Wireless communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a wireless communication method and a communication apparatus, which are capable of improving the success rate of sending uplink data, and reducing the power consumption of a terminal device and data transmission delay. The method comprises: on the basis of an acquired first signal measurement result, determining a first coverage enhancement level of a terminal device; on the basis of the first coverage enhancement level, determining a first sending parameter of uplink data to be sent, the first sending parameter comprising: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission; and, on the basis of the first sending parameter, sending the uplink data to a network device by means of a message 3.

Description

Wireless communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411958300.0, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "Wireless Communication Method and Communication Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the development of communication technology, people's demand for uplink capacity in communication systems is increasing. One way to enhance uplink capacity is to allow terminal devices to directly transmit uplink data via message 3 without transmitting messages 1 and 2 during the random access procedure.

[0004] However, in situations with poor network coverage or weak signal, improving the success rate of uplink data transmission, reducing the power consumption of terminal devices, and reducing data transmission latency are urgent problems that need to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a wireless communication method and communication device, which can improve the success rate of uplink data transmission, reduce the power consumption of terminal devices, and reduce data transmission latency.

[0006] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method being applied to a terminal device, comprising: determining a first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device based on an acquired first signal measurement result; determining first transmission parameters of uplink data to be transmitted based on the first coverage enhancement level, the first transmission parameters including: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission; and transmitting the uplink data to a network device via message 3 based on the first transmission parameters.

[0007] This application embodiment improves the uplink data transmission success rate by combining uplink capacity enhancement technology with coverage enhancement technology. The terminal device can determine the current coverage enhancement level (i.e., the first coverage enhancement level) and transmit uplink data according to the transmission parameters corresponding to that coverage enhancement level. Different coverage enhancement levels correspond to different preset retransmission counts and preset repetition counts, and these preset retransmission counts and preset repetition counts are matched to the coverage enhancement level. By transmitting uplink data according to these preset retransmission counts and / or preset repetition counts, the terminal device can improve the uplink data transmission success rate, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device and the uplink data transmission latency.

[0008] In some implementations, the method further includes: after sending the message 3 to the network device, starting a first timer; if the message 4 sent by the network device for the message 3 is not received after the first timer expires, determining whether the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count; if the current retransmission count has not reached the preset retransmission count, retransmitting the uplink data to the network device through the message 3 according to the preset retransmission count.

[0009] Terminal devices can send uplink data according to the preset number of retransmissions and preset number of repetitions corresponding to the current coverage enhancement level. If the uplink data is not successfully sent this time, and the current number of retransmissions has not exceeded the preset number of retransmissions, the terminal device can continue to send uplink data according to the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the current coverage enhancement level, so as to improve the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0010] In some implementations, the method further includes: after sending message 3 to the network device, starting a first timer; if, after the first timer expires, no message 4 for message 3 is received from the network device, determining whether the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count; if the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count, and the first coverage enhancement level is not the highest coverage enhancement level configured by the network device, determining the coverage enhancement level of the terminal device to be a second coverage enhancement level, the second coverage enhancement level being higher than the first coverage enhancement level; determining a second transmission parameter corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level, the second transmission parameter including: a preset retransmission count and / or a preset repetition count in each transmission; and retransmitting the uplink data to the network device via message 3 based on the second transmission parameter.

[0011] Considering that in some communication systems (such as IoT NTN communication systems), the distance between terminal devices and network devices is relatively large, and the signal measurement results of terminal devices in different locations are not significantly different, the coverage enhancement level determined by the terminal devices may be the same. If uplink data is sent according to the transmission parameters corresponding to this coverage enhancement level, some terminal devices (such as those at the cell edge) may fail to transmit uplink data successfully, resulting in high power consumption and long data transmission latency for the terminal devices, and may also waste network resources. Based on this, this application proposes that when a terminal device fails to transmit uplink data according to the current coverage enhancement level, the current coverage enhancement level can be upgraded to the next coverage enhancement level, and uplink data can be sent according to the transmission parameters corresponding to the upgraded coverage enhancement level. This can improve the success rate of uplink data transmission, and further reduce the power consumption and uplink data transmission latency of the terminal devices.

[0012] In some implementations, the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, and / or the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

[0013] Since the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, sending uplink data according to the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level can improve the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0014] Since the preset retransmission count for the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset retransmission count for the first coverage enhancement level, sending uplink data according to the preset retransmission count for the second coverage enhancement level can improve the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0015] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; determining the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device based on the measured first signal measurement results includes: determining the first coverage enhancement level corresponding to the first signal measurement results based on the first signal measurement results and the first information.

[0016] The correspondence between coverage enhancement level and signal measurement results can be configured by network devices. Terminal devices can determine the current coverage enhancement level based on this correspondence, thus providing a clear scheme for terminal devices to determine the current coverage enhancement level.

[0017] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving second information sent by the network device, the second information being used to indicate transmission parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; determining the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be transmitted based on the first coverage enhancement level includes: determining the first transmission parameters corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second information.

[0018] The correspondence between coverage enhancement levels and transmission parameters can be configured by network devices. Terminal devices can determine the transmission parameters corresponding to the current coverage enhancement level based on this correspondence, thus providing a clear scheme for terminal devices to determine transmission parameters.

[0019] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving resource configuration information sent by the network device, the resource configuration information being used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; determining a target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level based on the first coverage enhancement level and the resource configuration information, the target PUSCH resource being used to transmit the message 3.

[0020] The mapping between coverage enhancement levels and PUSCH resources can be configured by network devices. Terminal devices can determine the PUSCH corresponding to the current coverage enhancement level based on this mapping, thus providing a clear scheme for terminal devices to determine the PUSCH.

