Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. In the method, a terminal may obtain a corresponding timing offset on a camping frequency point (i.e., a first frequency point), and receive a reference signal on a capacity-layer frequency point (i.e., a second frequency point), so that a timing advance (TA) can be determined on the basis of a reception moment of the reference signal and the timing offset. That is to say, in a multi-frequency-point co-coverage networking mode, the terminal obtains the TA on the basis of the reception moment of the reference signal and the timing offset. On the one hand, the method can reduce an interaction procedure resulting from the terminal performing random access on the capacity-layer frequency point to obtain the TA, i.e., the complexity of the terminal obtaining the TA is lowered, thereby reducing a time delay for the terminal to obtain the TA and improving communication efficiency. On the other hand, the method enables the terminal to obtain the TA more efficiently, thereby reducing power consumption of the terminal.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411625820.X, filed on November 13, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] During random access, a terminal can send a random access preamble to a network device via the random access channel (RACH) to obtain a timing advance (TA) from the network device. This TA allows the terminal to synchronize uplink with the network device and access it. However, in multi-frequency coverage networking, if the terminal completes initial access on its designated frequency and then performs random access on a capacity layer frequency to obtain a TA, communication efficiency may be affected. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the latency for a terminal to obtain a TA and improve communication efficiency.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal, or by a module applied to the terminal (such as a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the terminal can acquire a first timing offset at a first frequency point and also acquire a second frequency point, thereby receiving a reference signal at the second frequency point. Here, the first frequency point is a stationary frequency point, the first timing offset is the timing offset between the first and second frequency points, the second frequency point is a capacity layer frequency point, and the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing offset are used to determine the timing interaction (TA).

[0006] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can obtain the corresponding timing deviation on the camping frequency point (i.e., the first frequency point) and receive the reference signal on the capacity layer frequency point (i.e., the second frequency point), thereby determining the timing offset (TA) based on the reception time and timing deviation of the reference signal. In other words, in a multi-frequency coverage network mode, the terminal obtains the TA based on the reception time and timing deviation of the reference signal. On one hand, this reduces the interaction process involved in the terminal performing random access and obtaining the TA on the capacity layer frequency point, thus reducing the complexity of the terminal obtaining the TA, thereby reducing the latency of the terminal obtaining the TA and improving communication efficiency. On the other hand, this allows the terminal to obtain the TA more efficiently, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the terminal acquires a first timing offset on a first frequency point and acquires a second frequency point, including: the terminal receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the first frequency point, the PDCCH including an index of the second frequency point and the first timing offset. Thus, the terminal can acquire the second frequency point based on the index of the second frequency point.

[0008] As can be seen, in the above embodiments, the terminal can receive the PDCCH on the stationary frequency point (i.e., the first frequency point), thereby obtaining the corresponding timing deviation and on which capacity layer frequency point the reference signal should be received, and then obtaining the TA based on the reception time and timing deviation of the reference signal. In one possible implementation, the index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group. The above method further includes: the terminal receiving the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

[0009] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can receive the index of the frequency point in each frequency point group on the stationary frequency point (i.e., the first frequency point), such as the index of the frequency point in the first frequency point group. In this way, the terminal can correctly understand the 'index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group', thereby reducing the possibility that the terminal may mistakenly take other capacity layer frequency points as the second frequency point due to inconsistent understanding of the 'index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group' between the terminal and the network device.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the terminal acquires a first timing deviation at a first frequency point and acquires a second frequency point, including: the terminal receives a wake-up signal at the first frequency point, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the second frequency point and the first timing deviation.

[0011] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can receive the wake-up signal on the stationary frequency point (i.e., the first frequency point) and obtain the corresponding timing deviation and the reference signal on which capacity layer frequency point should be received through the wake-up signal. This reduces the latency caused by obtaining the second frequency point and the first timing deviation after receiving the wake-up signal, thereby improving the efficiency of the terminal in obtaining the TA. In one possible implementation, the time domain position and / or frequency domain position of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point, and the wake-up signal includes the first timing deviation.

[0012] As can be seen, in the above embodiments, the wake-up signal includes a first timing deviation, while the second frequency point indicates the time domain position and / or frequency domain position of the wake-up signal, which can reduce the indication overhead of the wake-up signal.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal transmitting a first signal based on TA, wherein the slope of the waveform and / or the frequency domain start position of the first signal is used to indicate the identifier of the terminal, and the first signal carries uplink data.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first signal is a chirp signal or sequence.

[0015] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can send a first signal carrying uplink data based on the TA (Transmission Aspect Ratio), and the slope of the waveform and / or the starting position of the frequency domain of the first signal indicates the terminal's identifier. Therefore, the network device can determine which terminal the first signal originates from based on the slope of the waveform and / or the starting position of the frequency domain of the first signal. This reduces the complexity of the terminal performing random access at the capacity layer frequency point to obtain a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) to scramble the uplink data. The RNTI helps the network device distinguish which terminal the uplink data originates from. In other words, in a multi-frequency, co-coverage network mode, the terminal uses the first signal to carry uplink data, simplifying the process of sending uplink data, improving the efficiency and latency of sending uplink data, and reducing the terminal's power consumption. Furthermore, it helps the network device distinguish which terminal the first signal originates from, which is beneficial for the network device to correctly decode the first signal.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the PDCCH is also used to indicate the transmission of uplink data based on a first signal.

[0017] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can also learn uplink data based on the first signal through PDCCH, thereby reducing the complexity caused by the terminal needing to perform random access at the capacity layer frequency point to obtain RNTI to scramble the uplink data, simplifying the process of the terminal sending uplink data, improving the efficiency and latency of the terminal sending uplink data, and reducing the terminal's energy consumption.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal.

[0019] As can be seen, in the above embodiments, the PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal, which can reduce the indication overhead of the PDCCH.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal is also used to instruct the transmission of uplink data based on the first signal.

[0021] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can also learn from the wake-up signal that uplink data should be sent based on the first signal, thereby reducing the complexity caused by the terminal needing to perform random access at the capacity layer frequency point to obtain RNTI for scrambling uplink data. This simplifies the process of the terminal sending uplink data, improves the efficiency and latency of the terminal sending uplink data, and reduces the terminal's power consumption. In addition, learning from the wake-up signal that uplink data should be sent based on the first signal can reduce the latency caused by the terminal obtaining the information about uplink data to be sent based on the first signal after completing the initial access at the camping frequency point, thus improving communication efficiency.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the time-domain location and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal is also used to indicate the first signal.

[0023] As can be seen, in the above embodiments, the time domain position and / or frequency domain position of the wake-up signal are also used to indicate the first signal, which can reduce the indication overhead of the wake-up signal.

[0024] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device, or by a module applied to the network device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, the network device can transmit a first timing deviation on a first frequency point, thereby transmitting a reference signal on a second frequency point. The first timing deviation is the timing deviation between the first frequency point and the second frequency point, where the first frequency point is the stationary frequency point, the second frequency point is the capacity layer frequency point, and the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the timing shift (TA).

