect and a communication device as described in the fourth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 shows an example of a communication system applicable to the technical solution of this application.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system beam operation mode.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another satellite communication system beam operation mode.

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the IAB architecture.

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a discontinuous transmission pattern provided in this application.

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a beam-hopping scenario for an NTN device.

[0046] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a discontinuous transmission pattern provided in this application.

[0047] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a MAC PDU message format provided in this application.

[0048] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a beam-hopping scenario for an NTN device.

[0049] Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application.

[0050] Figure 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in this application.

[0051] Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of the chip provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points are provided.

[0053] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication information as indicating A, it can include whether the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the indication information includes A.

[0054] The information indicated by the instruction information is called the instruction-to-be-instructed information. In the specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the instruction-to-be-instructed information. The instruction-to-be-instructed information can be sent as a whole, or it can be divided into multiple sub-information messages and sent separately. Furthermore, 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.

[0055] Second, in this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., "#1," "#2," etc.) are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of the processes described below do not imply an order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application. In addition, in the embodiments of this application, terms such as "810," "820," etc., are merely identifiers for descriptive convenience and do not limit the order of execution steps.

[0056] Third, in this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0057] Fourth, the term "storage" in the embodiments of this application can refer to storage in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into an encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others can be integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0058] Fifth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as LTE protocol, NR protocol and related protocols applied to future communication systems, and this application does not limit it.

[0059] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, "under the circumstances", "when", and "if" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0060] Seventh, the term "and / or" in the embodiments of this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0061] Eighth, the various message names or device names involved in the embodiments of this application are merely examples and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. For example, messages may have different names, as long as they can achieve the corresponding functions.

[0062] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, and non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including integrated communication and navigation (ICAN) systems, GNSS, and ultra-dense low-Earth orbit satellite communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, the mobile communication system can be a fourth-generation (4G) communication system (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a fifth-generation (5G) communication system (e.g., new radio (NR) system), and future mobile communication systems.

[0064] For example, a satellite communication system may include user equipment (UE) and network equipment.

[0065] The user equipment mentioned in the embodiments of this application includes various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication functions. Specifically, it can refer to user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. Terminal devices can also be satellite phones, cellular phones, smartphones, wireless data cards, wireless modems, machine-type communication devices, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices or wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, terminal devices in 5G networks or future communication networks, and terminal devices in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, etc.

[0066] The network devices in the embodiments of this application may include one or more satellite and ground station devices.

[0067] Ground station equipment can be equipment in the core network (CN) of existing mobile communication architectures (such as the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access architecture for 5th generation (5G) systems) or equipment in the core network of future mobile communication architectures.

[0068] Specifically, the core network, as the bearer network, provides the interface to the data network, offering user equipment (UE) communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and data service delivery. The core network (CN) can further include: access and mobility management (AMF) network elements, session management (SMF) network elements, authentication server (AUSF) network elements, policy control (PCF) network elements, user plane (UPF) network elements, and so on. The AMF network element manages UE access and mobility, primarily responsible for UE authentication, UE mobility management, and UE paging functions.

[0069] Network equipment may also include, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home evolved Node B (HeNB, or home Node B (HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and reception point (TRP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system. It may also be a gNB in ​​a 5G system, such as NR, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DMU). Units (DUs), etc., can also be used for devices that communicate with terminal devices in future communication systems.

[0070] In some deployments, a gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a dedicated unit (DU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some of the gNB's functions, and the DU implements others. For example, the CU handles non-real-time protocols and services, implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU handles physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), medium / media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and related functions of the active antenna. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered as being sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It is understood that access network equipment can be one or more of the following: CU nodes, DU nodes, and AAU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a network device in the radio access network (RAN) or as a network device in the core network (CN); this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0071] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, a radio access network may also be an open RAN (ORAN) architecture. In an ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application may be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0072] Satellites can be low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), or non-geostationary Earth orbit (NGEO) satellites. Connected to core network equipment, satellites can provide communication and positioning services to user equipment via multi-beam communication.

[0073] To facilitate understanding, the communication scenarios applicable to the embodiments of this application are briefly introduced with reference to Figure 1.

[0074] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system according to an embodiment of this application. The satellite communication system includes satellite 101, satellite 102 and satellite 103. Each satellite can provide communication services, navigation services and positioning services to terminal devices through multiple beams. In this scenario, the satellites can be LEO satellites or MEO satellites, etc. Satellite 103 is connected to ground station equipment (the core network equipment shown in Figure 1).