[0021] In some implementations, if the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, sending the uplink data to the network device via message 3 includes: sending n identical messages 3 to the network device using the DSA method, each message 3 including the uplink data.

[0022] Terminal devices can send multiple repeated messages 3 using the DSA method. Correspondingly, network devices can also receive multiple repeated messages 3 using the DSA method. Since the DSA technology allows network devices to merge and receive the contents of multiple messages 3, it can improve the success rate of network devices receiving messages 3.

[0023] In some implementations, if the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

[0024] In some implementations, the terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and the message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

[0025] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method being applied to a network device, comprising: sending first information to a terminal device, the first information being used to indicate signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, the first information being used to determine a first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device, the first coverage enhancement level being used to determine first transmission parameters of uplink data to be transmitted, the first transmission parameters including: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission; and receiving the uplink data transmitted by the terminal device based on the first transmission parameters via message 3.

[0026] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate transmission parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, the first transmission parameters being determined based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second information.

[0027] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending resource configuration information to the terminal device, the resource configuration information being used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, the resource configuration information being used to determine a target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, and the target PUSCH resource being used to transmit the message 3.

[0028] In some implementations, if the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, receiving the uplink data sent by the terminal device based on the first sending parameters via message 3 includes: receiving n identical messages 3 sent by the terminal device using DSA, each message 3 including the uplink data.

[0029] In some implementations, if the level of the second coverage enhancement level is higher than the level of the first coverage enhancement level, then the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

[0030] In some implementations, if the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

[0031] In some implementations, the terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and the message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit (or module) composed of software and / or hardware, the unit being used to perform any one of the methods described in the first aspect.

[0033] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a unit (or module) composed of software and / or hardware, the unit being used to perform any one of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0034] Fifthly, a chip is provided, including a processor; the processor is configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to perform any of the methods described in the first aspect.

[0035] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory, which is connected to the processor via a circuit or wire.

[0036] Optionally, the chip also includes a communication interface.

[0037] In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided, including a processor; the processor is configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to perform any of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0038] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory, which is connected to the processor via a circuit or wire.

[0039] Optionally, the chip also includes a communication interface.

[0040] In a seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor, a memory, and an interface; the processor, the memory, and the interface cooperate with each other to enable the terminal device to execute any one of the technical solutions described in the first aspect; or to include any one of the chips described in the fifth aspect.

[0041] Eighthly, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor, a memory, and an interface; the processor, memory, and interface cooperate with each other to enable the network device to execute any one of the technical solutions described in the second aspect; or to include any one of the chips described in the sixth aspect.

[0042] Ninthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor performs any one of the methods described in the first or second aspect.

[0043] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when executed on a communication device, causes the communication device to perform any one of the methods described in the first or second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission process using a pure ALOHA protocol according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission process of a time-slotted ALOHA protocol provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a contention-based random access procedure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a time-domain-based PUSCH resource allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a frequency domain-based PUSCH resource allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a contention-based uplink data transmission process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of sending CB-Msg3 based on CE level according to an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 10 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 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 device (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. The communication system 10 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 device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Communication system 10 may also include Internet 300.

[0058] RAN 100 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). RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems.

[0059] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network equipment, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminal devices 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, a next-generation base station in a 6G 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.

[0060] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminal devices achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminal devices can also be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0063] Base stations and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminal equipment.

[0064] The roles of base stations and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device. That is, 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0065] Communication between base stations and terminal devices, between base stations, and between terminal devices can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0066] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal device can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal device, or by a device that includes terminal device functions.

[0067] In random access protocols, the order of information transmission is not centrally controlled; all terminal devices can send information randomly according to their own will, occupying the full channel rate. In a bus network, when two or more terminal devices send information simultaneously, frame collisions (collisions or mutual interference) occur, causing all colliding terminal devices to fail to transmit. To resolve collisions in random access, each terminal device needs to repeatedly retransmit data frames according to certain rules until the data frame passes through without collisions.

[0068] These rules constitute the Random Access Media Access Control (RANKMAC) protocol, with ALOHA being a commonly used example. The core idea behind both is that devices compete for the channel, thereby gaining the right to send information. Therefore, RANKMAC is also known as a contention-based protocol. Essentially, RANKMAC is a process of converting a broadcast channel into a point-to-point channel.

[0069] The ALOHA protocol is described below. There are two types of ALOHA protocols: the pure ALOHA protocol and the slotted ALOHA protocol.

[0070] The basic idea of ​​the pure ALOHA protocol is that when any terminal device in the network needs to send data, it can send data without any checks. If it does not receive an acknowledgment within a certain period, the terminal device assumes a collision has occurred during transmission. The terminal device then needs to wait for a period before sending the data again, until the transmission is successful.

[0071] Each terminal device is free to send data frames. To simplify the problem, bit errors caused by poor channel conditions are ignored, and it is assumed that all frames sent by all terminal devices are of fixed length. The length of a frame is represented by the time required to send the frame, not by bits, and this time is denoted by T0.

[0072] Figure 3 illustrates a data transmission process based on the pure ALOHA protocol. Referring to Figure 3, when terminal device 1 sends frame 1, no other terminal devices have sent data, so terminal device 1 can successfully send data frame 1. However, data frame 2 sent by terminal device 2 and data frame 3 sent by terminal device N-1 overlap in time (i.e., a collision occurs), where N is greater than 3. As a result of the collision, errors occur in the data sent by terminal device 2 and terminal device N-1, thus requiring retransmission. Data frame 6 sent by terminal device 1 and data frame 5 sent by terminal device 2 also partially overlap in time, causing errors in the data sent by both terminal devices 1 and 2, requiring retransmission by both.

[0073] The terminal devices that experience a collision cannot immediately retransmit, as doing so would inevitably lead to further collisions. The pure ALOHA system employs a retransmission strategy where each terminal device waits for a random period of time before retransmitting. If another collision occurs, it waits for another random period of time until a successful retransmission occurs.