[0025] In one possible implementation, the network device transmits a first timing offset on a first frequency, including: the network device receiving a PDCCH on the first frequency, the PDCCH including the first timing offset.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the PDCCH also includes an index for a second frequency point.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group, and the above method further includes: the network device transmitting the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the network device transmits a first timing deviation at a first frequency point, including: the network device receiving a wake-up signal at the first frequency point, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the first timing deviation.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal is also used to indicate a second frequency point.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the time-domain location and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates a second frequency point.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal receiving a first signal based on TA, wherein the slope of the waveform and / or the frequency domain start position of the first signal is used to indicate the identifier of the terminal, and the first signal carries uplink data.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the PDCCH is also used to indicate the transmission of uplink data based on a first signal.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the wake-up signal is also used to instruct the transmission of uplink data based on the first signal.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the time-domain location and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal is also used to indicate the first signal.

[0036] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising units, modules, or means for implementing the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal, a module of a terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Alternatively, the communication device may be a network device, a module of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions.

[0037] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal, a module of a terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Alternatively, the communication device may be a network device, a module of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. The at least one processor may execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the aforementioned method to be performed. The memory may be included in the communication device or located outside the communication device. Furthermore, the communication device may also include an interface.

[0038] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0039] Sixthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program or program that, when run by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0040] A seventh aspect provides a chip including at least one processor for executing computer instructions or programs, which, when run, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The processor may execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the chip or located externally. Furthermore, the chip may include an interface.

[0041] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal for performing the method as described in any one of the first aspects and a network device for performing the method as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0042] The second to eighth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect of this application. The aspects, their corresponding feasible implementation methods, and the beneficial effects obtained are similar and will not be described again. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 shows the basic architecture of a communication system;

[0044] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the timing deviation between the capacity layer frequency and the dwell frequency provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a capacity layer frequency point corresponding to a time-domain position and / or frequency-domain position provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of determining the receiving time T based on a first timing deviation and a reference signal according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a signal corresponding to a time-domain position and / or a frequency-domain position provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a pattern provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in 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 alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "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, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first" and "second" are not necessarily different. Additionally, the numbering of steps in the various embodiments described in this application is only for distinguishing different steps and is not intended to limit the order of steps.

[0053] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0054] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] 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.

[0056] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th generation (5G) communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new communication systems emerging in future communication development. Among these, IoT networks may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems can be collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), where X can represent anything. For example, V2X can include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc. The method provided in this application embodiment can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication (also known as non-land network communication), or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial network (TN) are integrated.

[0057] The method provided in this application can be applied between two entities in a communication system, such as one entity sending information to or receiving information sent by the other entity. In a wireless communication system, communication devices are included, and these devices can communicate wirelessly using air interface resources. Air interface resources may include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code resources, and spatial resources; this application does not limit this. For example, the aforementioned two entities may include a network device and a terminal, or may include a chip that can be placed in a network device and a chip that can be placed in a terminal, etc. Of course, as standards or products advance, other types of entities may emerge subsequently; this application does not limit this.

[0058] The basic architecture of the communication system provided in this application embodiment is described below with reference to Figure 1. In Figure 1, the communication system may include one or more network devices (e.g., two network devices in Figure 1-1, and a single network device in Figure 1-2), and one or more terminals (e.g., one terminal in Figure 1). The terminal is located within the coverage area of ​​one or more cells provided by the network device (e.g., cell 1 and cell 2 in Figure 1). The number of serving cells can be one or more. The terminal can operate according to carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), or cooperative multipoint transmission modes, where at least one cell provides more than one system parameter (Numerology) to simultaneously provide radio resources to the terminal. When the terminal moves, it can select or hand over cells between different cells. These different cells can be distributed under one network device, i.e., co-located, as shown in Figure 1-2. Alternatively, different cells can be distributed under different network devices, i.e., not co-located (or cross-site), as shown in Figure 1-1. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0059] Optionally, the number of network devices and terminals in Figure 1 is merely illustrative and should not be considered as a specific limitation of this application. The terminals and network devices involved in the system architecture will be described in detail below.

[0060] I. Terminal

[0061] The terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. Specifically, the terminal can refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user equipment, or roadside unit (RSU). The terminal may contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The terminal may also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0062] For example, a terminal can be a drone, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a station (ST) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a cordless phone, a wireless data card, a tablet computer, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device (also known as a wearable smart device), a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, or a wireless terminal in transportation safety. Wireless terminals in smart cities, smart homes, and transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, as well as communication modules, are examples of wireless terminals. Terminals can also be used in 5G systems or next-generation communication systems; this application does not limit the specific application to these applications.

[0063] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be the terminal itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0064] II. Network Equipment

[0065] The network device can be a device or module located on the network side of the aforementioned communication system and possessing corresponding communication functions. The network device can be a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions for terminals. The network device may contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. The network device may also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions.

[0066] In one possible scenario, network equipment can be devices with base station functions, such as evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), base stations in future mobile communication systems, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, and non-terrestrial network equipment, i.e., equipment that can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites. Network equipment can also be transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), base stations, and various forms of control nodes, such as network controllers and wireless controllers. Specifically, network equipment can be various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells) in heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, relay stations, access points (APs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs (HNBs)), baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) in distributed base station scenarios, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, etc., and can also be base station antenna panels. Control nodes can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may differ. For example, it could be a gNB in ​​5G, or a network-side device in a network after 5G, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, or a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the network device.Network equipment can also be open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), baseband pool (BBU pool) and RRU under cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc.

[0067] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with each network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices may include a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs may be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices comprising both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as network devices in the access network (RAN) or in the core network (CN), without limitation.

[0068] 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, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0069] In this embodiment, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device that supports the network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0070] In this embodiment, the terminal and the network device can communicate via an air interface link. This air interface link can be categorized into uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) based on the direction of data transmission. Uplink data from the terminal to the base station can be transmitted on the UL, while downlink data from the base station to the terminal can be transmitted on the DL.

[0071] To facilitate understanding of the content of this solution, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained below, so that those skilled in the art can understand them. This part is only for the purpose of understanding and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0072] I. Frequency, Cell and Carrier

[0073] 5G communication systems define two frequency ranges: FR1, also known as Sub-6 GHz (GHz), which includes frequencies below 6 GHz, and FR2, known as millimeter wave, which includes frequencies above 6 GHz. The system bandwidth and subcarrier spacing differ for each frequency range. FR1, with its lower frequency, offers better coverage, while FR2, with its higher frequency, provides greater bandwidth and capacity. In practical network deployment, considering both coverage and capacity, multi-frequency co-deployment can be adopted. For example, cells within FR1 and cells within FR2 can be deployed simultaneously in the same area.

