Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication apparatus. The communication method comprises: a terminal receiving a first SSB, wherein the first SSB comprises first information, the first information is used for indicating a first CORESET and a search space, the first CORESET is comprised in N CORESETs, the N CORESETs occupy a same time domain resource and different frequency domain resources, the N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2; and monitoring a PDCCH in the search space on the basis of the first CORESET, wherein the PDCCH is used for scheduling an SIB1.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411901001.3, filed on December 19, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] High frequencies, due to their large bandwidth, have become an effective method for improving the service capabilities of wireless communication systems. However, high frequencies suffer from significantly more path loss compared to low frequencies. To overcome this deficiency, high-frequency communication is based on beamforming to concentrate energy in a specific direction and improve coverage. In this context, to maintain good communication quality, network equipment and terminals need to undergo beam training and beam tracking to achieve beam alignment.

[0004] However, as network equipment continues to evolve towards large array technology, beams are becoming narrower and narrower. Consequently, the number of beams required to complete cell coverage is increasing, resulting in higher energy consumption and latency for terminal access. At the same time, pilot overhead and scanning latency on the network equipment side are also increasing, leading to fewer opportunities for terminals and network equipment to shut down and go into sleep mode. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device to increase the chances of terminals and network devices shutting down and going into sleep mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of network devices and terminals.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the terminal side. For example, the method can be executed by the terminal, or by a component configured in the terminal (such as a chip, chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions. This application does not limit the scope of the method.

[0007] The communication method includes: receiving a first synchronization signal block (SSB), the first SSB including first information, the first information being used to indicate a first control resource set (CORESET) and a search space, the first CORESET being contained in N CORESETs, the N CORESETs occupying the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources, the N CORESETs corresponding to N SSBs, and N being greater than or equal to 2; monitoring the PDCCH in the search space based on the first CORESET, the PDCCH being used to schedule system information block 1 (SIB) 1.

[0008] In this application, the first information in the first SSB indicates that the first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs. These N CORESETs occupy the same time-domain resources and different frequency-domain resources. That is, these N CORESETs occupy the same time-domain resources and are frequency-divided in the frequency domain. N can also be called the number of CORESET frequency divisions.

[0009] Based on the communication method provided in the first aspect, by frequency-dividing CORESET in the frequency domain, on the one hand, the time for network devices to continuously send PDCCH for scheduling SIB1 can be reduced, and on the other hand, the time for terminals to monitor PDCCH can be reduced, thereby increasing the opportunity for network devices and terminals to sleep, and thus reducing the power consumption of network devices and terminals.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs that are frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs that are frequency-divided, N (i.e., the number of frequency-divided CORESETs), the time-domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

[0012] The SSB index of the second SSB is the same as that of the first SSB, which can also be understood as the network side using the same beam for transmitting the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0013] Based on this implementation, when the terminal receives the first SSB and the second SSB with the same SSB index in different SSB burst sets, even if the first SSB and the second SSB occupy different frequency domain resources, the location of the frequency domain resource of the CORESET determined by the terminal will be the location of the frequency domain resource of the first CORESET.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

[0015] The starting SSB refers to the first SSB in a frequency-division SSB arrangement, where the subcarriers included in the frequency domain resources of each SSB are arranged in ascending order of frequency. In other words, among the SSBs undergoing frequency division, the starting SSB occupies subcarriers with frequencies lower than those of the other SSBs in the frequency division.

[0016] Based on this implementation, the terminal can determine the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET based on the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first frequency domain offset. For example, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the first subcarrier in the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET and the first subcarrier in the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, and the first time slot index is determined based on N.

[0018] For example, the first time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0019] Where n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing (SCS), and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

[0021] For example, the second time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0022] Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the SCS, and i T Indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, if:

[0024] or,

[0025] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 0;

[0026] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, if:

[0028] or,

[0029] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 1;

[0030] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0031] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, for example, it can be executed by a network device on the network side, or it can be executed by a component configured in the network device (such as a communication module, chip, chip system, etc.), or it can be a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0032] The communication method includes: sending a first SSB, the first SSB including first information, the first information being used to indicate a first CORESET and a search space, the first CORESET and the search space being used by the terminal to monitor the PDCCH, and the PDCCH being used to schedule SIB1; wherein, the first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs, the N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources, the N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2.

[0033] The first SSB mentioned above is one of multiple SSBs sent by the network device.