[0074] As can be seen from the above process, if the data frames sent by the terminal devices overlap in time (partial or complete overlap), it will cause both parties or multiple parties' data frames to need to be retransmitted. This leads to a waste of resources and an increase in data transmission latency. Data transmission in this way results in low system throughput.

[0075] The slotted ALOHA protocol synchronizes all terminal devices in time by dividing time into equal-length slots. Each terminal device can only send a data frame at the beginning of each slot, thus avoiding arbitrary data transmission, reducing the possibility of data collisions, and improving channel utilization. Compared to a pure ALOHA network, a slotted ALOHA network can increase system throughput. The slot length T ensures that each data frame is transmitted within exactly one slot. After arrival, each data frame typically waits in the buffer for a period less than T before being transmitted. If two or more data frames arrive in one slot, a collision will occur in the next slot. Retransmission after a collision is similar to that in a pure ALOHA network.

[0076] Figure 4 illustrates a data transmission process based on the time-slotted ALOHA protocol. Referring to Figure 4, for time synchronization between terminal device 1 and terminal device 2, data transmission can only begin at the start of the allocated time slot.

[0077] For terminal device 1, when data frame 1 arrives, since it has not yet reached the start position of a time slot, terminal device 1 waits for a period of time before sending data frame 1. Because other terminal devices do not send data within that time slot, data frame 1 is successfully sent. For terminal device 2, when data frame 2 arrives, since it has not yet reached the start position of a time slot, terminal device 2 waits for a period of time before sending data frame 2. Because other terminal devices do not send data within that time slot, data frame 2 is successfully sent.

[0078] For terminal device 1, when data frame 3 arrives, it waits for a period of time before sending data frame 3 because it hasn't reached the start of a time slot. Terminal device 2 receives data frame 4 before this time slot and also sends data frame 4 within that time slot. Data frames 3 and 4 collide, and both fail to transmit. Terminal devices 1 and 2 need to retransmit data. Data frame 5 retransmitted by terminal device 1 and data frame 6 retransmitted by terminal device 2 are not in the same time slot; therefore, both data frames 5 and 6 are successfully transmitted.

[0079] The basic principle of diversity slotted ALOHA (DSA) is that when a terminal device sends a data packet, it is allowed to send multiple copies of the data packet at the same time. After successfully receiving any copy, the network device can reject other identical copies to avoid duplicate data reception.

[0080] Multiple copies can be transmitted on channels of different frequencies (frequency diversity), or they can be transmitted on the same channel in different time slots (time slot diversity). The former includes two modes: channel re-selection and channel non-re-selection, while the latter includes two modes: deterministic transmission and probabilistic transmission.

[0081] Multiple copies can be sent on the same time domain resources but different frequency domain resources, or on different time domain resources but the same frequency domain resources.

[0082] Terminal devices can obtain uplink synchronization through random access. There are two types of random access: contention-based random access and contention-free random access. This application mainly relates to the contention-based random access method, and the random access process is described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0083] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a contention-based random access method provided in an embodiment of this application, which includes steps S410 to S440.

[0084] In step S410, the terminal device sends message 1 (Msg1) during the random access process to the network device. Message 1 includes a preamble.

[0085] The terminal device can select a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource and a preamble, and transmit the selected preamble on the selected resource. This PRACH resource can also be called a RACH resource.

[0086] Network devices can broadcast PRACH resource configuration information to terminal devices. This configuration information can be used to determine the time-domain, frequency-domain, and code-domain information of the PRACH resource.

[0087] The configuration information for PRACH resources includes one or more of the following: preamble format, PRACH resource repetition period, radio frame offset, subframe number within the radio frame, start symbol within the subframe, number of PRACH slots within the subframe, number of PRACH occasions (ROs) within the PRACH slots, and duration of the PRACH occasion. Based on the configuration information for PRACH resources, the terminal device can determine the time-domain, frequency-domain, and code-domain information of the PRACH resources.

[0088] Configuration information for PRACH resources can be carried in system messages, meaning network devices can send RACH configuration information via system messages. Additionally, system messages can indicate the association between synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and PRACH resources. Terminal devices can determine usable PRACH resources, such as PRACH timing and preamble, based on detected SSBs and this association. In some embodiments, network devices can control the selection of random access resources by configuring a reference signal receiving power (RSRP) threshold. Terminal devices can select SSBs whose RSRP measurements meet the RSRP threshold based on SSB measurement results and use the PRACH resources associated with those SSBs to send the preamble.

[0089] In step S420, the network device sends Msg2 to the terminal device. This Msg2 can also be called a random access response (RAR). This Msg2 can be carried through the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0090] After sending Msg1, the terminal device can open a RAR time window and listen for PDCCH scrambled with the random access-radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) within that window. The RA-RNTI is related to the time-frequency resources of the RACH used by the terminal device to send Msg1. After receiving the PDCCH, the terminal device can use the RA-RNTI to decode it.

[0091] Msg2 may also include a preamble sent by the terminal device. If the terminal device receives a PDCCH scrambled with RA-RNTI and Msg2 contains its own preamble, the terminal device can consider that it has successfully received the random access response.

[0092] After successfully receiving the PDCCH, the terminal device obtains the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the PDCCH, which contains the RAR. The RAR can contain multiple pieces of information. For example, the RAR subheader may contain a backoff indicator (BI), which indicates the backoff time for retransmitting Msg1; the RAR random access preamble identification (RAPID) indicates the index of the received preamble in the network device's response; the RAR payload may contain a timing advance group (TAG), which can be used to adjust uplink timing; the RAR may also include an uplink grant (UL grant), used to schedule uplink resources for Msg3; and the RAR may also include a cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), which the terminal device can use to decode the PDCCH of Msg4 for initial access.