[0075] For example, the satellite shown in Figure 1 can use multiple beams to cover the service area (as shown in Figure 1), and different beams can communicate through one or more of time division, frequency division, or space division. The satellite can communicate wirelessly with terminal equipment through broadcast communication signals and navigation signals, and the satellite can also communicate wirelessly with ground station equipment.

[0076] The satellite mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be a satellite base station, or may include an orbital receiver or repeater for relaying information, or network-side equipment mounted on a satellite.

[0077] For example, at least one of base station 201, satellite 101, satellite 102, or satellite 103 in Figure 1 can be an IAB node. The satellite is connected to base station 201 and / or base station 202 and receives control information and user data from the base station. In addition, the satellite can operate in staring mode (e.g., earth-fixed coordinates or quasi-earth fixed coordinates) or non-staring mode (e.g., earth-moving coordinates).

[0078] It should be understood that Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding, and the satellite communication system may also include other network devices or other terminal devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0079] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, some basic concepts involved in this application will be briefly explained.

[0080] 1. Non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

[0081] Non-terrestrial communication networks, including satellite networks, high-altitude platforms, and drones, offer significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, convenient deployment, and independence from geographical limitations. They have been widely applied in various fields, including maritime communication, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation. The integration of terrestrial 5G networks and satellite networks, leveraging their respective strengths, forms a seamless global communication network encompassing land, sea, air, and space, meeting the diverse and ubiquitous service needs of users.

[0082] As an important component of NTN, the next-generation satellite network generally exhibits a trend towards ultra-dense and heterogeneous architecture: First, the scale of the satellite network has grown from 66 satellites in the Iridium constellation to 720 satellites in a single-network constellation, and eventually extended to the Starlink ultra-dense LEO satellite constellation of over 12,000 satellites; Second, the satellite network exhibits heterogeneous characteristics, evolving from a traditional single-layer communication network to a multi-layer communication network, and the functions of the communication satellite network are becoming more complex and diversified, gradually becoming compatible with and supporting functions such as navigation enhancement, Earth observation, and multi-dimensional information on-orbit processing.

[0083] 2. Beam operation mode of satellite communication system

[0084] Taking satellite communication as an example, based on the working mode of the payload (such as beam), it can usually be divided into staring (earth-fixed or quasi-earth fixed) and non-staring (earth-moving) satellite communication systems.

[0085] For example, for a non-staring system, as shown in Figure 2(a), the satellite beam coverage moves with the satellite over a period of time (e.g., times T1, T2, and T3); for a staring system, as shown in Figure 2(b), the satellite dynamically adjusts the beam direction to make the beam approximately cover the same area of ​​the ground over a period of time (e.g., times T1, T2, and T3).

[0086] 3. Region

[0087] Unless otherwise specified, the term "region" in the following embodiments of this application refers to a geographical region. A region is fixed relative to the Earth, or can be understood as a geographical region that is fixed relative to the Earth. For example, a region may have at least one of the following attributes: shape, outline, size, radius, area, geographical location, etc. Furthermore, a "region" may also have an altitude attribute, meaning a region can be understood as a geographical area at a given altitude or altitude range. For example, a region may refer to a geographical area on the ground with an altitude of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km, or a geographical area with a certain average altitude, or a geographical area at a specific altitude, such as a geographical area with an altitude of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned region fixed relative to the Earth can also be referred to as a "wave position," "geographical region," "geographical location," etc. Of course, other names are also possible, and this application does not specifically limit the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth.

[0089] Different regions may have the same or different shapes, outlines, sizes, radii, and areas. Different regions may be geographically different. Different regions may or may not overlap.

[0090] In one possible implementation, "region fixed relative to the Earth" can be understood as follows: the region's outline, size, or geographical location remains unchanged; for example, the region's outline, size, or geographical location does not change over time. Alternatively, "region fixed relative to the Earth" can be understood as follows: the region's outline and the points within it can be described using a fixed Earth coordinate system, or the coordinates of each point on the region's outline in the fixed Earth coordinate system remain constant.

[0091] In one possible implementation, the shape of the region can be a regular hexagon, or other shapes such as a regular pentagon, polygon, circle, ellipse, etc. Alternatively, the shape of the region can also be irregular, without limitation.

[0092] For example, the shape of a region can be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different shapes. The same network device can also define multiple region shapes. Similarly, the size, radius, and area of ​​a region can also be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different sizes, radii, or areas. The same network device can also define multiple region sizes, multiple region radii, or multiple region areas.