[0034] Based on the communication method provided in the second aspect, by frequency-dividing CORESET in the frequency domain, on the one hand, the time for network devices to continuously send PDCCH for scheduling SIB1 can be reduced, and on the other hand, the time for terminals to monitor PDCCH can be reduced, thereby increasing the opportunity for network devices and terminals to sleep, and thus reducing the power consumption of network devices and terminals.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs to be frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs to be frequency-divided, N, the time-domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset of the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

[0036] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, and the first time slot index is determined based on N.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the first time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0040] Where n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the second time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0043] Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i T Indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, if:

[0045] or,

[0046] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 0;

[0047] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, if:

[0049] or,

[0050] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 1;

[0051] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. TThe first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0052] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the first aspect described above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means that perform the operations involved in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0053] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions of the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means that perform the operations involved in the second aspect above. These modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0054] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device including an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of the necessary computer program or instructions for implementing the functions described in the first aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer program or instructions, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication functions within the communication device and / or the communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0055] In one possible design, the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0056] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0057] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip containing a modem module.

[0058] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device including an interface circuit and one or more processors. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory. The memory stores part or all of the necessary computer program or instructions for implementing the functions described in the second aspect above. The one or more processors are executable to carry out the computer program or instructions, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect above. The interface circuit is used to implement the communication functions within the communication device and / or the communication functions between the communication device and other devices or components.

[0059] In one possible design, the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0061] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device, a communication module in a network device, or a chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip that contains a modem module.

[0062] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication system that includes the communication devices described in the fifth and sixth aspects.

[0063] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the possible designs in the first to fourth aspects described above.

[0064] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product that, when read and executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the possible designs in the first to second aspects described above.

[0065] The beneficial effects of the second to ninth aspects mentioned above can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of SSB;

[0068] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a terminal accessing a network device.

[0069] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an indicator CORESET provided in this application;

[0071] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another indication of CORESET provided in this application;

[0072] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0074] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. It is understood that the system architecture described in this application embodiment is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application embodiment and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, wherein the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. The communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via wired means. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. The communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300.

[0076] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0077] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminals access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), relay nodes, or donor nodes.

[0078] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RANC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0079] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0080] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0081] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0082] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0083] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0084] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0085] The following section introduces some terms used in the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this section is for ease of understanding only and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0086] 1. Beam

[0087] A beam is a communication resource. A beam can be wide, narrow, or other types. The technology used to form a beam can be beamforming or other techniques. Specifically, beamforming technologies can be digital beamforming, analog beamforming, or hybrid digital / analog beamforming. Different beams can be considered different resources. The same information or different information can be transmitted through different beams.

[0088] Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as a single beam. A beam may include one or more antenna ports for transmitting data channels, control channels, and detection signals, etc. For example, a transmit beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna, and a receive beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of the wireless signal received from the antenna. It is understood that one or more antenna ports forming a beam can also be considered as a set of antenna ports.

[0089] When using low-frequency or mid-frequency bands, signals can be transmitted omnidirectionally or through a wide angle. When using high-frequency bands, thanks to the smaller carrier wavelength of high-frequency communication systems, antenna arrays consisting of many antenna elements can be arranged at the transmitting and receiving ends. The transmitting end transmits signals with a certain beamforming weight, so that the transmitted signal forms a spatially directional beam. At the same time, the receiving end uses an antenna array with a certain beamforming weight to receive the signal, which can improve the received power at the receiving end and counteract path loss.

[0090] 2. Reference signal

[0091] Reference signals can be used for channel measurement or channel estimation, etc.

[0092] According to the Long Term Evolution (LTE) / New Radio (NR) protocol, at the physical layer, uplink communication includes the transmission of uplink physical channels and uplink signals. Uplink physical channels include, for example, the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), while uplink signals include, for example, the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS).

[0093] Downlink communication includes the transmission of downlink physical channels and downlink signals. Downlink physical channels include, for example, the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Downlink signals include, for example, the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

[0094] It should be understood that the reference signals listed above are merely illustrative examples and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future agreements to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0095] 3. Synchronization signal block

[0096] The synchronization signal block (SSB), also known as the synchronization signal and PBCH block, is composed of three parts: primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), and physical broadcasting channel block (PBCH).

[0097] For example, Figure 2 illustrates the subcarrier positions occupied by PSS, SSS, and PBCH within an SSB. As shown in Figure 2, one SSB occupies four orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols numbered 0 to 3 in the time domain and 20 consecutive resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain, i.e., 240 consecutive subcarriers numbered 0 to 239. The first OFDM symbol of the SSB, numbered 0, is the PSS, and the third OFDM symbol, numbered 2, is the SSS. Both the PSS and SSS occupy 127 subcarriers. The PBCH is distributed across the second to fourth OFDM symbols of the SSB, numbered 1 to 3. The PBCH occupies 240 subcarriers in the second and fourth OFDM symbols. Additionally, as shown in Figure 2, there are some unused resource elements (REs) on both sides of the SSS in the third OFDM symbol, numbered 2.