[0093] Step S430: The terminal device sends Msg3 to the network device. The terminal device can send Msg3 on the uplink grant scheduled by the network device. This Msg3 can also be called a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Establishment Request message.

[0094] The Msg3 is primarily used to notify network devices what event triggered the random access procedure. For example, if it is an initial access random procedure, the terminal device can include the UE identifier (ID) and establishment cause in the Msg3. If it is an RRC reconstruction, the terminal device can include the connected UE identifier and establishment cause in the Msg3.

[0095] Step S440: The network device sends Msg4 to the terminal device. Msg4 can also be called a conflict resolution message.

[0096] Msg4 serves two purposes: contention resolution and sending an RRC configuration message to the terminal device. If the terminal device carries a C-RNTI in Msg3, Msg4 uses a PDCCH scrambled with that C-RNTI for scheduling. The terminal device can then decode the PDCCH using the C-RNTI in Msg3 to obtain Msg4. If the terminal device does not carry a C-RNTI in Msg3, such as during initial access, Msg4 can use a PDCCH scrambled with a temporary C-RNTI for scheduling. The terminal device can then decode the PDCCH using the temporary C-RNTI in Msg2 to obtain Msg4. After successfully decoding the PDCCH, the terminal device obtains the PDSCH carrying Msg4. The terminal device can compare the Common Control Channel (CCCH) Service Data Unit (SDU) in this PDSCH with the CCCH SDU in Msg3. If they are the same, the contention resolution is successful.

[0097] To enhance coverage, some communication systems, such as narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, have introduced coverage enhancement (CE) technology. This technology divides coverage enhancement levels into three levels: CE level (CEL) 0, CEL 1, and CEL 2.

[0098] CEL0 represents standard or general coverage area, suitable for areas with strong signals. Terminal devices within this area typically do not require additional retransmission. CEL0 can withstand 144dB of signal attenuation.

[0099] CEL1 provides medium coverage enhancement or extended coverage, suitable for areas with weak signals. Terminal devices in this area can enhance coverage by increasing the number of transmission repetitions. CEL1 can counteract 154dB of signal attenuation.

[0100] CEL2 provides high-level or extreme coverage enhancement, suitable for areas with very weak signals. Terminal devices in these areas can achieve reliable communication through more transmission repetitions and higher power. CEL2 can withstand 154dB of signal attenuation.

[0101] The higher the CEL level, the more repetitions are required for transmission.

[0102] In a terrestrial network, the terminal device can roughly and accurately assess the distance to the network device based on the measured RSRP, and then select an appropriate CE level. It can also determine the maximum number of attempts for the preamble transmission corresponding to that CE level, as well as the number of repetitions required for each preamble transmission attempt, to ensure that the terminal device can access the network with appropriate power and latency.

[0103] RSRP reflects the communication quality between a terminal device and a network device. A higher RSRP indicates better communication quality, allowing the terminal device to choose a lower CE level and send the preamble with fewer repetitions, thus reducing power consumption and avoiding waste of network resources. Conversely, a lower RSRP indicates poorer communication quality, allowing the terminal device to choose a higher CE level and send the preamble with more repetitions, improving the preamble transmission success rate and reducing random access latency.

[0104] The code for the maximum number of attempts for preamble transmission and the number of repetitions required for each preamble transmission attempt is as follows:

[0105] The maximum number of attempts for preamble transmission can be any one of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 10, and the number of repetitions required for each preamble transmission attempt can be any one of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128.

[0106] The following section describes the maximum number of attempts for preamble transmission and the number of repetitions required for each preamble transmission attempt, in conjunction with the random access procedure. For simplicity, the maximum number of attempts for preamble transmission will be referred to as the maximum number of attempts, and the number of repetitions required for each preamble transmission attempt will be referred to as the number of repetitions.

[0107] The terminal device can receive reference signals sent by the network device and measure the RSRP of the reference signal. Additionally, the terminal device can receive RSRP ranges corresponding to different CE levels broadcast by the network device. Based on the currently measured RSRP and the RSRP ranges corresponding to different CE levels, the terminal device can determine the CE level corresponding to the currently measured RSRP. Based on the CE level, the terminal device determines the maximum number of attempts n1 and the number of repetitions n2 corresponding to that CE level.

[0108] The RSRP range corresponding to different CE levels can be broadcast from network devices to terminal devices.

[0109] During random access, the terminal device can send n² identical preambles to the network device and check the RAR within the RAR window. These n² preambles correspond to the same RAR window. If the terminal device does not receive the RAR from the network device within the RAR window, or if the terminal device does not receive Msg4, the transmission fails, and the terminal device can retry sending the preamble; that is, the terminal device can resend the preamble on the next available PRACH resource. If the terminal device receives Msg4 from the network device after n attempts (n less than or equal to n¹), the random access is successful. If the terminal device does not receive Msg4 from the network device after n¹ attempts, the random access fails.

[0110] The power of the preamble transmitted by the terminal device will be increased based on the power of the previous preamble transmission, that is, the power of the next preamble transmission will be greater than the power of the previous preamble transmission in order to improve the coverage of PRACH.

[0111] With the development of technology, new communication systems have been introduced, such as non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. The following is an introduction to NTN communication systems.

[0112] NTN communication systems provide communication services to users using non-terrestrial methods. These non-terrestrial methods can include, for example, satellite or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platforms.