[0074] Wherein, a frequency point within FR1 can be called a low-frequency frequency point. A frequency point within FR2 can be called a high-frequency frequency point. Optionally, in this application, the distinction between low-frequency and high-frequency frequencies is not limited to the two frequency point ranges defined by the 5G communication system. Any two frequency points with relatively high and low frequencies can be understood as low-frequency and high-frequency frequencies, i.e., low-frequency and high-frequency frequencies are relative concepts. Optionally, a low-frequency frequency point can be called a stationary frequency point, a coverage layer frequency point, or a base layer frequency point. These expressions can be used interchangeably, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Similarly, a high-frequency frequency point can be called a capacity layer frequency point. These two expressions can be used interchangeably, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0075] Optionally, low-frequency cells can be used to provide basic network coverage and may also be called low-frequency cells, coverage layer cells, or basic layer cells. These terms are interchangeable, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application. High-frequency cells can be used to provide more network capacity, that is, they can accommodate more terminals on top of basic layer cells. High-frequency cells may also be called high-frequency cells or capacity layer cells. These terms are interchangeable, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0076] Optionally, the carrier corresponding to the low-frequency point can be referred to as a resident carrier, low-frequency carrier, anchor carrier (anchor CC), overlay layer carrier, basic layer carrier, or basic component carrier (BCC). These expressions can be used interchangeably, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application. The carrier corresponding to the high-frequency point can be referred to as a capacity layer carrier, high-frequency carrier, or data component carrier (DCC). These expressions can be used interchangeably, and the specific naming does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0077] Optionally, terminals in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) Idle or RRC Inactive state can receive paging messages and / or wake-up signals (WUS) on low-frequency bands, low-frequency cells, or carriers corresponding to low-frequency bands. Terminals can also transmit data on high-frequency bands, high-frequency cells, or carriers corresponding to high-frequency bands. The wake-up signal, also known as a low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS), is a signal with wake-up functionality. For example, the wake-up signal can be used to wake up a single device or a group of devices, triggering the corresponding terminal to perform certain operations, including but not limited to updating system messages, receiving paging messages, initiating random access, and receiving disaster warning information, at least one of these.

[0078] Optionally, for ease of description, the following description uses the terms "stationing frequency," "stationing carrier," "capacity layer frequency," and "capacity layer carrier" as examples, which should not be regarded as a limitation of this application.

[0079] The following examples illustrate the relationship between cells, carriers, or frequency points.

[0080] As an example, one cell can correspond to one carrier. In this case, carrier and cell can be considered equivalent concepts; one carrier can be equivalent to one cell. A carrier can also be called a component carrier (CC), therefore CC and carrier are used interchangeably. One carrier can correspond to one frequency point. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, carrier and frequency point are used interchangeably. For example, camping frequency point and camping carrier are used interchangeably. Or, capacity layer frequency point and capacity layer carrier are used interchangeably.

[0081] As another example, a cell can correspond to multiple carriers, and each carrier corresponds to a frequency point. In this case, multiple carriers or multiple frequency points can correspond to the same cell.

[0082] Optionally, unless otherwise specified in the application, the cell corresponding to a carrier or frequency point may include one of the above situations, that is, multiple carriers or frequency points corresponding to one cell. For example, multiple capacity layer carriers or multiple capacity layer frequency points may correspond to one cell. Alternatively, one camped carrier and at least one capacity layer carrier may correspond to one cell. In other words, one camped frequency point and at least one capacity layer frequency point may correspond to one cell.

[0083] II. Chirp signal

[0084] The frequency of the chirp signal can change over time. For example, the frequency of the chirp signal can increase or decrease over time.

[0085] III. TA

[0086] TA can be used for synchronization between terminals and network devices, such as uplink time synchronization. In other words, TA can be used by terminals to adjust uplink timing. Uplink timing can refer to the boundary of at least one of the following: system frame, half-frame, time slot, subframe, symbol, etc.

[0087] IV. Timing Deviation

[0088] A stationary frequency point can have a reference timing (absolute time) used to determine the boundary of at least one of the following: system frame, half-frame, time slot, subframe, symbol, etc., at the current moment. A capacity layer frequency point associated with a stationary frequency point can have a timing deviation compared to that stationary frequency point. This timing deviation can be negative, meaning the capacity layer frequency point's timing is ahead of the reference timing, as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the timing deviation can be positive, meaning the capacity layer frequency point's timing is behind the reference timing, as shown in Figure 2. For example, a first frequency point and a second frequency point can have a first timing deviation, meaning the timing deviation of the second frequency point compared to the first frequency point is the first timing deviation, which can be negative or positive. Here, the first frequency point is the stationary frequency point, and the second frequency point is the capacity layer frequency point.

[0089] Optionally, the timing deviations between different capacity layer frequency points and their corresponding camping frequency points can be the same or different. For example, the timing deviations between different capacity layer frequency points associated with the same TRP of a network device and their corresponding camping frequency points can be the same. The timing deviations between different capacity layer frequency points associated with different TRPs of a network device and their corresponding camping frequency points can be different. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0090] Optionally, the relationship between the stationary frequency point and the capacity layer frequency point can be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many, and this application does not limit this. The following uses the relationship between the stationary frequency point and the capacity layer frequency point represented by the index of the stationary frequency point and the index of the capacity layer frequency point as an example to introduce several possible correspondence methods.

[0091] Table 1 illustrates the one-to-one correspondence between the stationary frequency points and the capacity layer frequency points. Specifically, when the index of the stationary frequency point is x1, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is y1. When the index of the stationary frequency point is x2, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is y2.

[0092] Table 1

[0093] Table 2 illustrates the one-to-many relationship between stationary frequency points and capacity layer frequency points. Specifically, when the index of the stationary frequency point is x1, the index of the capacity layer frequency point can be y1, y2, ... y n Any one of them.

[0094] Table 2

[0095] Table 3 illustrates the many-to-one relationship between stationary frequency points and capacity layer frequency points. Specifically, when the indices of the stationary frequency points are x1, x2, ... x... n When any one of them is used, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is y1.

[0096] Table 3

[0097] Table 4 illustrates the many-to-many relationship between residing frequency points and capacity layer frequency points. Specifically, when the indices of the residing frequency points are x1, x2, ... x n When any one of them is used, the index of the capacity layer frequency point can be y1, y2, ... y n Any one of them.

[0098] Table 4

[0099] Optionally, when the dwell frequency and capacity layer frequency have a one-to-many relationship, each capacity layer frequency can have a timing deviation compared to the dwell frequency. For example, assuming the dwell frequency corresponds to two capacity layer frequencies, such as capacity layer frequency 0 and capacity layer frequency 1, capacity layer frequency 0 can have a timing deviation compared to the dwell frequency, and capacity layer frequency 1 can have a timing deviation compared to the dwell frequency.