[0098] Because beams are directional, network devices and terminals need to perform beam training and beam tracking to achieve beam alignment and better communication quality. Figure 3 shows one method for determining the beam used between network devices and terminals, which includes:

[0099] Step 1: The network device sends / broadcasts the SSB using beam scanning.

[0100] Transmitting / broadcasting SSBs using beam scanning refers to network devices scanning with beams in different directions at different times to achieve beam coverage of the cell, where different beams carry different SSBs. This can also be interpreted as network devices using a time-division multiplexing approach, transmitting different beams at multiple times to cover the required directions of the entire cell. In this application, the beam carrying the SSB is also referred to as the SSB beam.

[0101] For example, network devices send SSB beam 1, SSB beam 2, SSB beam 3, and SSB beam 4 at different times to scan the entire cell using these four SSB beams, thus achieving beam coverage of the entire cell.

[0102] The SSB includes a master information block (MIB), which is used to determine the time-frequency resource information carrying SIB1. Network devices can use SIB1 to indicate the mapping / correspondence between an SSB and a random access channel occasion (RO).

[0103] Step 2: The terminal receives the SIB1 message sent by the network device based on the selected SSB.

[0104] In one implementation, the terminal determines the selected SSB by detecting the signal strength of each received SSB.

[0105] The terminal can determine the time-frequency resource location (RO) of SIB1 sent by the network device based on the MIBs included in the selected SSB. Then, based on receiving the SIB1, it can determine the RO corresponding to the selected SSB.

[0106] Step 3: The terminal initiates random access to the network device on the RO corresponding to the selected SSB.

[0107] When a terminal initiates random access to a network device on the RO corresponding to the selected SSB, the network device can learn about the SSB selected by the terminal, and thus know that the beam corresponding to the SSB is the optimal beam determined by the terminal.

[0108] The following section provides a detailed explanation of how the terminal receives SIB1 from the network device based on the MIB in step 2 above.

[0109] Specifically, the terminal receives SIB1 sent by the network device based on the received SSB, including: the terminal determining the control resource set (CORESET) and search space (SS) of the PDCCH used to schedule SIB1 based on the MIB in the received SSB; monitoring the PDCCH on the SS based on the determined CORESET (also known as monitoring / detection); and obtaining the SIB1 sent by the network device based on the downlink control information (DCI) in the monitored PDCCH. Here, the control resource set refers to the occupied frequency domain range and number of symbols defined within the corresponding bandwidth part (BWP). The search space refers to the timing for starting blind detection defined in the corresponding CORESET.

[0110] Typically, the CORESET corresponding to the PDCCH used to schedule SIB1 is also called CORESET 0. CORESET 0 is used as the search space for scheduling the PDCCH of SIB1. The PDCCH search space of SIB1 is also called the type 0-PDCCH common search space (type 0-PDCCH common search space, type 0-PDCCH CSS), or simply search space zero (SS 0).

[0111] In one implementation, the MIB included in the SSB can indicate the index of CORESET 0 and the index of SS0; correspondingly, the terminal obtains the parameters of CORESET 0 and SS0 based on the index of CORESET 0 and the index of SS0. Further, the terminal determines CORESET 0 and SS0 based on these parameters, combined with the SSB index of the SSB and the time-frequency resource location occupied by the SSB.

[0112] The parameters of CORESET 0 include: multiplexing mode, number of resource blocks for CORESET 0, number of time-domain symbols, and frequency-domain offset. For example, the terminal determines the parameters of CORESET 0 to be queried based on the subcarrier spacing (SCS), minimum channel bandwidth, and channel bandwidth of SSB and PDCCH. The table is Table 13-4 of 3GPP 38.213. If the index of CORESET 0 indicated in MIB is 10, then from Table 13-4 we can see that when the index is 10: the multiplexing mode is the multiplexing mode of pattern 1, the number of resource blocks for CORESET 0 is 48 resource blocks (RB), that is, CORESET 0 occupies 48 RBs in the frequency domain, the number of time-domain symbols is 1 symbol in the time domain, and the frequency-domain offset is 12 RBs relative to SSB.