[0113] For terrestrial network communication, it's impossible to deploy communication equipment in scenarios like oceans, mountains, and deserts. Alternatively, considering the costs of setting up and operating communication equipment, terrestrial communication typically doesn't cover sparsely populated areas. Compared to terrestrial network (TN) communication, NTN has many advantages. First, NTN communication is not limited by the user's geographical location. Theoretically, satellites can orbit the Earth, so every corner of the globe can be covered by satellite communication. Furthermore, the area covered by NTN communication equipment is far larger than that covered by terrestrial communication equipment. For example, a single satellite can cover a large ground area. Second, NTN communication has significant social value. NTN communication can achieve coverage at a lower cost; for example, satellite communication can reach remote mountainous areas or impoverished countries or regions at a lower cost. This allows people in these areas to enjoy advanced voice communication and mobile internet technologies, helping to narrow the digital divide with developed regions and promoting development in these areas. Third, NTN communication has a long communication distance without significantly increasing communication costs. Additionally, NTN communication is highly stable. For example, NTN communication is not limited by natural conditions and can be used even in the event of a natural disaster.

[0114] Based on their orbital altitude, communication satellites can be classified into low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, and high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites.

[0115] To ensure satellite coverage and enhance the overall capacity of the satellite communication system, satellites can employ multi-beam coverage, meaning multiple beam footprints can form the satellite's coverage area. For example, a single satellite can generate dozens or even hundreds of beams to cover the ground. A single satellite beam can cover a ground area with a diameter of tens to hundreds of kilometers.

[0116] In some communication systems, terminal devices in the RRC idle or RRC inactive states need to enter the RRC connected state through a random access procedure before they can send uplink data and / or receive downlink data. However, for small data packets, due to their small size, if data transmission is still performed in the above manner, the signaling overhead required for random access will be much greater than the signaling overhead required for transmitting the data packet. In other words, this data transmission mechanism leads to high RRC signaling overhead and high power consumption of the terminal device. To solve the above problems, an early data transmission (EDT) mechanism has been introduced in some systems (such as IoT systems or narrowband systems). For terminal devices in the RRC idle or RRC inactive states, the terminal device does not need to enter the RRC connected state and can directly transmit data with the network device.

[0117] With technological advancements, the demand for uplink capacity in IoT NTN communication systems is increasing, necessitating enhancements to this capacity. This is particularly true for small data packet transmission, where efforts are focused on further reducing uplink and downlink signaling overhead beyond the existing EDT mechanism. One enhancement approach involves directly transmitting Msg3 without transmitting Msg1 and Msg2. In other words, without transmitting Msg1 and Msg2, the terminal device can directly transmit uplink data via Msg3.

[0118] The Msg3 mentioned above uses a contention-based method for transmission. This method of transmitting uplink data can be called contention-based EDT (CB-EDT).

[0119] The physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource for sending Msg3 can be broadcast from the network device to the terminal device. The network device can notify the terminal device of the available PUSCH resources through system broadcast. The terminal device can select a suitable PUSCH resource and send Msg3 on that PUSCH resource in a contention-based manner. The Msg3 carries uplink data.

[0120] After a terminal device sends Msg3 to a network device, it can start a contention resolution timer. If the terminal device receives Msg4 from the network device before the timer expires, and Msg4 includes acknowledgment information for the uplink data, then the uplink data transmission was successful. If the terminal device does not receive Msg4 from the network device before the timer expires, then the uplink data transmission failed. The terminal device can retransmit the uplink data to the network device using Msg3.

[0121] Regarding the aforementioned EDT transmission, in situations with poor network coverage or weak signal from the terminal device, the network device will not be able to correctly receive the Msg3 sent by the terminal device, causing the terminal device to need to continuously retransmit, resulting in high power consumption and long data transmission latency for the terminal device, as well as wasting network resources.

[0122] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a wireless communication method and apparatus, which combines coverage enhancement technology with EDT transmission technology. Specifically, based on the current coverage enhancement level of the terminal device, the uplink data transmission parameters are determined, namely, the number of retransmissions (RetransmissionCnt) and the number of repetitions in each transmission are determined. This allows the terminal device to select appropriate transmission parameters to send uplink data according to the current actual situation, thereby helping to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device and reduce data transmission latency, and to a certain extent, also avoiding the waste of network resources.

[0123] For example, if the current coverage enhancement level of the terminal device is relatively low, meaning the signal strength is good, the terminal device can choose fewer retransmissions and repetitions to reduce power consumption. If the current coverage enhancement level of the terminal device is relatively high, meaning the signal strength is poor, the terminal device can choose more retransmissions and repetitions to improve the success rate of uplink data transmission and reduce uplink data transmission latency.

[0124] The wireless communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 5.

[0125] Figure 5 illustrates the method from the perspective of device interaction. The specific forms and numbers of the devices shown are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the implementation of the method provided in this application. The communication method of this application embodiment will be described in detail below, using network devices and terminal devices as the implementing entities.

[0126] It should be understood that the terminal device in the embodiments of this application can be the terminal device itself, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device in implementing communication methods, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device. The network device in the embodiments of this application can be the network device itself, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing communication methods, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device.

[0127] The network device in this application embodiment can be a network device in a non-terrestrial communication system, such as a satellite. The terminal device in this application embodiment can be a terminal device in a non-terrestrial communication system.

[0128] Referring to Figure 5, in step S510, the terminal device determines the first coverage enhancement level based on the acquired first signal measurement result.

[0129] In some implementations, the terminal device can measure a reference signal transmitted by the network device to obtain a first signal measurement result. The first signal measurement result can be one or more of the following: RSRP, reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), etc. As an example, the first signal measurement result can be RSRP.

[0130] The reference signal transmitted by the network device can be one or more of the following: demodulation reference signal (DMRS), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), positioning reference signal (PRS), etc.

[0131] The first signal measurement result can reflect the current signal quality of the terminal device or the distance between the terminal device and the network device. Therefore, based on the first signal measurement result, the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device can be determined. The first coverage enhancement level is the current coverage enhancement level of the terminal device, which is also denoted as CE level.