[0100] Optionally, when the dwell frequency and the capacity layer frequency have a many-to-one relationship, the capacity layer frequency can have a timing deviation compared to each dwell frequency. For example, suppose there are two dwell frequencies, such as dwell frequency 0 and dwell frequency 1, corresponding to one capacity layer frequency. This capacity layer frequency can have a timing deviation compared to dwell frequency 0 and dwell frequency 1, respectively.

[0101] Optionally, when the relationship between the stationary frequency and the capacity layer frequency is many-to-many, different capacity layer frequencies may have timing deviations compared to each stationary frequency. For example, suppose there are two stationary frequencies, such as stationary frequency 0 and stationary frequency 1, corresponding to two capacity layer frequencies, such as capacity layer frequency 0 and capacity layer frequency 1. Capacity layer frequency 0 may have timing deviations compared to stationary frequency 0 and stationary frequency 1, and capacity layer frequency 1 may have timing deviations compared to stationary frequency 0 and stationary frequency 1, respectively.

[0102] Optionally, in this application, the index of the aforementioned frequency point (such as a stationary frequency point or a capacity layer frequency point) can be used interchangeably with an identity (ID) or number. For example, the index of the second frequency point can be replaced with the identifier or number of the second frequency point, etc. Optionally, in this application, the index of a frequency point can be any numerical value or symbol that can distinguish, mark, or locate the frequency point, and this application does not limit this.

[0103] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. The executing entities involved in the embodiments of this application can be a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device or the second communication device can be any two devices capable of communication shown in Figure 1. The specific names of the first communication device and the second communication device are not limited in the embodiments of this application. As an example, the first communication device can be a terminal or a chip or functional module of a terminal, etc., and the second communication device can be a network device or a chip or functional module of a network device, etc. As another example, the first communication device can be a network device or a chip or functional module of a network device, and the second communication device can be a terminal or a chip or functional module of a terminal. As yet another example, the first communication device and the second communication device can be different terminals, etc. Specific forms of the first communication device and the second communication device will not be listed here. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application are described using the first communication device as a terminal and the second communication device as a network device as an example, and this should not be considered a limitation of this application.

[0104] Referring to Figure 3, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0105] 301. The terminal acquires the first timing deviation at the first frequency point. The first timing deviation is the timing deviation between the first frequency point and the second frequency point. The first frequency point is the stationary frequency point, and the second frequency point is the capacity layer frequency point.

[0106] Accordingly, the network device transmits the first timing deviation on the first frequency.

[0107] Optionally, the terminal can also acquire a second frequency point. The first timing deviation and / or the second frequency point can be indicated to the terminal by the network device directly or indirectly, or predefined, without limitation here. For example, the first timing deviation and / or the second frequency point can be indicated by the control channel, as described in case ①. Alternatively, the first timing deviation and / or the second frequency point can be indicated by a wake-up signal, as described in case ②. Or, the first timing deviation and / or the second frequency point are predefined, as described in case ③.

[0108] Scenario 1: The terminal can receive a control channel on a first frequency point. This control channel includes an index of the second frequency point and a first timing offset. That is, by receiving the control channel on the first frequency point, the terminal can determine the second frequency point and the first timing offset. Therefore, in one possible implementation, obtaining the first timing offset on the first frequency point and obtaining the second frequency point can be replaced by the terminal receiving the control channel on the first frequency point. Alternatively, it can be described as the terminal obtaining the first timing offset and the second frequency point on the first frequency point. This application does not limit this to any particular scenario.

[0109] Scenario ②: The terminal receives a wake-up signal on the first frequency point. The time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point, and the wake-up signal includes a first timing deviation. Alternatively, the wake-up signal includes an index of the second frequency point and the first timing deviation. For either the former or the latter, it can be considered that the terminal can obtain the second frequency point and the first timing deviation by receiving the wake-up signal on the first frequency point. Therefore, in one possible implementation, obtaining the first timing deviation on the first frequency point and obtaining the second frequency point can be replaced by the terminal receiving the wake-up signal on the first frequency point; this application does not limit this to a specific scenario.

[0110] Scenario 3: The terminal can determine the first timing deviation based on the first frequency point. For example, the terminal has a predefined correspondence between the first frequency point and the first timing deviation, so the first timing deviation can be determined based on this correspondence and the first frequency point. Thus, the terminal can determine the second frequency point based on the first timing deviation. For example, the terminal has a predefined correspondence between the second frequency point and the first timing deviation, so the second frequency point can be determined based on this correspondence and the first timing deviation.

[0111] Optionally, in the above case ①, the control channel can be PDCCH. PDCCH is just one example of a control channel. In different systems and different scenarios, the control channel may have different names and / or formats, and this application does not limit this.

[0112] Optionally, the control channel can carry control information, and the format of the control channel can be the same as the format of the control information. The format of the control information can be an existing format or a newly added format. The format of existing control information can be the format of control information in an existing version of the communication standard. The format of newly added control information can be a newly defined format, such as the format of control information in a future communication standard.

[0113] For example, taking the control channel as PDCCH, the control information carried by PDCCH can be downlink control information (DCI). The format of PDCCH can be the format of DCI.

[0114] As an example, DCI is used to schedule the transmission of downlink data or to schedule downlink data channels, such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). The format of DCI can be DCI format 1_0 or DCI format 1_1, for example, DCI format 1_0.

[0115] As another example, DCI is used to schedule uplink data transmission or to schedule uplink data channels, such as the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The format of DCI is DCI format 0_0 or DCI format 0_1.

[0116] As another example, DCI is used for other purposes, namely, not for scheduling downlink data transmission and uplink data transmission, or not for scheduling downlink data channels and uplink data channels. The formats of DCI are DCI format 2_0, DCI format 2_1, DCI format 2_2, or DCI format 2_3.

[0117] Optionally, the above PUSCH is an example of an uplink data channel, and PDSCH is an example of a downlink data channel. Data channels may have different names in different systems and scenarios, and this application does not limit them.

[0118] The index for a specific frequency point (such as the second frequency point) in either case ① or case ② above will be introduced below.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the frequency index can be configured individually for each frequency point, in which case the indices of different frequency points can be different. For example, suppose there are 5 frequency points, and the indices of these 5 frequency points can be 0 to 4, that is, the indices of these 5 frequency points are different. In this case, the frequency point index can uniquely identify the frequency point. For example, in case ① or case ② above, the index of the second frequency point can uniquely identify the second frequency point.

[0120] In another possible implementation, the frequency point index can be configured for each frequency point group, where the indexes of frequency points in different frequency point groups can be the same and / or different. For example, suppose there are two frequency point groups, such as frequency point group 0 and frequency point group 1. Frequency point group 0 includes 5 frequency points, and the indices of these 5 frequency points can be 0 to 4 respectively. Frequency point group 1 includes 6 frequency points, and the indices of these 6 frequency points can be 0 to 5 respectively. That is, frequency point group 0 and frequency point group 1 can have frequency points with the same index or frequency points with different indices. In this case, the frequency point index can uniquely identify the frequency point within the frequency point group. For example, in case ① or case ② above, the index of the second frequency point can uniquely identify the second frequency point within the first frequency point group. That is, the index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point within the first frequency point group.