[0113] The parameters of SS0 include: parameters O and M required for calculating the monitored frame number and slot index, the number of search space sets in each slot of the monitored slot, and the starting symbol when monitoring PDCCH in each slot (i.e., from which symbol the terminal starts monitoring PDCCH in the monitored slot). Understandably, parameters O and M are determined after the SS0 parameter table used and the SS0 index indicated in the MIB are obtained. For example, the table for determining the SS0 parameters to be queried by the terminal based on the SSB and PDCCH SCS, minimum channel bandwidth, and channel bandwidth is Table 13-11 of 3GPP 38.213. If the SS0 index indicated in the MIB is 0, then from Table 13-11, we can obtain that when the index is 0: O = 0, the number of search space sets in each slot is 1, M = 1, and the starting symbol when monitoring PDCCH in each slot is symbol 0.

[0114] Specifically, the terminal calculates the monitored frame number based on the parameters of SS0 as follows:

[0115] If formula (1) is satisfied:

[0116] The monitored frame number satisfies SFN. c mod2 = 0.

[0117] If formula (2) is satisfied:

[0118] The monitored frame number satisfies SFN. c mod2 = 1.

[0119] Where μ represents SCS, i represents SSB index, SFN represents the number of time slots included in a frame when SCS is μ. c This indicates the frame number being monitored, and n0 represents the index of the time slot.

[0120] Specifically, the terminal calculates the monitoring time slot based on the parameters of SS0 as follows:

[0121] Where μ represents SCS, This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when SCS is μ, and i represents the SSB index. This indicates that the result of multiplying M is rounded down.

[0122] After the terminal determines n0, it determines the index of the monitored time slot based on the value of μ as n0 and n0+1, or n0 and n0+4, or n0 and n0+8.

[0123] However, as network equipment continues to evolve towards large array technology, beams are becoming narrower and narrower. Consequently, the number of beams required to complete cell coverage is increasing, resulting in higher energy consumption and latency for terminal access. At the same time, pilot overhead and scanning latency on the network equipment side are also increasing, leading to fewer opportunities for terminals and network equipment to shut down and go into sleep mode.

[0124] To improve the chances of terminals and network devices shutting down and going into sleep mode, a frequency division multiple beam (FDM) method for SSB has been proposed. This method involves network devices using concurrent beams to transmit multiple SSBs or a portion of an SSB in a frequency division manner, enabling terminals to perform measurements on multiple SSBs simultaneously and thus improving the chances of terminals and network devices shutting down and going into sleep mode.

[0125] However, analysis revealed that even with the use of frequency division concurrent multi-beam SSB, the network devices still have relatively few opportunities to shut down and go into sleep mode because the time slots for SS0 monitoring may differ for different SSBs, i.e., a time division approach is used. This means that the network devices need to continuously send PDCCH and the terminals need to continuously monitor PDCCH.

[0126] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communication device to further increase the opportunity for terminals and network devices to shut down and go into sleep mode, thereby reducing the energy consumption of network devices and terminals.

[0127] The communication method and communication device provided in this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that this application uses network devices and terminals as examples of the entities executing the interaction, but this application does not limit the entities executing the interaction. For example, the method executed by the network device in this application can also be implemented by modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) in the network device, or by logic nodes, logic modules, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device; the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be implemented by a communication module in the terminal, or by circuits or chips (such as modem chips (also known as baseband chips), or SoC chips containing modem cores, or SIP chips) in the terminal responsible for communication functions.

[0128] As shown in Figure 4, the method includes S410 to S420.

[0129] S410, the network device sends the first SSB, and the corresponding terminal receives the first SSB; the first SSB includes first information, which is used to indicate the first CORESET and the search space. The first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs. The N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2.

[0130] The first SSB mentioned above is one of the SSBs in the SSB burst set sent by the network device. The concept of an SSB burst set is as follows: if L SSBs are sent in different directions during a beam scan, then all the SSBs sent in this round can be called an SSB burst set. That is, an SSB burst set represents a collection of one or more SSBs. For example, an SSB burst set may contain 4 SSBs, or 8 SSBs, or 64 SSBs. This application does not limit the specific number of SSBs included in an SSB burst set.

[0131] The first information is used to indicate the first CORESET and the search space. It can also be understood as the first information instructing the terminal to monitor the PDCCH in the search space corresponding to the first CORESET. Here, the PDCCH refers to the PDCCH used for scheduling SIB1. Alternatively, the first information can be understood as the first information instructing the terminal to monitor the DCI sent on the PDCCH in the search space corresponding to the first CORESET, and the DCI is used for scheduling SIB1.

[0132] In one implementation, the first information is carried in the MIB of the first SSB.

[0133] Understandably, the first information is contained in the first SSB. Therefore, the first information is used to indicate the first CORESET and the search space. It can also be understood that the first SSB is used to indicate the first CORESET and the search space.