[0132] The first CE level can be one of multiple CE levels. Multiple CE levels can be configured by network devices or predefined by protocols; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0133] This application does not specify the number of CE ratings; the number of CE ratings can be greater than or equal to two. For example, the number of CE ratings can be three, four, or five, etc. CE ratings can be represented by CEL.

[0134] Taking multiple CE levels, including three CE levels, as an example, these multiple CE levels can be CE level 0, CE level 1, and CE level 2. The CE level 0, CE level 1, and CE level 2 increase sequentially, and the corresponding coverage enhancement also increases sequentially, as do the corresponding number of repetitions and / or retransmissions.

[0135] Taking multiple CE levels, including three CE levels, as an example, these multiple CE levels can be CE level A, CE level B, and CE level C. The CE level 0, CE level 1, and CE level 2 increase sequentially, and the corresponding coverage enhancement also increases sequentially, as do the corresponding number of repetitions and / or retransmissions.

[0136] The above provides two ways of representing CE ratings, but these two methods are only examples. Of course, other methods of representing CE ratings can also be used, and this application does not specifically limit them.

[0137] In step S520, the terminal device determines the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be transmitted based on the first coverage enhancement level.

[0138] In some implementations, the parameters sent can also be called retransmitted parameters.

[0139] The first transmission parameter may include a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission.

[0140] The retransmission count can also be called the attempt count or transmission attempt count. The retransmission count indicates the number of times the terminal device can send uplink data.

[0141] The repetition count can be understood as the number of times the terminal device needs to repeatedly send uplink data (or Msg3) in a single transmission (or attempt). The repetition count can also be called the number of repetitions or the number of copies. The retransmission count can be equal to the number of copies plus 1.

[0142] In some implementations, the preset number of retransmissions and / or preset number of repetitions differs for different CE levels. For example, the higher the CE level, the more preset retransmissions and / or preset number of repetitions there are.

[0143] In some implementations, the preset retransmission count can be the same for different CE levels. If the preset retransmission count is the same for different CE levels, then the preset retransmission count can be the default retransmission count. When determining the transmission parameters, the terminal device may only need to determine the preset retransmission count.

[0144] If the first CE level is the lowest among multiple CE levels, the default repetition count is 1, meaning that the terminal device can transmit only one uplink data or one Msg3 in each transmission, without needing to transmit a copy of the uplink data.

[0145] This application does not specifically limit the number of preset retransmissions and preset repetitions. The preset retransmissions and preset repetitions can be any number.

[0146] In some implementations, the preset number of repetitions can be any one of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128.

[0147] In some implementations, the preset number of retransmissions can be any one of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 10.

[0148] In step S530, the terminal device sends uplink data to the network device via message 3 based on the first transmission parameters. In other words, the terminal device can send message 3 to the network device, which includes the uplink data.

[0149] In this embodiment, message 3 can be a contention-based message 3, i.e., message 3 is CB-Msg3. The uplink data sent via message 3 can also be called CB-EDT data. The terminal device can send message 3 directly to the network device without sending messages 1 and 2.

[0150] Based on the first transmission parameter, sending uplink data via message 3 can mean sending uplink data via message 3 according to a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions. For example, assuming the preset number of repetitions is m, the terminal device can transmit m identical uplink data or m identical messages 3 in each transmission. As another example, assuming the preset number of retransmissions is p, if the terminal device's current retransmission count has not reached p, and the terminal device has not received an acknowledgment message from the network device, the terminal device can continue to retransmit uplink data to the network device; if the terminal device's current retransmission count has reached p, the terminal device cannot continue to retransmit uplink data to the network device, and the uplink data transmission fails.

[0151] This application embodiment improves the uplink data transmission success rate by combining uplink capacity enhancement technology with coverage enhancement technology. The terminal device can determine the current coverage enhancement level (i.e., the first coverage enhancement level) and transmit uplink data according to the transmission parameters corresponding to that coverage enhancement level. Different coverage enhancement levels correspond to different preset retransmission counts and preset repetition counts, and these preset retransmission counts and preset repetition counts are matched to the coverage enhancement level. By transmitting uplink data according to these preset retransmission counts and / or preset repetition counts, the terminal device can improve the uplink data transmission success rate, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device and the uplink data transmission latency.

[0152] In some implementations, the mapping between CE levels and signal measurement results can be configured by the network device. The network device can map CE levels based on the signal measurement results. After establishing the mapping between CE levels and signal measurement results, the network device can indicate the signal measurement results corresponding to different CE levels to the terminal devices.

[0153] As an example, a network device can send first information to a terminal device, which can be used to indicate the signal measurement results corresponding to different CE levels. The first information can be carried in a broadcast message, which the network device can send to the terminal device via broadcast. This broadcast message can be a master indication block (MIB) message or a system information block (SIB) message. The terminal device can determine the first CE level corresponding to the first signal measurement result based on the first signal measurement result and the first information.

[0154] In some implementations, the first information can be used to indicate the signal measurement result threshold or signal measurement result range corresponding to different CE levels. Table 1 shows a correspondence between CE levels and signal measurement result thresholds.

[0155] Table 1

[0156] Among them, RSRP1 > RSRP2 > RSRP3.

[0157] If the first signal measurement result is greater than or equal to RSRP1, the first CE level is CE level 0; if the first signal measurement result is greater than or equal to RSRP2 and less than RSRP1, the first CE level is CE level 1; if the first signal measurement result is greater than or equal to RSRP3 and less than RSRP2, the first CE level is CE level 2.

[0158] In some implementations, the mapping between CE levels and transmission parameters can be configured by the network device. The network device can configure corresponding transmission parameters for each CE level. The network device can then indicate the transmission parameters corresponding to different CE levels to the terminal device.