[0093] In one possible implementation, the Earth's surface can be divided into multiple regions, and these regions can be indexed (e.g., numbered). Terminal devices and network devices can agree on the numbering method for these regions (e.g., starting from 1 or 0) and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Alternatively, the protocol can define the numbering method for these regions and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Based on the region indexes, information such as the region's geographical location can be determined.

[0094] Optionally, the multiple regions can completely cover the Earth's surface, such that any location on the Earth's surface belongs to a certain region; or, the multiple regions can also cover part of the geographical location on Earth, for example, the multiple regions may not cover the Earth's South Pole and / or North Pole, that is, the South Pole and / or North Pole may not exist in the region.

[0095] 4. Beam-hopping communication

[0096] Typically, a single satellite has a very wide coverage area, reaching thousands or even tens of thousands of kilometers, while the coverage area of ​​a single beam can be as small as tens or even thousands of kilometers. Therefore, to support wide-area coverage, a single satellite usually needs to be equipped with hundreds or even thousands of beams, which poses a significant challenge to the payload, especially for LEO satellites. To alleviate the contradiction between small payload and wide coverage of a single satellite, hopping beam satellite communication systems have emerged. Specifically, in a hopping beam satellite system, a single satellite is equipped with only a small number of beams (e.g., dozens of beams), and these beams serve all the coverage areas of the single satellite in a time-division manner. As shown in Figure 3, a satellite can only form four beams at a time. At time T1, beams 0, 1, 4, and 5 are used to cover their corresponding areas (i.e., beam positions); at time T2, beams 2, 3, 6, and 7 are used to cover their corresponding areas. This continues, serving all the areas covered by the single satellite (i.e., the areas corresponding to 16 beams) in a time-division manner (T1, T2, T3, T4).

[0097] 5. Discontinuous transmission

[0098] This includes discontinuous transmission (DTX) and discontinuous reception (DRX). These refer to the practice of communication equipment temporarily stopping data transmission when there is no valid data to be transmitted, in order to reduce energy consumption. The application of DTX and DRX technologies can effectively reduce the energy consumption of communication equipment during communication, extend the equipment's battery life, and improve the user experience. At the same time, these energy-saving technologies also help reduce the load on the communication network, improving system efficiency and capacity.

[0099] In existing standards, the cell DTX / DRX configuration is as follows: This configuration separately configures the DTX and DRX types, as well as the initialization activation signaling for DTX and DRX. That is, this configuration allows for independent configuration of cell DTX (discontinuous cell transmission). The Cycle parameter represents the period duration of the DTX pattern, and the onDurationTimer defines the duration of the on duration within this cycle. During the on duration, the base station can normally transmit or receive downlink data, equivalent to the 'on' state of the beam in the hopping beam pattern. During the off duration, the base station will reduce the transmission or reception of some downlink signals; the off duration is equivalent to the 'off' state of the beam in the hopping beam pattern. The StartOffset defines the starting offset time of this cycle. The standard (TS38.800) stipulates that the network side will configure the same cell DTX / DRX configuration for all connected terminals within the cell; that is, for each UE, the on duration, start offset, cycle, and other parameters are configured identically.

[0100] 6. Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB)

[0101] The purpose of the IAB is to support wireless backhaul and relay links, enabling flexible and very dense deployment of NR cells without proportionally encrypting the wired transmission network. Typical deployment scenarios include supporting outdoor small cell deployment, indoor small cell deployment, and even mobile relay (e.g., on buses or trains). The functional architecture of the IAB is as follows:

[0102] IAB node (IAB-node): Supports NR access and backhaul, including the mobile terminal (MT) part and the DU part. When the IAB-node faces its parent node, it acts as a terminal device, i.e., the MT role; when the IAB-node faces its child node (which may be another IAB-node or a regular UE), it is regarded as a network device, i.e., the DU role. The MT part can be referred to as IAB-node-MT, and the DU part can be referred to as IAB-node-DU.

[0103] IAB host node (IAB-donor): A gNB that supports IAB functionality, including IAB-donor-DU and IAB-donor-CU. IAB-donor-CU provides connectivity for IAB-donor-DU and IAB-node-DU; IAB-donor-DU provides access for UE or IAB-MT.

[0104] To facilitate understanding, the IAB communication method is briefly introduced with reference to Figures 4(a) and (b). As shown in Figure 4(a), the IAB communication system includes an IAB-node and an IAB-donor. The transmission link between the UE and the IAB-donor is the access link; the transmission link between the IAB-node and the IAB-donor is the backhaul link; and the transmission link between the UE and the IAB-node is the access link. The specific architecture of the IAB is shown in Figure 4(b).