[0134] In this application, the first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs, wherein these N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources, N is greater than or equal to 2, and N is the number of frequency domain resources on a certain time domain resource corresponding to the first CORESET. N is also called the number of frequency-division CORESETs.

[0135] The number of frequency division cores can be the same as or different from the number of SSBs used for frequency division. The number of SSBs used for frequency division refers to the number of SSBs that occupy the same time domain resources but different frequency domain resources, which can be understood as the number of SSBs that the network device transmits simultaneously.

[0136] The following describes how the terminal determines the search space corresponding to the PDCCH and the implementation method of the first CORESET under the scheme where N CORESETs occupy the same time-domain resources and frequency division is performed in the frequency domain.

[0137] For the search space corresponding to the monitored PDCCH:

[0138] In one implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, and the first time slot index is determined based on N.

[0139] Specifically, the first time slot index satisfies the following formula (4):

[0140] In formula (4), n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the SCS, i represents the SSB index of the first SSB, and N is the number of frequency division CORESETs. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when SCS is μ, where O represents the first parameter and M represents the second parameter.

[0141] In another implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs.

[0142] Specifically, the second time slot satisfies the following formula (5):

[0143] In formula (5), n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the SCS, and i TThe temporal index indicating the first SSB's membership within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when SCS is μ, where O represents the first parameter and M represents the second parameter.

[0144] Optionally, for the frame number corresponding to the search space:

[0145] like:

[0146] or,

[0147] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 0.

[0148] However:

[0149] or,

[0150] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 1.

[0151] Where μ represents SCS, i represents the SSB index of the first SSB, and N is the number of frequency division cores. Indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when SCS is μ, i T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs; O represents the first parameter; and M represents the second parameter.

[0152] The meanings of O and M can be found in the previous descriptions and will not be repeated here.

[0153] After the terminal determines n0 based on formulas (4) and (5), it can determine the index of the monitored time slot as n0 and n0+1, or n0 and n0+4, or n0 and n0+8 based on the value of μ.

[0154] The terminal obtains the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET. The first frequency domain offset is used to determine the frequency domain position of the first CORESET. Based on the first frequency domain offset, the frequency domain resources corresponding to the first CORESET are determined.

[0155] In the first implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET.

[0156] For example, the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET is the frequency domain offset between the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET is the frequency domain offset between the first subcarrier included in the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first subcarrier included in the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET. In this implementation, after receiving the first SSB, the terminal determines the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET based on the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first frequency domain offset.

[0157] In this first implementation, the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET is based on the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB. In this implementation, the first frequency domain offset differs from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET. The second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, and its SSB index is the same as the first SSB's, but the frequency domain resources it occupies are different from those of the first SSB. That is, for two SBBs with the same SSB index transmitted by the network device within two SSB burst sets, if the positions of the frequency domain resources occupied by these two SBBs in the frequency domain are different, the frequency domain offsets indicated in these two SBBs for determining the CORESET will be different.

[0158] In the second implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

[0159] The starting SSB refers to the first SSB in a frequency-division SSB arrangement, where the subcarriers included in the frequency domain resources of each SSB are arranged in ascending order of frequency. In other words, among the SSBs undergoing frequency division, the starting SSB occupies subcarriers with frequencies lower than those of the other SSBs in the frequency division.

[0160] In other words, the aforementioned first frequency domain offset is based on the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division process. However, it is understood that using the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division process as the reference is only one implementation method and should not constitute a limitation of this application. For example, in implementation, the frequency domain resources occupied by the j-th SSB in the frequency division process are defined as the reference, and the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the j-th SSB in the frequency division process and the first CORESET. It is understood that the j-th SSB can be any SSB in the frequency division process.

[0161] For example, the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET is the frequency domain offset between the first subcarrier (starting subcarrier) in the frequency domain resources occupied by the first CORESET and the first subcarrier (starting subcarrier) in the frequency domain resources occupied by the starting SSB in the frequency division. In this implementation, the terminal can determine the frequency domain starting position of the first CORESET based on the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the starting SSB in the frequency division and the first frequency domain offset.

[0162] It can be seen that the difference between the second implementation and the first implementation is that the first frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET is based on the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division SSB.

[0163] In one implementation, the first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs to be frequency divided, the bandwidth between the SSBs to be frequency divided, N (i.e., the number of frequency division CORESETs), the index of the first SSB in the time domain, the index of the first SSB in the frequency domain, and the frequency domain offset corresponding to the first CORESET.