[0121] Optionally, when the frequency point index is configured for each frequency point group, the terminal can obtain the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group. The index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group can be indicated to the terminal by the network device directly or indirectly, or predefined, without limitation here. For example, the terminal can receive the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group on a first frequency point. The frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and each frequency point group can include at least one frequency point, i.e., at least one capacity layer frequency point. Optionally, the at least one frequency point group here can include the aforementioned first frequency point group.

[0122] Optionally, at least one frequency group may be determined by the network device based on the network device's frequency band range and the terminal's capability information (such as information indicating the frequency band range supported by the terminal), or predefined, without limitation herein. For example, determining at least one frequency group based on the network device's frequency band range and the terminal's capability information may include the following steps:

[0123] Step S1: The network device determines one or more capacity layer frequency points based on the network device's frequency band range and the terminal's capability information.

[0124] One or more capacity layer frequency points may be located both within the frequency band range of the network device and within the frequency band range indicated by the terminal's capability information.

[0125] Step S2: The network device determines at least one frequency group based on one or more capacity layer frequency points.

[0126] For example, a network device may determine at least one group of frequencies based on the timing deviation between one or more capacity layer frequencies and their corresponding camping frequencies. For instance, the network device may determine at least one group of frequencies based on the difference between timing deviations corresponding to different capacity layer frequencies and / or the offset range to which different timing deviations belong.

[0127] As an example, the absolute values ​​of the timing deviation differences between adjacent capacity layer frequencies within the same frequency group are the same. This can also be described as: the offset granularity corresponding to the same frequency group is the same. For example, a certain stationary frequency is 700 MHz, and the associated capacity layer frequencies are capacity layer frequencies 0 to 9. Capacity layer frequencies 0 to 4 belong to frequency group 0, and capacity layer frequencies 5 to 9 belong to frequency group 1. The offset granularity corresponding to frequency group 0 is 4 microseconds (µs), meaning the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 0 and the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 1 is 4 µs, the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 1 and the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 2 is 4 µs, the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 2 and the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 3 is 4 µs, and the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 3 and the timing deviation of capacity layer frequency 4 is 4 µs. The offset granularity corresponding to frequency group 1 is 2us, that is, the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 5 and the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 6 is 2us, the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 6 and the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 7 is 2us, the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 7 and the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 8 is 2us, and the absolute value of the difference between the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 8 and the timing deviation corresponding to capacity layer frequency point 9 is 2us.

[0128] As another example, the timing deviations of any two capacity layer frequencies within the same frequency group fall within the same offset range. For instance, a certain stationary frequency is 700MHz, and the associated capacity layer frequencies 0 to 4 belong to frequency group 0. The timing deviations of any two capacity layer frequencies within frequency group 0 are all within offset range 1, with a minimum value of -2000µs and a maximum value of 2000µs. Another stationary frequency is 3.5GHz, and the associated capacity layer frequencies 0 to 6 belong to frequency group 0. The timing deviations of any two capacity layer frequencies within frequency group 0 are all within offset range 2, with a minimum value of -1000µs and a maximum value of 1000µs.

[0129] Optionally, the above are some examples of "grouping capacity layer frequency points." These examples can also be combined to group capacity layer frequency points. That is, the absolute value of the difference in timing deviation between adjacent capacity layer frequency points in the same frequency point group is the same, and the timing deviations of any two capacity layer frequency points in the same frequency point group belong to the same offset range. These are not listed individually here.

[0130] Optionally, the offset range described above may include an interval determined by the maximum and minimum values. The offset range may also include or exclude boundary points, such as the maximum and / or minimum values, which are not limited herein.

[0131] The following example illustrates the situation described in case ② above, where the time domain location and / or frequency domain location of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point.

[0132] For example, the time-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates a second frequency point. The terminal can determine the second frequency point based on the time-domain location of the wake-up signal and a first association relationship. The first association relationship includes a correspondence between at least one time-domain location and at least one capacity layer frequency point, which includes the correspondence between the time-domain location of the wake-up signal and the second frequency point. In this case, the time-domain location and the capacity layer frequency point can have a one-to-one relationship, meaning different time-domain locations correspond to different capacity layer frequency points. For example, taking the association relationship between the time-domain location and the capacity layer frequency point as represented by their indices as an example, in Figure 4-1, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is 0, corresponding to time-domain location 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 1, corresponding to time-domain location 1. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 2, corresponding to time-domain location 2.

[0133] For example, the frequency domain location of the wake-up signal indicates a second frequency point. The terminal can determine the second frequency point based on the frequency domain location of the wake-up signal and a second association relationship. The second association relationship includes a correspondence between at least one frequency domain location and at least one capacity layer frequency point, which includes the correspondence between the frequency domain location of the wake-up signal and the second frequency point. In this case, the frequency domain location and the capacity layer frequency point can have a one-to-one relationship, meaning different frequency domain locations correspond to different capacity layer frequency points. For example, taking the association relationship between the time domain location and the capacity layer frequency point represented by the index of the frequency domain location and the capacity layer frequency point as an example, in Figure 4-2, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is 0, corresponding to frequency domain location 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 1, corresponding to frequency domain location 1. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 2, corresponding to frequency domain location 2.

[0134] For example, the time-domain and frequency-domain positions of the wake-up signal indicate the second frequency point. The terminal can determine the second frequency point based on the time-domain and frequency-domain positions of the wake-up signal and a third correlation. The third correlation includes a correspondence between at least one time-domain position, at least one frequency-domain position, and at least one capacity layer frequency point. This correspondence includes the correspondence between the time-domain position, frequency-domain position, and capacity layer frequency point of the wake-up signal and the second frequency point. In this case, the capacity layer frequency point can have a one-to-one relationship with the combination of time-domain and frequency-domain positions; that is, different combinations of time-domain and frequency-domain positions correspond to different capacity layer frequency points. For example, taking the correlation between the time-domain position and the capacity layer frequency point represented by the combination of time-domain and frequency-domain positions and the index of the capacity layer frequency point as an example, in Figure 4-3, the index of the capacity layer frequency point is 0, corresponding to time-domain position 0 and frequency-domain position 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 1, corresponding to time-domain position 1 and frequency-domain position 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point is 2, corresponding to time-domain position 2 and frequency-domain position 0.

[0135] Optionally, the aforementioned time-domain location can be an absolute or relative index of the time-domain resource, and the aforementioned frequency-domain location can be an absolute or relative index of the frequency-domain resource. For example, taking symbols and subcarriers as examples, the time-domain location can be an absolute or relative index of the symbol, and the frequency-domain location can be an absolute or relative index of the subcarrier. In one possible implementation, the aforementioned time-domain location can be used interchangeably with the detection occasion in the time domain, and the aforementioned frequency-domain location can be used interchangeably with the detection occasion in the frequency domain; this is not limited here. The detection occasion in the time domain can be simply referred to as the time-domain timing, and the detection occasion in the frequency domain can be simply referred to as the frequency-domain timing.