[0105] In NTN scenarios, the existing discontinuous transmission DTX / DRX configuration methods have the following problems: Since NTN equipment covers a large number of spectral positions and has a huge beam hopping space, NTN equipment needs to serve different areas in a time-division manner. If the same discontinuous transmission pattern is used for different areas according to the existing standard, it will cause most areas in the cell to be unable to transmit data accurately and bring unnecessary power / energy consumption.

[0106] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides various communication methods that enable communication devices within the cell of an NTN device to obtain correct discontinuous transmission patterns, thereby improving data transmission efficiency and reducing the energy consumption of communication devices.

[0107] It should be understood that the descriptions of specific scenarios in the embodiments of this application are merely examples. The methods provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied not only to the application scenarios described above, but also to application scenarios with similar problems.

[0108] For ease of understanding and explanation, the following description of the sensing method of this application embodiment uses the interaction between network devices and communication devices as an example, but this should not constitute any limitation on the executing entity of the sensing method of this application embodiment. For example, the method executed by the network device can also be executed by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the first communication device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The method executed by the communication device can also be executed by a module (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) of the communication device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device.

[0109] It should be understood that all node and message names in this application are merely names set for the convenience of description, and the names may be different in the actual network. This application should not be construed as limiting the names of various nodes and messages. On the contrary, any name that has the same or similar function as the node or message used in this application is regarded as the method or equivalent substitution of this application and is within the protection scope of this application. This will not be elaborated further below.

[0110] The various communication methods provided in the embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0111] It should be understood that the step numbers in the embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the order in which the steps occur.

[0112] Figure 5 illustrates a communication method 500 provided in this application, which includes at least some of the steps shown in Figure 5.

[0113] S510, the network device sends M discontinuous transmission pattern information and N adjustment amount information to the communication device; correspondingly, the communication device receives M discontinuous transmission pattern information and N adjustment amount information.

[0114] In this context, each of the M discontinuous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more adjustment information from the N adjustment information. The adjustment information is used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern. The M discontinuous transmission patterns include a first discontinuous transmission pattern, which corresponds to P adjustment information from the N adjustment information. The P adjustment information includes the first adjustment information. Here, M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1, N≥M, and P≤N.

[0115] Optionally, the communication device can be a terminal device or an IAB node.

[0116] The discontinuous transmission pattern can be either a DTX pattern or a discontinuous DRX pattern.

[0117] It should be understood that the above M discontinuous transmission patterns can be called M reference patterns, and the adjustment information is used to adjust the parameters of the reference patterns.

[0118] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a discontinuous transmission pattern. Optionally, the discontinuous transmission pattern indicates at least one of the following parameters: start position, duration, and period. Optionally, the start position can be indicated by a slot offset (e.g., the slot offset relative to the nearest system frame number (SFN)). Optionally, the duration refers to the duration of the active state, which can be called the on-duration. Optionally, the period is the time interval between two entries into the active state during the discontinuous transmission.

[0119] It should be understood that before the starting position, the communication device is inactive; at the starting position, the communication device enters the active state; during the duration after the starting position, the communication device remains in the active state and then returns to the active state after the duration ends; the period from the first entry into the active state to the second entry into the active state is one cycle.

[0120] Optionally, the adjustment information is used to adjust at least one parameter of the discontinuous transmission pattern, the at least one parameter including start position, duration, and period. Optionally, the adjustment information is an offset value or scaling factor used to adjust the at least one parameter.

[0121] The adjustment amount information can be used to adjust the starting position of the reference pattern.

[0122] For example, if the adjustment information indicates the offset value of slot offset (time offset), then the starting position after adjustment can be indicated by slot offset final, which is slot offset final = slot offset + time offset × (index - 1) × on duration / N, where index is the index value of the region.

[0123] The adjustment amount information can also be used to adjust the duration of the reference pattern.

[0124] For example, if the adjustment information indicates the scaling factor of on duration, then the adjusted duration on duration final = on duration × factor, or on duration final = on duration / index. Here, index is the index value of the region.

[0125] The adjustment amount information can also be used to adjust the period of the reference pattern.

[0126] For example, if the adjustment information indicates the scaling factor of periodicity, then the adjusted duration periodicity final = periodicity × factor.