[0164] Optionally, the number of frequency division cores can be predefined, in which case the number of frequency division cores may not be included in the first information.

[0165] Optionally, the first information includes a first field, the value of which indicates the number of frequency division cores. If the value in the first field is omitted, the number of frequency division cores can be assumed to be equal to the number of SSBs performing frequency division.

[0166] Optionally, the time slot index corresponding to the search space can be determined by predefined formula (4) above. In this case, the first information may not include the index of the first SSB in the time domain.

[0167] S420 monitors PDCCH in the search space based on the first CORESET. PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1.

[0168] After the terminal determines the first CORESET and the search space, it can monitor the PDCCH in the search space based on the first CORESET. Specifically, the terminal monitors the PDCCH on the frame number and time slot number corresponding to the search space determined by S410 and the frequency domain resources corresponding to the first CORESET.

[0169] Furthermore, the terminal monitors the PDCCH, obtains the RO corresponding to the first SSB based on the received DCI SIB1, and then initiates random access on that RO to access the network device.

[0170] As can be seen, in the method 400 provided in this application, the CORESETs corresponding to N SSBs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources, that is, the CORESETs corresponding to N SSBs are frequency-divided. On the one hand, the time for network devices to send PDCCH can be reduced, and on the other hand, the time for terminals to monitor PDCCH can be reduced, thereby increasing the opportunity for network devices and terminals to sleep, and thus reducing the energy consumption of network devices and terminals.

[0171] To make it easier to understand, two examples will be used to illustrate the point below.

[0172] There are a total of 8 SSB beams, and the SSBs carried by these 8 SSB beams are designated as SSB0, SSB1, SSB2, SSB3, SSB4, SSB5, SSB6, and SSB7. The CORESET indicated by SSB0 is designated as CORESET#0, the CORESET indicated by SSB1 as CORESET#1, the CORESET indicated by SSB2 as CORESET#2, the CORESET indicated by SSB3 as CORESET#3, the CORESET indicated by SSB4 as CORESET#4, the CORESET indicated by SSB5 as CORESET#5, the CORESET indicated by SSB6 as CORESET#6, and the CORESET indicated by SSB7 as CORESET#7. Understandably, the CORESET indicated by SSB is also commonly referred to as CORESET0. Therefore, the CORESET indicated by SSB0 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB0, the CORESET indicated by SSB1 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB1, the CORESET indicated by SSB2 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB2, the CORESET indicated by SSB3 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB3, the CORESET indicated by SSB4 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB4, the CORESET indicated by SSB5 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB5, the CORESET indicated by SSB6 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB6, and the CORESET indicated by SSB7 can also be called the CORESET0 indicated by SSB7.

[0173] A network device can concurrently transmit 4 SSB beams, meaning that 4 SSBs can be transmitted simultaneously on the same time domain resources, and these 4 SSBs occupy different frequency domain resources. Therefore, the frequency division of an SSB can be considered equal to 4. SSB beams are mapped to time and frequency resources according to the following rules: SSB numbers within the same SSB burstset are traversed; SSB numbers at the same frequency point within a burst group are traversed; where a burst group includes multiple SSB burst sets; within every x SSB burst sets, the first... The SSB numbers of the frequency points are traversed. The distribution diagram of the SSBs after mapping based on the above rules is shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0174] Therefore, for a terminal that supports frequency division access, if it has the SSB reception and processing capability of 4 times the minimum bandwidth, it can simultaneously receive 4 concurrent frequency division SSBs and complete SSB beam traversal within one SSB burst set; if it has the SSB reception and processing capability of 2 times the minimum bandwidth, it can simultaneously receive 2 concurrent frequency division SSBs and complete SSB beam traversal within two SSB burst sets. However, if the terminal does not support frequency division access or only has the minimum bandwidth SSB reception and processing capability, it completes SSB beam traversal within one SSB burst set (4 SSB burst sets).

[0175] Here, we take the example of terminals 1 and 2 simultaneously receiving four frequency division multiplexing (SSBs). Assume that after traversing the SSB beams, terminal 1 selects SSB 6 from the first SSB burst set, and terminal 2 selects SSB 6 from the second SSB burst set. Therefore, terminals 1 and 2 determine the corresponding CORESET#6 and search space based on the received SSB 6.

[0176] For example, terminal 1 determines the slot number and frame number corresponding to the search space based on SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set and formulas (4) to (9) in the embodiment of Figure 4. For example, when terminal 1 determines the slot number corresponding to the search space based on formula (4), SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set received by terminal 1 can carry the number of frequency division cores. As another example, when terminal 1 determines the slot number corresponding to the search space based on formula (5), SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set received by terminal 1 can carry the time domain index of SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the time domain index of SSB 6 received by terminal 1 in the first SSB burst set is 1.