[0136] Optionally, the aforementioned first, second, or third association relationship can be indicated to the terminal by the network device directly or indirectly, or predefined, without limitation here.

[0137] 302. The network device transmits a reference signal on the second frequency point. The reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the TA.

[0138] Accordingly, the terminal receives the reference signal on the second frequency.

[0139] For example, TA can be determined based on the difference T between the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation, where T can be as shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, TA = 2*T, where '*' indicates multiplication.

[0140] The following section explains how the terminal, after obtaining T, can send uplink data that the network device can correctly decode.

[0141] For example, the terminal sends a first signal based on TA, and the slope of the waveform and / or the starting position of the frequency domain of the first signal is used to indicate the terminal's identifier. The first signal carries uplink data.

[0142] Optionally, the first signal is a chirp signal or sequence. The sequence can be a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence, a Gold sequence, or a Hadamard sequence. Alternatively, the sequence can be a sequence generated by cyclically expanding or truncating a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence, a Gold sequence, or a Hadamard sequence, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0143] Optionally, chirp signals with different slopes and / or frequency domain start positions can be used to indicate the identifiers of different terminals, or sequences with different slopes and / or frequency domain start positions can be used to indicate the identifiers of different terminals. The frequency domain start position can be an absolute or relative index of the frequency domain start (or lowest) resource. The terminal identifier can be a user identifier used to uniquely identify the terminal, such as one or more of the following: System Architecture Evolution (SAE) Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (S-TMSI), Globally Unique Temporary Identity (GUTI), Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI), International Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (IMSI), Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), or Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI), etc., without limitation.

[0144] Optionally, the above-mentioned 'first signal carrying uplink data' can be described as: uplink data superimposed on the first signal.

[0145] The following example illustrates how a terminal determines which signal to use to send uplink data.

[0146] Example 1: The control channel in case ① above can also be used to indicate the transmission of uplink data based on the first signal. For example, the control channel may also include an index of the first signal. For instance, the control channel is a PDCCH, which can also be used to indicate the transmission of uplink data based on the first signal. In this case, the PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal.

[0147] Example 2: The wake-up signal in scenario ② above can also be used to indicate the transmission of uplink data based on the first signal. For example, the wake-up signal may also include an index of the first signal. Alternatively, the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal may also indicate the first signal. That is, the time-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates both the second frequency point and the first signal. Alternatively, the frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates both the second frequency point and the first signal. Alternatively, the time-domain and frequency-domain locations of the wake-up signal indicate both the second frequency point and the first signal.

[0148] Optionally, in Example 1 above, the uplink data carried by the first signal can be uplink data scheduled by the control channel. For example, if the control channel is a PDCCH, the uplink data carried by the first signal can be uplink data scheduled by the PDCCH.

[0149] Optionally, in Example 1 (where the control channel also includes an index of the first signal) or Example 2 (where the wake-up signal also includes an index of the first signal), both the terminal and the network device predefine at least one signal, such as at least one chirp signal or sequence. The terminal and the network device are mutually aware of the index of at least one signal. Thus, when the network device indicates the index of the first signal to the terminal, the terminal can know which signal should be used to transmit uplink data. Optionally, at least one signal may also be referred to as a signal set; this application does not limit the name.

[0150] Optionally, in Example 2 (where the time-domain location and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal also indicates the first signal), the time-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates both the second frequency point and the first signal. It can be considered that the aforementioned first association relationship includes the correspondence between multiple time-domain locations, multiple capacity layer frequency points, and multiple signals. This correspondence includes the correspondence between the time-domain location of the wake-up signal, the second frequency point, and the first signal. The time-domain location has a one-to-one relationship with both the capacity layer frequency point and the signal. For example, taking the index of the capacity layer frequency point and the index of the signal as an example, in Figure 6-1, the index of the capacity layer frequency point corresponding to time-domain location 0 is 0, and the index of the signal corresponding to time-domain location 0 is 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point corresponding to time-domain location 1 is 1, and the index of the signal corresponding to time-domain location 1 is 1, and so on. Alternatively, the frequency domain location of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point and the first signal. This second association can be considered to include the correspondence between multiple frequency domain locations, multiple capacity layer frequency points, and multiple signals. This correspondence includes the correspondence between the frequency domain location of the wake-up signal, the second frequency point, and the first signal. The frequency domain location has a one-to-one relationship with both the capacity layer frequency point and the signal. For example, taking the index of the capacity layer frequency point and the index of the signal as an example, in Figure 6-2, the index of the capacity layer frequency point corresponding to frequency domain location 0 is 0, and the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain location 0 is 0. The index of the capacity layer frequency point corresponding to frequency domain location 1 is 1, and the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain location 1 is 1, and so on. Alternatively, the wake-up signal's time-domain and frequency-domain positions indicate both the second frequency point and the first signal. This third correlation can be considered to include correspondences between multiple time-domain positions, multiple frequency-domain positions, multiple capacity layer frequencies, and multiple signals. The relationship between capacity layer frequencies and their corresponding time-domain and frequency-domain positions is one-to-one, as is the relationship between signals and their corresponding time-domain and frequency-domain positions. For example, taking the indices of capacity layer frequencies and signals as examples, in Figure 6-3, the indices of the capacity layer frequencies corresponding to time-domain position 0 and frequency-domain position 0 are 0, and the indices of the signals corresponding to time-domain position 0 and frequency-domain position 0 are 0. The indices of the capacity layer frequencies corresponding to time-domain position 1 and frequency-domain position 0 are 1, and the indices of the signals corresponding to time-domain position 1 and frequency-domain position 0 are 1, and so on.

[0151] The relationship between capacity layer frequencies and their time-domain and / or frequency-domain positions can be referred to as the capacity layer frequency pattern, and the relationship between signals and their time-domain and / or frequency-domain positions can be referred to as the signal pattern. In one possible implementation, these patterns can be referenced, for example, to Figure 7. In Figure 7, the value before ' / ' represents the index of the capacity layer frequency, and the value after ' / ' represents the index of the signal, such as 0 / 1, where 0 represents the index of the capacity layer frequency and 1 represents the index of the signal. For example, in 7-1 of Figure 7, the index of the capacity layer frequency corresponding to frequency-domain position 0 and time-domain position 0 is 0, the index of the capacity layer frequency corresponding to frequency-domain position 0 and time-domain position 1 is 1, and the index of the capacity layer frequency corresponding to frequency-domain position 0 and time-domain position 2 is 2. That is, different time-domain positions correspond to different capacity layer frequencies for the same frequency-domain position. In Figure 7-2, the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 0 and time domain position 0 is 0, the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 1 and time domain position 0 is 1, and the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 2 and time domain position 0 is 2. This means that different frequency domain positions correspond to different signals at the same time domain position. Similarly, the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 0 and time domain position 0 is 0, the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 1 and time domain position 0 is 1, and the index of the signal corresponding to frequency domain position 2 and time domain position 0 is 2. This means that different frequency domain positions correspond to different capacity layer frequencies at the same time domain position.