[0127] It should be understood that the network device sends M reference pattern information and N adjustment amount information to the communication device, so that the communication device can determine the reference pattern to be used and the corresponding adjustment amount, and determine the discontinuous transmission pattern for data transmission based on the reference pattern to be used and the corresponding adjustment amount.

[0128] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a beam-hopping scenario for an NTN device. As shown in Figure 7, the area served by the NTN device includes areas 1 to 10. Areas 1 to 4 use reference pattern 1 (i.e., an example of the first discontinuous transmission pattern), and areas 5 to 10 use reference pattern 2. Each area in areas 1 to 4 corresponds to one adjustment amount information, that is, areas 1 to 4 correspond to 4 adjustment amount information, which is used to adjust reference pattern 1. Each area in areas 5 to 10 corresponds to one adjustment amount information, that is, areas 5 to 10 correspond to 6 adjustment amount information, which is used to adjust reference pattern 2.

[0129] For example, as shown in Figure 8, reference pattern 1 is the reference pattern for regions 1 to 4. Based on this, by adjusting the parameters of the reference pattern according to the adjustment amount information corresponding to different regions, discontinuous transmission patterns used in different regions can be obtained. For example, the discontinuous transmission patterns for regions 1 and 2 shown in Figure 8 can be obtained. Similarly, reference pattern 2 is the reference pattern for regions 5 to 10. Based on this, by adjusting the parameters of the reference pattern according to the adjustment amount information corresponding to different regions, discontinuous transmission patterns used in different regions can be obtained. For example, the discontinuous transmission patterns for regions 5 and 6 shown in Figure 8 can be obtained.

[0130] Optionally, the network device sends all reference patterns and corresponding adjustment information within the cell to each communication device in the cell.

[0131] For example, a network device sends reference pattern 1 and reference pattern 2, as well as 4 adjustment amount information corresponding to reference pattern 1 and 6 adjustment amount information corresponding to reference pattern 2 to a communication device in area 1 to 4. At this time, M=2 and N=10.

[0132] Optionally, the network device sends one or more reference patterns that the communication device needs to use and the adjustment amount information corresponding to the one or more reference patterns to each communication device in the cell.

[0133] For example, a network device sends a reference pattern 1 and four adjustment values ​​corresponding to the reference pattern 1 to a communication device in regions 1 to 4. In this case, M=1 and N=4.

[0134] It should be understood that for communication devices located in region 1, the corresponding reference pattern is reference pattern 1, and the corresponding adjustment information is the adjustment information corresponding to region 1. Similarly, the reference patterns and adjustment information corresponding to communication devices located in other regions can be obtained.

[0135] After the network device sends information about the first discontinuous transmission pattern and the adjustment amount information corresponding to the first discontinuous transmission pattern to the communication device, the network device can instruct the communication device to use which reference pattern and which adjustment amount.

[0136] Optionally, the network device sends a first indication information to the communication device, the first indication information being used to indicate the first adjustment amount information among N adjustment amount information.

[0137] The first indication information can be at least one identifier in the time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain. The at least one identifier is associated with the first adjustment amount information among N adjustment amount information. In other words, when the communication device receives the identifier, it can determine the first adjustment amount information associated with the identifier.

[0138] Optionally, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: an identifier of a time-domain resource or signal, an identifier of a frequency-domain resource or signal, or an identifier of a spatial-domain resource or location.

[0139] The identifiers of time-domain resources or signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal Index (CSI-RS), Resource Group Index (group index), and Logical Channel Identifier (LCID); and / or, the identifiers of frequency-domain resources or signals include at least one of the following: Partial Bandwidth Identifier (BWP ID), and Frequency Identifier (frequency ID); and / or, the identifiers of spatial-domain resources or locations include at least one of the following: Wavelength Identifier, Geographic Region Identifier, and Reference Point Location.

[0140] Optionally, the M discontinuous transmission patterns can be carried or activated by the Common MAC SDU in the MAC PDU. Optionally, when the first indication information includes LCID, the LCID can be wave position ID information, geographical area identification information, etc.

[0141] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a MAC PDU message format. In this format, the Common MAC SDU is used to carry information of M non-continuous transmission patterns, the MAC SDU corresponding to LCID1 is used to carry adjustment information corresponding to one region (e.g., region 1), and the MAC SDU corresponding to LCID2 is used to carry adjustment information corresponding to another region.

[0142] Optionally, when M is greater than 1, the first indication information is also used to indicate the first discontinuous transmission pattern among the M discontinuous transmission patterns.