[0177] For example, terminal 2 determines the slot number and frame number corresponding to the search space based on SSB 6 in the received second SSB burst set and formulas (4) to (9) in the embodiment of Figure 4. For example, when terminal 2 determines the slot number corresponding to the search space based on formula (4), SSB 6 in the received second SSB burst set can carry the number of frequency division CORESETs. As another example, when terminal 2 determines the slot number corresponding to the search space based on formula (5), SSB 6 in the received second SSB burst set can carry the time domain index of SSB 6 in the second SSB burst set. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the time domain index of SSB 6 in the second SSB burst set received by terminal 2 is 1.

[0178] For SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set received by terminal 1, when indicating CORESET#6, in one implementation, the frequency domain offset corresponding to CORESET#6 indicated by SSB 6 is different from the frequency domain offset corresponding to CORESET#6 indicated by SSB 6 in the second SSB burst set received by terminal 2. This is to compensate for the difference in frequency domain resource location between SSB 6 received by terminal 1 and SSB 6 received by terminal 2, and to ensure that the frequency domain resource location of CORESET#6 determined by terminal 1 and terminal 2 based on the frequency domain resource location of their respective received SSB 6 and the frequency domain offset corresponding to CORESET#6 carried in their respective received SSB 6 is the same.

[0179] In another implementation, when indicating CORESET#6, SSB 6 in the first SSB burst set received by terminal 1 has the same frequency domain offset as CORESET#6 indicated by SSB 6 in the second SSB burst set received by terminal 2. Both terminal 1 and terminal 2 determine the frequency domain resource location of CORESET#6 based on the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the frequency domain offset indicated in the received SSB 6.

[0180] Understandably, when using a frequency division CORESET scheme, it may be necessary to adjust the range of frequency domain offsets in Tables 13-0 to 13-10A of Protocol 38.213 to support the frequency domain offset corresponding to the CORESET when the SSB indicates the frequency division CORESET. This application does not limit the specific adjustments made.

[0181] For example, the table could be expanded to extend the range of the frequency domain offset.

[0182] For example, a column for the number of SSB frequency domain intervals can be added to the table (i.e., the multiple of the interval between the selected SSB and the frequency domain resources occupied by the corresponding CORESET). Accordingly, in this implementation, the size of the SSB frequency domain interval can be predefined or indicated by the SSB. For example, if the number of SSB frequency domain intervals between the selected SSB and the corresponding CORESET is 2, and the size of the SSB frequency domain interval is 24 RBs, then the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the CORESET corresponding to the selected SSB differs from the starting position of the frequency domain resources occupied by the selected SSB by 48 RBs.

[0183] For example, it could also be to increase the types of tables (e.g., different SSB frequency domain interval sizes correspond to different tables).

[0184] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG7 and FIG8.

[0185] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the device 700 includes: a transceiver module 701 and a processing module 702.

[0186] For example, in one embodiment, device 700 can be applied to a terminal.

[0187] Specifically, the transceiver module 701 is used to receive a first SSB, which includes first information. The first information is used to indicate a first CORESET and a search space. The first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs. The N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2. The processing module 702 is used to monitor the PDCCH in the search space based on the first CORESET. The PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1.

[0188] In one possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs to be frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs to be frequency-divided, N, the time-domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset of the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

[0189] In one possible implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

[0190] In one possible implementation, the first frequency offset is the frequency offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

[0191] In one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, which is determined based on N.

[0192] In one possible implementation, the first time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0193] Where n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0194] In one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the second time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0196] Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i T Indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0197] In one possible implementation, if:

[0198] or,

[0199] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 0;

[0200] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0201] In one possible implementation, if:

[0202] or,

[0203] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 1;

[0204] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0205] For example, in two embodiments, the device can be applied to a network device.

[0206] Specifically, the transceiver module 701 is used to send a first SSB, which includes first information. The first information is used to indicate a first CORESET and a search space. The first CORESET and the search space are used by the terminal to monitor the PDCCH. The PDCCH is used to schedule SIB1. The first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs. The N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs to be frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs to be frequency-divided, N, the time-domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset of the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

[0209] In one possible implementation, the first frequency offset is the frequency offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the initial SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

[0210] In one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, which is determined based on N.