[0152] Optionally, in Example 2 above (where the wake-up signal is located in the time domain and / or frequency domain, it also indicates the first signal), the time domain and / or frequency domain location at which the terminal detects the wake-up signal is associated with the terminal's identifier.

[0153] As an example, a terminal can directly determine the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal based on the terminal's identifier.

[0154] For example, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the terminal's identifier and its time-domain location, allowing the terminal to determine the time-domain location of the wake-up signal based on the identifier. For instance, if the terminal's identifier is 1 and the absolute or relative index of the time-domain resource is 1, then the wake-up signal is located in the time domain. Alternatively, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the terminal's identifier and its frequency-domain location, allowing the terminal to determine the frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal based on the identifier. For instance, if the terminal's identifier is 1 and the absolute or relative index of the frequency-domain resource is 1, then the wake-up signal is located in the frequency domain. Or, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the terminal's identifier and a combination of time-domain and frequency-domain locations, allowing the terminal to determine both the time-domain and frequency-domain locations of the wake-up signal based on the identifier. For instance, if the terminal's identifier is 1, the absolute or relative index of the time-domain resource is 1 (the wake-up signal is located in the time domain), and the absolute or relative index of the frequency-domain resource is 1 (the wake-up signal is located in the frequency domain).

[0155] For example, a terminal can determine the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal based on the terminal's identifier and the total number of signals (such as chirp signals or sequences). For instance, index = ue_id mod number, where index represents the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal, ue_id represents the terminal's identifier, mod represents the remainder, and number represents the total number of signals.

[0156] As another example, a terminal can indirectly determine the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal based on its identifier. For instance, a terminal can determine the paging timing based on its identifier, with the paging timing associated with the time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal.

[0157] The process by which the terminal determines the paging timing based on its identifier can refer to existing solutions and will not be elaborated here. The paging timing is the location of the paging downlink control information (DCI) and / or paging message.

[0158] Optionally, the aforementioned association of the paging timing with the wake-up signal's time-domain and / or frequency-domain location can mean: a one-to-one correspondence between the paging timing and the wake-up signal's time-domain location; or a one-to-one correspondence between the paging timing and the wake-up signal's frequency-domain location; or a one-to-one correspondence between the paging timing and a combination of the wake-up signal's time-domain and frequency-domain locations. In one possible implementation, the association between the paging timing and the wake-up signal's time-domain and / or frequency-domain location can be indicated to the terminal by the network device directly or indirectly, or predefined, without limitation here.

[0159] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal can obtain the corresponding timing deviation on the camping frequency point (i.e., the first frequency point) and receive the reference signal on the capacity layer frequency point (i.e., the second frequency point), thereby determining the timing offset (TA) based on the reception time and timing deviation of the reference signal. In other words, in a multi-frequency coverage network mode, the terminal obtains the TA based on the reception time and timing deviation of the reference signal. On one hand, this reduces the interaction process involved in the terminal performing random access and obtaining the TA on the capacity layer frequency point, thus reducing the complexity of the terminal obtaining the TA, thereby reducing the latency of the terminal obtaining the TA and improving communication efficiency. On the other hand, this allows the terminal to obtain the TA more efficiently, thereby saving terminal power consumption.

[0160] Optionally, to achieve the aforementioned functions, the device includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for performing each function. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware 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.

[0161] This application embodiment can divide the terminal or network device into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0162] Referring to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device 800 can be applied to the method shown in the embodiment of Figure 3 above. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes a processing module 801 and a transceiver module 802. The processing module 801 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 802 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. The communication device can be used to implement the terminal or network device involved in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the function of the network element involved in any of the above method embodiments. The network element or network function may be a network element in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a storage module 803 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 800. It should be understood that regardless of whether these functional modules are subdivided or combined, the general process executed by the communication device 800 in implementing any of the above method embodiments is the same. For example, the transceiver module 802 in the aforementioned communication device 800 may include a receiving module and / or a transmitting module. Of course, the transceiver module may also be called a communication module. In one implementation, each module may have its own program code (or program instructions). When the program code corresponding to each module is run on the processor, it causes the unit to execute the corresponding process to achieve the corresponding function.

[0163] In one example, when the communication device functions as a terminal or is a chip applied within a terminal (i.e., a chip used in a terminal), it executes the steps performed by the terminal in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 802 is used to specifically execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG3, for example, supporting the terminal in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 801 can be used to support the communication device 800 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the terminal in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0164] For example, the transceiver module 802 is configured to: acquire a first timing deviation at a first frequency point, acquire a second frequency point, and receive a reference signal at the second frequency point. Here, the first frequency point is a dwell frequency point, the first timing deviation is the timing deviation between the first and second frequency points, the second frequency point is a capacity layer frequency point, and the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the timing alternation (TA).

[0165] Optionally, when acquiring the first timing deviation at the first frequency point and acquiring the second frequency point, the transceiver module 802 is configured to: receive the PDCCH at the first frequency point, the PDCCH including the index of the second frequency point and the first timing deviation; and acquire the second frequency point according to the index of the second frequency point.

[0166] Optionally, the index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group. The transceiver module 802 is further configured to: receive the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

[0167] Optionally, when acquiring the first timing deviation at the first frequency point and acquiring the second frequency point, the transceiver module 802 is used to: receive a wake-up signal at the first frequency point, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the second frequency point and the first timing deviation.

[0168] Optionally, the transceiver module 802 is further configured to: transmit a first signal based on the TA, wherein the slope of the waveform and / or the frequency domain start position of the first signal is used to indicate the identifier of the terminal, and the first signal carries uplink data. Optionally, the first signal is a chirp signal or sequence.

[0169] In one example, when the communication device functions as a network device or as a chip applied within a network device (i.e., a chip used in a network device), it executes the steps performed by the network device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 802 is used to specifically execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the network device in the embodiment shown in FIG3, for example, supporting the network device in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 801 can be used to support the communication device 800 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the network device in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0170] For example, the transceiver module 802 is configured to: transmit a first timing deviation at a first frequency point and transmit a reference signal at a second frequency point. The first timing deviation is the timing difference between the first and second frequency points, the first frequency point is the dwell frequency point, and the second frequency point is the capacity layer frequency point. The reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the timing shift (TA).

[0171] Optionally, when transmitting the first timing offset at the first frequency, the transceiver module 802 is configured to: receive the PDCCH at the first frequency, wherein the PDCCH includes the first timing offset.