[0143] Alternatively, when M is greater than 1, the network device also sends a second indication message to the communication device. This second indication message indicates the first discontinuous transmission pattern among the M discontinuous transmission patterns. Optionally, the second indication message is a Layer 1 indication (e.g., downlink control information or a low-power wake-up signal).

[0144] In the IAB scenario, since the communication equipment and the mobile terminal (MT) of the IAB node have different functions, the discontinuous transmission patterns applicable to them can also be different. In other words, different reference patterns can be configured for the communication equipment and the MT of the IAB node.

[0145] For example, network devices receive capability information of communication devices within the cell, which determines which communication devices are terminal devices and which communication devices are MTs of IAB nodes.

[0146] After determining which communication devices are terminal devices and which are MTs (Mediators) of the IAB (Information Technology Absorber) nodes, the network device can configure and distribute different reference patterns. For example, the network device sends information of the first discontinuous transmission pattern to the terminal devices and information of the second discontinuous transmission pattern to the MTs of the IAB nodes.

[0147] Optionally, the second discontinuous transmission pattern has a shorter period and a longer duration compared to the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0148] S520, the communication device determines a second discontinuous transmission pattern based on the first discontinuous transmission pattern and the first adjustment amount.

[0149] After receiving information on M discontinuous transmission patterns and N adjustment information, the communication device can determine the first discontinuous transmission pattern among the M discontinuous transmission patterns, and determine the first adjustment information among the N adjustment information corresponding to the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0150] Assuming the communication device is located in region 1, the discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to the communication device is the reference pattern 1 corresponding to region 1 and the adjustment information 1 corresponding to region 1 (i.e., an example of the first adjustment information).

[0151] In one implementation, M=1, meaning the communication device only received the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0152] Optionally, the communication device receives the first instruction information and determines the first adjustment amount information based on the first instruction information.

[0153] For example, the first indication information includes the identifier of area 1, or the first indication information includes the identifier of LCID1.

[0154] After receiving the first instruction information, the terminal pen can determine the adjustment amount information to be used based on the first instruction information.

[0155] In another implementation, M is greater than 1, meaning the communication device receives multiple discontinuous transmission patterns.

[0156] Optionally, the communication device receives the first indication information and determines the first discontinuous transmission pattern based on the first indication information.

[0157] Optionally, the communication device receives the second instruction information and determines the first discontinuous transmission pattern based on the second instruction information.

[0158] Optionally, the communication device receives the first instruction information and determines the first adjustment amount information based on the first instruction information.

[0159] For example, the first indication information includes the identifier of area 1, or the first indication information includes the identifier of LCID1.

[0160] In another implementation, the communication device determines whether to adopt the first discontinuous transmission pattern based on whether a first condition is met. That is, when the first condition is met, the communication device is triggered to adopt the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0161] Specifically, when the first condition is met, a first discontinuous transmission pattern can be adopted. The first discontinuous transmission pattern is the discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to the first non-terrestrial network NTN device.

[0162] The first condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

[0163] The distance between the location of the communication device and the first reference location is greater than a first threshold, which is pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; the clock of the communication device is in a first time period, which is pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; the first moment received by the communication device from the network device is in a second time period, which is pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device; or, the distance between the location of the NTN device and the second reference location is greater than a second threshold, which is pre-configured or indicated to the communication device by the network device.

[0164] It should be understood that the conditions that need to be met are not exactly the same for different discontinuous transmission patterns.

[0165] As shown in Figure 10, at time t1, the communication device is located in region 1, and the communication device satisfies condition 1 (i.e., an example of the first condition) and can be served by the discontinuous transmission pattern 1 of NTN device 1; and the communication device satisfies condition 2 and can be served by the discontinuous transmission pattern 2 of NTN device 2. At time t2, the communication device moves and is located in region 2, and the communication device satisfies condition 3 and can be served by the discontinuous transmission pattern 3 of NTN device 1.

[0166] Table 1 shows an example of different discontinuous transmission pattern configurations and triggering conditions.

[0167] Table 1

[0168] Optionally, the triggering condition for discontinuous transmission pattern 1 is that the distance between the NTN device corresponding to discontinuous transmission pattern 1 and the reference position (x1, y1, z1) is greater than 100km. Optionally, the triggering condition for discontinuous transmission pattern 2 is that the clock SFN of the communication device is greater than 100. Optionally, the triggering condition for discontinuous transmission pattern 3 is that the distance between the communication device and the reference position (x2, y2, z2) is greater than 1km.