[0159] As an example, a network device can send second information to a terminal device, which can be used to indicate transmission parameters corresponding to different CE levels. The second information can be carried in a broadcast message, which the network device can send to the terminal device via broadcast. This broadcast message can be a MIB message or a SIB message. The terminal device can determine the first transmission parameters corresponding to the first CE level based on the first CE level and the second information.

[0160] In this embodiment, message 3 can be carried in a PUSCH. The terminal device can send message 3 through the PUSCH. The PUSCH resources can be configured by the network device, which can configure a set of PUSCH resources for the terminal device. The terminal device can select a suitable PUSCH resource from the set of PUSCH resources and use the selected PUSCH resource to send message 3.

[0161] In some implementations, different CE levels can correspond to different PUSCH resources. The mapping between CE levels and PUSCH resources can be configured by the network device. The size of the PUSCH resource is related to the number of repetitions; the more repetitions, the larger the PUSCH resource. The network device can reserve PUSCH resources according to the number of repetitions.

[0162] Each CE level can correspond to a set of PUSCH resources. A set of PUSCH resources can also be called a PUSCH resource pool. The PUSCH resources configured for a CE level can also be called reserved PUSCH resources.

[0163] As an example, a network device can send resource configuration information to an end device. This resource configuration information can be used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different CE levels. The resource configuration information can be carried in a broadcast message, which the network device can send to the end device via broadcast. This broadcast message can be a MIB message or a SIB message.

[0164] The terminal device can determine the target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first CE level based on the first CE level and resource configuration information. The target PUSCH resource is used to transmit message 3, and the terminal device can use this target PUSCH resource to send message 3.

[0165] Taking three CE levels as an example, network devices can reserve PUSCH resources corresponding to CE level 0, CE level 1 and CE level 2 respectively.

[0166] For CE level 0, since the signal quality corresponding to this level is relatively good, the terminal device does not need to send duplicate data. Therefore, the network device only needs to reserve one transmission resource.

[0167] For CE level 2, due to the poor signal quality, the terminal device needs to retransmit the data. Therefore, the network device can reserve a resource copy, meaning the network device can reserve two copies of the transmission resources. The terminal device can send two identical messages to the network device.

[0168] For CE level 3, due to the poor signal quality, the terminal device needs to retransmit two copies of the data. Therefore, the network device can reserve two resource copies, meaning it can reserve three transmission resources. The terminal device can send three identical copies of message 3 to the network device.

[0169] Generally, the lower the CE level, the fewer PUSCH resources the network device reserves for it; the higher the CE level, the more PUSCH resources the network device reserves for it.

[0170] Network devices can reserve PUSCH resources corresponding to different CE levels based on the time domain or the frequency domain. If resources are reserved based on the time domain, different PUSCH resources correspond to the same frequency domain location and different time domain locations; if resources are reserved based on the frequency domain, different PUSCH resources correspond to different frequency domain locations and the same time domain location.

[0171] Figure 6 illustrates the allocation of resources according to the time domain. Network devices can reserve PUSCH resources for CE Level 0, CE Level 2, and CE Level 3 respectively. The frequency domain locations of the PUSCH resources corresponding to CE Level 0, CE Level 2, and CE Level 3 are the same, but their time domain locations are different.

[0172] Figure 7 illustrates the allocation of resources according to the frequency domain. Network devices can reserve PUSCH resources for CE Level 0, CE Level 2, and CE Level 3 respectively. The frequency domain locations of the PUSCH resources corresponding to CE Level 0, CE Level 2, and CE Level 3 are the same, but their time domain locations are different.

[0173] The PUSCH resources corresponding to CE Level 1 are twice that of CE Level 0; the PUSCH resources corresponding to CE Level 2 are three times that of CE Level 0.

[0174] If the terminal device is at CE level 0, it can select one resource from resource 1, resource 2, and resource 3 to send message 3. The terminal device only needs to send message 3 once to the network device, without needing to resend it.

[0175] If the terminal device is at CE Level 1, it can select one of resources 4, 5, and 6 to send message 3. Each of resources 4, 5, and 6 contains duplicates, allowing the terminal device to send two messages 3 to the network device on the selected resource. For example, if the terminal device selects resource 4, it can send message 3 on resource 4a and a copy of message 3 on resource 4b.

[0176] If the terminal device is at CE Level 2, it can select one of resources 7, 8, and 9 to send message 3. Each of resources 7, 8, and 9 contains three copies of the resource, allowing the terminal device to send three messages 3 to the network device on the selected resource. For example, if the terminal device selects resource 7, it can send message 3 on resource 7a and copies of message 3 on both resources 7b and 7c.

[0177] The resource allocation methods shown in Figures 6 and 7 are merely examples; network devices can also allocate PUSCH resources in other ways. For instance, resources corresponding to CE level 2 can be located between resources corresponding to CE level 0 and resources corresponding to CE level 1. Furthermore, CE level 0 can correspond to 4 resources, 5 resources, or other numbers of resources.

[0178] In some implementations, after the terminal device sends message 3 to the network device, it can start the first timer. The first timer can also be called a contention resolution timer. The duration of the first timer can be configured by the network device or predefined by the protocol.

[0179] Terminal devices can listen to the PDCCH within the first timer window. The Msg4 sent by the network device is carried in the PDCCH.

[0180] If the terminal device receives message 4 from the network device before the first timer expires, and message 4 includes acknowledgment information for the uplink data, it indicates that the uplink data transmission was successful. The terminal device can then terminate the message 3 transmission process. For example, the terminal device can cancel any subsequent possible retransmissions and repetitions, meaning it can cancel subsequent uplink data retransmissions and the transmission of copies of the uplink data.