[0172] Optionally, the PDCCH also includes an index of a second frequency point, which is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group. The transceiver module 802 is further configured to: transmit the index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

[0173] Optionally, when transmitting the first timing deviation at the first frequency, the transceiver module 802 is configured to: receive a wake-up signal at the first frequency, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the first timing deviation.

[0174] Optionally, the transceiver module 802 is further configured to: receive a first signal based on the TA, wherein the slope of the waveform and / or the frequency domain start position of the first signal is used to indicate the identifier of the terminal, and the first signal carries uplink data.

[0175] In one possible implementation, when the aforementioned device is a chip, such as a modem chip, a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip; or, when the aforementioned device is a communication module, the transceiver module 802 can be a communication interface, pins, or circuits. The communication interface can be used to input data to be processed to the processor and can output the processor's processing results. Specifically, the communication interface can be a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, which can connect to multiple peripheral devices (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), camera, radio frequency (RF) module, antenna, etc.). The communication interface is connected to the processor via a bus.

[0176] The processing module 801 can be a processing circuit, which can be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control and / or processing. The processing circuit or processor can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to execute the method involved in the embodiment shown in FIG3. Further, the processor can include a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. For example, the controller is mainly responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is mainly responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and conversions. The registers are mainly responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In specific implementations, the processor's hardware architecture can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS) architecture, an advanced reduced instruction set machine (RISC) machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor can be single-core or multi-core. The storage module can be an internal storage module of the chip, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the storage module can be an external storage module, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, or random access memory (RAM).

[0177] Optionally, the functions of the processor and interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software; no restrictions are imposed here.

[0178] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. It is understood that the communication device 910 includes necessary means such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, appropriately configured together to execute this solution. The communication device 910 can be the aforementioned terminal or network device, or a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 910 includes one or more processors 911. The processor 911 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (e.g., a terminal, network device, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0179] Optionally, in one design, the processor 911 may include a program 913 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the processor 911 to cause the communication device 910 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In yet another possible design, the communication device 910 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG. 9) for implementing the terminal, network device, and other functions described in the above embodiments. Optionally, the communication device 910 may include one or more memories 912 storing a program 914 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the memory 912 to cause the communication device 910 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0180] Optionally, data may also be stored in the processor 911 and / or the memory 912. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0181] Optionally, if the communication device 910 is a terminal or network device, it may also include a transceiver 915 and / or an antenna 916. The processor 911, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a terminal or network device). The transceiver 915, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 916. Optionally, the transceiver 915 may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiving unit, receiver, or receiving circuit. The transmitter may be referred to as a transmitting unit, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0182] Optionally, if the communication device 910 is a chip for a terminal or network device, the transceiver 915 can be a transceiver circuit, such as an input / output interface or a transceiver interface.

[0183] This application also provides a communication device, which includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG3.

[0184] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG3.

[0185] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run, it causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG3.

[0186] This application also provides a chip, which includes at least one processor and an interface. The processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory. When the instructions are executed, the chip causes the chip to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in FIG3.

[0187] Optionally, the processing performed by a single execution entity (terminal or network device) shown in any of the above embodiments can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, and RU.

[0188] Furthermore, the various embodiments of this application are merely illustrative examples of executing all the steps included, and should not be considered as specific limitations on this application. For example, the order of steps in various embodiments can be simply changed according to their function and internal logic; or, for example, all steps in various embodiments can be executed, or only a portion of them can be executed, as long as the same function as in the embodiments of this application can be achieved.

[0189] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to a network device" can be understood as the destination of the information being the network device, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which can include direct reception from the network device via the air interface or indirect reception from the network device via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0190] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminals; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0191] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," "if," and "in the case of" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0192] In this application, the words “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words “example,” “exemplarily,” “for example,” or “such as” is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0193] 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 by comprising: include: A first timing deviation is obtained at a first frequency point, and a second frequency point is obtained. The first frequency point is a dwell frequency point, the first timing deviation is the timing deviation between the first frequency point and the second frequency point, and the second frequency point is a capacity layer frequency point. A reference signal is received at the second frequency point, and the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the timing advance (TA).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of obtaining the first timing deviation at the first frequency point and obtaining the second frequency point includes: The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is received on the first frequency point, the PDCCH including the index of the second frequency point and the first timing offset; The second frequency point is obtained based on the index of the second frequency point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group, and the method further includes: The index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group is received on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of obtaining the first timing deviation at the first frequency point and obtaining the second frequency point includes: A wake-up signal is received at the first frequency point, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the second frequency point and the first timing deviation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The time domain position and / or frequency domain position of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point, and the wake-up signal includes the first timing deviation.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the TA, a first signal is transmitted, wherein the slope of the waveform and / or the frequency domain start position of the first signal are used to indicate the identifier of the terminal, and the first signal carries uplink data.

7. The method according to claim 2 or 6, characterized in that, The PDCCH is also used to indicate the transmission of the uplink data based on the first signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The wake-up signal is also used to instruct the transmission of the uplink data based on the first signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal is also used to indicate the first signal.

11. A communication method, comprising: include: A first timing deviation is transmitted on a first frequency point. The first timing deviation is the timing deviation between the first frequency point and the second frequency point. The first frequency point is the dwell frequency point, and the second frequency point is the capacity layer frequency point. A reference signal is transmitted at the second frequency point, and the reception time of the reference signal and the first timing deviation are used to determine the timing advance (TA).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The transmission of the first timing deviation at the first frequency point includes: The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is received on the first frequency, and the PDCCH includes the first timing offset.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The PDCCH also includes an index for the second frequency point.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The index of the second frequency point is the index of the second frequency point in the first frequency point group, and the method further includes: The index of each frequency point in at least one frequency point group is transmitted on the first frequency point, wherein the frequency points in the at least one frequency point group are capacity layer frequency points, and the at least one frequency point group includes the first frequency point group.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, The transmission of the first timing deviation at the first frequency point includes: A wake-up signal is received at the first frequency point, the wake-up signal being used to indicate the first timing deviation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The wake-up signal is also used to indicate the second frequency point.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal indicates the second frequency point.

18. The method of any of claims 11-17, wherein, The method further includes: The first signal is received based on the TA, and the slope of the waveform and / or the starting position of the frequency domain of the first signal are used to indicate the identifier of the terminal. The first signal carries uplink data.

19. The method of claim 12, 13, or 18, wherein, The PDCCH is also used to indicate the transmission of the uplink data based on the first signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The PDCCH also includes an index of the first signal.

21. The method of any of claims 15-18, wherein, The wake-up signal is also used to instruct the transmission of the uplink data based on the first signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The time-domain and / or frequency-domain location of the wake-up signal is also used to indicate the first signal.

23. A communications device, characterized by It includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 11-22.

24. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1-10, or the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 11-22.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-22.

26. A chip, characterized by The chip includes at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute computer instructions or programs that, when the computer instructions or programs are executed, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-22.

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