[0169] Based on the above scheme, the communication device determines a first discontinuous transmission pattern and a first adjustment amount, and then determines a second discontinuous transmission pattern for data transmission based on the first discontinuous transmission pattern and the first adjustment amount.

[0170] S530, the communication device transmits data according to the second discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0171] When the communication device is the MT of the IAB node, since the IAB node has a higher demand for mobility and needs to ensure that the transmission is not interrupted as much as possible, channel measurement is still required even if the data transmission is determined according to the second discontinuous transmission pattern.

[0172] Specifically, the communication equipment receives the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) from the network equipment, determines the channel measurement report based on the CSI-RS, and sends the channel measurement report to the network equipment.

[0173] It should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0174] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0175] The above is a detailed description of the communication method provided in this application. The following describes the communication device provided in this application.

[0176] In order to realize the functions of the communication device (e.g., terminal device or network device) in the embodiments of this application, the communication device can implement the corresponding functions in the form of hardware and / or software.

[0177] Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1000 includes a processing module 1001 and a communication module 1002. The communication device 1000 can be a communication device, or a device applied to a communication device and capable of realizing the corresponding functions of the communication device, such as a chip, processor, or circuit. Exemplarily, the communication device can be a terminal device or a mobility management network element in the method embodiment.

[0178] The communication module can also be a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver device, or transceiver unit. The processing module can also be a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to execute the sending or receiving operations of the terminal device or network device in any of the method embodiments. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be considered a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function can be considered a sending unit; that is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. The processing module is used to execute the internal implementation-related operations / processing of the terminal device or network device in any of the method embodiments. The specific operations of each module can be found in the descriptions in the method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0179] Alternatively, the communication module and / or processing module can be implemented as virtual modules. For example, the processing module can be implemented as a software functional unit or a virtual device, and the communication module can be implemented as a software function or a virtual device. Alternatively, the processing module or communication module can also be implemented as a physical device. For example, the communication device can be a chip, such as a system-on-chip (SoC), hardware circuitry, etc. The communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing module can be an integrated circuit or logic circuit, etc.

[0180] The module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods are possible. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various examples of this application can be integrated into one module, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware, as software functional modules, or as a combination of hardware and software functional modules; no limitation is imposed.

[0181] Figure 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in this application. The communication device 1100 can be used to implement the functions of any communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a mobility management network element) in the communication system described in the foregoing examples. Optionally, the communication device 1100 can be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. The communication device 1100 may include at least one processor 1110. Optionally, the processor 1110 (or processing device) is coupled to a memory, which may be located within the communication device, or the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be located outside the communication device. For example, the communication device 1100 may also include at least one memory 1120. The memory 1120 stores computer programs / instructions or data necessary for implementing any of the above method embodiments; the processor 1110 may execute the computer programs / instructions or data stored in the memory 1120 to complete the corresponding functions of the terminal device or mobility management network element in any of the above embodiments.

[0182] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a communication interface 1130, through which the communication device 1100 can interact with other devices. For example, the communication interface 1130 may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. When the communication device 1100 is a chip-type device or circuit, the communication interface 1130 in the device 1100 may also be an input / output circuit, capable of inputting information (or receiving information) and / or outputting information (or sending information). The processor may be an integrated circuit or logic circuit, etc., and the processor can determine the output information based on the input information.

[0183] The coupling in this application refers to indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1110 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1120 and the communication interface 1130. This application does not limit the connection medium between the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130.

[0184] Optionally, as shown in Figure 12, the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130 are interconnected via a bus 1140. The bus 1140 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one line is used to represent the bus 1140 in Figure 12, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0185] Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of the chip provided in this application. Chip 30 includes circuit 31 and communication interface 32. Circuit 31 can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc., and communication interface 32 can also be called input / output circuit, input / output interface, interface circuit, etc., which can input information (or receive information) or output information (or send information). Chip 30 can execute the methods executed by terminal equipment or mobility management network elements in the various embodiments of this application.

[0186] In addition, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the operations and / or processes performed by a terminal device or mobility management network element in the various method embodiments of this application to be executed.

[0187] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the terminal device or mobility management network element in the various method embodiments of this application are executed.

[0188] Furthermore, this application also provides a chip including a processor. A memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that operations and / or processes performed by a terminal device or mobility management network element in any method embodiment are performed. Further, the chip may also include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface or an interface circuit, etc. Further, the chip may also include the memory.

[0189] This application provides a communication system, including the terminal device and mobility management network element described in the above method embodiments.