[0211] In one possible implementation, the first time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0212] Where n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0213] In one possible implementation, the time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

[0214] In one possible implementation, the second time slot index satisfies the following relationship:

[0215] Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i T Indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0216] In one possible implementation, if:

[0217] or,

[0218] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod 2 = 0;

[0219] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0220] In one possible implementation, if:

[0221] or,

[0222] The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod2 = 1;

[0223] Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

[0224] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device shown in Figure 8 can be used to perform the method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0225] As shown in Figure 8, the device 800 of this embodiment includes a memory 801 and a processor 802. In one implementation, the device 800 further includes a communication interface 803 and a bus 804. The memory 801, processor 802, and communication interface 803 are interconnected via the bus 804.

[0226] The memory 801 can be a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 801 can store programs, and when the program stored in the memory 801 is executed by the processor 802, the processor 802 performs the various steps of the method shown in Figure 4.

[0227] The processor 802 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, used to execute relevant programs to implement the method shown in FIG4 of the embodiment of this application.

[0228] The processor 802 can also be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the method in Figure 4 of this embodiment can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor 802 or by software instructions.

[0229] The processor 802 described above can also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or a conventional processor, etc.

[0230] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory 801. The processor 802 reads the information in memory 801 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the functions required by the units included in the device of this application. For example, it can execute the various steps / functions of the embodiment shown in FIG4.

[0231] The communication interface 803 can use, but is not limited to, transceivers to enable communication between the device 800 and other devices or communication networks.

[0232] Bus 804 may include a pathway for transmitting information between various components of device 800 (e.g., memory 801, processor 802, communication interface 803).

[0233] It should be understood that the device 800 shown in the embodiments of this application can be deployed in network devices or terminals.

[0234] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be a usable medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center containing one or more sets of usable media. The usable medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0235] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0236] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means 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 multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0237] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not limit the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0239] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0241] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0242] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0243] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive a first synchronization signal block SSB, the first SSB includes first information, the first information is used to indicate a first control resource set CORESET and a search space, the first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs, the N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources, the N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2; Based on the first CORESET monitoring the PDCCH in the search space, the PDCCH is used to schedule system message block 1SIB1.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs that are frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs that are frequency-divided, N, the time-domain index of the first SSB in the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset of the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; Wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the starting SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, and the first time slot index is determined based on N.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first time slot index satisfies the following relationship: Wherein, n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second time slot index satisfies the following relationship: Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i T This indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, like: The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod 2 = 0; Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

10. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, like: The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod 2 = 1; Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send a first synchronization signal block SSB, the first SSB including first information, the first information is used to indicate a first control resource set CORESET and a search space, the first CORESET and the search space are used for terminal monitoring PDCCH, the PDCCH is used to schedule system message block 1SIB1; The first CORESET is contained in N CORESETs. The N CORESETs occupy the same time domain resources and different frequency domain resources. The N CORESETs correspond to N SSBs, and N is greater than or equal to 2.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: the number of SSBs that are frequency-divided, the spacing bandwidth between the SSBs that are frequency-divided, N, the time-domain index of the first SSB in the first SSB burst set to which the first SSB belongs, the frequency-domain index of the first SSB, and the first frequency-domain offset of the first CORESET, wherein the first frequency-domain offset is used to determine the frequency-domain resource location of the first CORESET.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB and the first CORESET; Wherein, the first frequency domain offset is different from the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB and the first CORESET, the second SSB belongs to the second SSB burst set, the SSB index of the second SSB is the same as the SSB index of the first SSB, but the frequency domain resources occupied by the second SSB are different from the frequency domain resources occupied by the first SSB.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frequency domain offset is the frequency domain offset between the frequency domain resources occupied by the starting SSB in the frequency division and the first CORESET.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the first time slot index, and the first time slot index is determined based on N.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first time slot index satisfies the following relationship: Wherein, n0 represents the first time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The time slot index corresponding to the search space is determined based on the second time slot index, which is determined based on the time domain index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second time slot index satisfies the following relationship: Where n0 represents the second time slot index, μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i T This indicates the temporal index of the first SSB within the first SSB burst set. This indicates the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, like: The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod 2 = 0; Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, like: The frame number corresponding to the search space then satisfies: SFN c mod 2 = 1; Where μ represents the subcarrier spacing, and i represents the SSB index of the first SSB. i represents the number of time slots included in a frame when the subcarrier spacing is μ. T The first SSB represents the temporal index within the first SSB burst set, O represents the first parameter, and M represents the second parameter.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10; or, it includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, include: processor, The processor is configured to execute a computer program and / or, via logic circuitry, cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10; or to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 to be implemented; or cause the method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 20 to be implemented.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 to be implemented; or causes the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20 to be implemented.

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