[0190] The processor in this application embodiment has signal processing capabilities and can be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application can be directly manifested as being executed by the hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory; the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0191] In the embodiments of this application, the memory can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0192] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0193] Those skilled in the art will 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.

[0194] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0195] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0196] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0197] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0198] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The system receives information on M discontinuous transmission patterns and N adjustment amount information. Each of the M discontinuous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more adjustment amount information from the N adjustment amount information. The adjustment amount information is used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern. The M discontinuous transmission patterns include a first discontinuous transmission pattern, which corresponds to P adjustment amount information from the N adjustment amount information. The P adjustment amount information includes the first adjustment amount information. M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1, N≥M, and P≤N. Data transmission is performed according to a second discontinuous transmission pattern, which is determined based on the first discontinuous transmission pattern and the first adjustment amount.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment amount information is used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, including: The adjustment information is used to adjust at least one parameter of the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the at least one parameter including the start position, duration, and period.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information, which is used to indicate the first adjustment amount information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: Identification of time-domain resources or signals, identification of frequency-domain resources or signals, or identification of spatial-domain resources or locations.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The identifier of the time-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal Index (CSI-RS), Resource Group Index (group index), Logical Channel Identifier (LCID); and / or, The identifier of the frequency domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Partial Bandwidth Identifier (BWP ID), Frequency Identifier (frequency ID); and / or, The identification of the airspace resource or location includes at least one of the following: wave position identifier, geographic region identifier, and reference point location.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The information of the M discontinuous transmission patterns is carried in the Common MAC SDU within the Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second indication message, which indicates the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, the method further includes: When the first condition is met, the first discontinuous transmission pattern is adopted, and the first discontinuous transmission pattern is the discontinuous transmission pattern corresponding to the first non-terrestrial network NTN device. The first condition includes at least one of the following conditions: The distance between the location of the terminal device and the first reference location is greater than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is pre-configured or indicated to the terminal device by the network device; The clock of the terminal device is located in a first time period, which is pre-configured or indicated to the terminal device by the network device. The first moment received by the terminal device from the network device is located in the second time period, which is either pre-configured or indicated to the terminal device by the network device. The distance between the location of the NTN device and the second reference location is greater than a second threshold, which is pre-configured or indicated to the terminal device by the network device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); Determine the channel measurement report based on the CSI-RS; Send the channel measurement report.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send information on M discontinuous transmission patterns and N adjustment information. Each of the M discontinuous transmission patterns corresponds to one or more adjustment information from the N adjustment information. The adjustment information is used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern. The M discontinuous transmission patterns include a first discontinuous transmission pattern, which corresponds to P adjustment information from the N adjustment information. The P adjustment information includes the first adjustment information. Where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 1, N≥M, and P≤N. Data transmission is performed based on the information of the M discontinuous transmission patterns and the N adjustment information.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The adjustment amount information is used to adjust the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, including: The adjustment information is used to adjust at least one parameter of the corresponding discontinuous transmission pattern, the at least one parameter including the start position, duration, and period.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message, which is used to indicate the first adjustment amount information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: Identification of time-domain resources or signals, identification of frequency-domain resources or signals, or identification of spatial-domain resources or locations.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The identifier of the time-domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB), Channel State Information Reference Signal Index (CSI-RS), Resource Group Index (group index), Logical Channel Identifier (LCID); and / or, The identifier of the frequency domain resource or signal includes at least one of the following: Partial Bandwidth Identifier (BWP ID), Frequency Identifier (frequency ID); and / or, The identification of the airspace resource or location includes at least one of the following: wave position identifier, geographic region identifier, and reference point location.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, The information of the M discontinuous transmission patterns is carried in the Common MAC SDU within the Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU).

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message, which indicates the first discontinuous transmission pattern.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second discontinuous transmission pattern. The first discontinuous transmission pattern is used for data transmission by the terminal device, and the second discontinuous transmission pattern is used for data transmission by accessing the integrated backhaul IAB node. The first discontinuous transmission pattern is different from the second discontinuous transmission pattern.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Transmit Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); Receive channel measurement reports, which are determined based on the CSI-RS.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules or units for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; or includes modules or units for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed; or to cause the method of any one of claims 10 to 18 to be executed.

21. A chip, characterized in that, The device includes a circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive a signal or information to be processed and to send the signal or information to be processed to the circuit; the circuit is used to process the received signal or information so that the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 is executed; or, so that the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18 is executed.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18.

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