[0181] If the terminal device has not received message 4 from the network device regarding message 3 after the first timer expires (i.e., it has not yet received message 4 from the network device, which includes acknowledgment information for the uplink data), then the uplink data transmission has failed. The terminal device can determine whether the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count. If the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count, the terminal device can continue to retransmit the uplink data, sending the uplink data to the network device via message 3 according to the preset number of repetitions.

[0182] For example, assuming the preset retransmission count is 3 and the preset repetition count is 2, when the terminal device initially sends message 3, it can send message 3 and a copy of message 3, which includes uplink data. After sending message 3, the terminal device can start a first timer. Before the first timer expires, if the terminal device receives message 4 from the network device, which includes an acknowledgment message for the uplink data, it indicates that the uplink data transmission was successful. If the terminal device has not received message 4 from the network device after the first timer expires, since the current retransmission count is 1, which is less than the preset retransmission count, the terminal device can send uplink data to the network device a second time, that is, it can send message 3 and a copy of message 3 to the network device again. After sending message 3, the terminal device can start a first timer. Similar to the initial sending of message 3, if the terminal device receives message 4 from the network device before the first timer expires, the uplink data transmission was successful. If the terminal device does not receive message 4 from the network device before the first timer expires, since the current retransmission count is 2, which has not yet reached the preset retransmission count, the terminal device can send uplink data to the network device for the third time. The terminal device can also send message 3 and a copy of message 3 to the network device.

[0183] For non-terrestrial communication systems (such as NTN communication systems), due to the high altitude and large coverage area of ​​satellites, the differences in signal measurement results between terminal devices located at different positions are not significant. Taking Figure 8 as an example, the distances between terminal device 810 (located in the middle of the cell) and terminal device 820 (located at the cell edge) and satellite 830 are not significantly different, and the differences in signal measurement results between terminal devices 810 and 820 are also minimal. If the CE level is selected solely based on the signal measurement results, and uplink data is transmitted according to the transmission parameters corresponding to that CE level, it will not only fail to reduce the power consumption and latency of the terminal devices but may also lead to a waste of network resources.

[0184] For example, if the RSRP measured by terminal devices 810 and 820 is between RSRP1 and RSRP2, then the CE level determined by terminal devices 810 and 820 is CE level 1. Since terminal device 810 is located in the middle of the cell, it can successfully send uplink data to the network device according to the uplink parameters corresponding to CE level 1. However, since terminal device 820 is located at the cell edge, if it sends uplink data according to the transmission parameters corresponding to CE level 1, the terminal device may fail to send the data. If the terminal device fails to send the data, it will keep retransmitting or the uplink data transmission will fail directly.

[0185] Based on this, the embodiments of this application propose that after a terminal device fails to transmit data according to the current CE level, it can raise the CE level by one level and continue to transmit uplink data according to the next CE level. This allows the terminal device to transmit uplink data according to the transmission parameters corresponding to the next CE level, which helps to improve the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0186] In some implementations, if the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count, the terminal device can determine whether the current CE level is the highest CE level. If the current CE level is the highest CE level, then the uplink data transmission fails.

[0187] If the current CE level is not the highest CE level, the terminal device can determine whether the network device allows an upgrade to the CE level. If the network device does not allow an upgrade to the CE level, uplink data transmission will fail. If the network device allows an upgrade to the CE level, the terminal device can update its CE level to the next lower CE level and send uplink data according to the transmission parameters corresponding to the next lower CE level.

[0188] In some implementations, if the current number of retransmissions has reached the preset number of retransmissions, and the first coverage enhancement level is not the highest coverage enhancement level, the terminal device can determine the second coverage enhancement level as the coverage enhancement level of the terminal device, or in other words, the terminal device can update the coverage enhancement level to the second coverage enhancement level.

[0189] Considering that in some communication systems (such as IoT NTN communication systems), the distance between terminal devices and network devices is relatively large, and the signal measurement results of terminal devices in different locations are not significantly different, the coverage enhancement level determined by the terminal devices may be the same. If uplink data is sent according to the transmission parameters corresponding to this coverage enhancement level, some terminal devices (such as those at the cell edge) may fail to transmit uplink data successfully, resulting in high power consumption and long data transmission latency for the terminal devices, and may also waste network resources. Based on this, this application proposes that when a terminal device fails to transmit uplink data according to the current coverage enhancement level, the current coverage enhancement level can be upgraded to the next coverage enhancement level, and uplink data can be sent according to the transmission parameters corresponding to the upgraded coverage enhancement level. This can improve the success rate of uplink data transmission, and further reduce the power consumption and uplink data transmission latency of the terminal devices.

[0190] The second coverage enhancement level is higher than the first coverage enhancement level, or in other words, the second coverage enhancement level enhances the signal to a greater extent than the first coverage enhancement level.

[0191] In some implementations, the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level. By increasing the number of repetitions, the terminal device can carry a larger amount of the same uplink data in a single transmission, thereby improving the uplink data transmission success rate.

[0192] In some implementations, the preset retransmission count for the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset retransmission count for the first coverage enhancement level. By increasing the retransmission count, the terminal device has more attempts to send uplink data, thereby improving the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0193] After updating the current coverage enhancement level to the second coverage enhancement level, the terminal device can also set the current retransmission count to 0. In other words, the retransmission count for the second coverage enhancement level starts counting from 0.

[0194] The terminal device can send uplink data according to the second coverage enhancement level. For example, the terminal device can determine a second transmission parameter corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level, which includes a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission. The terminal device can retransmit uplink data to the network device via message 3 according to the second transmission parameter.

[0195] Continuing with the example above, suppose the network device configures three CE levels for the terminal device: CE level 0, CE level 1, and CE level 2. The terminal device's current CE level is CE level 1. After the terminal device sends uplink data to the network device for the third time, if it does not receive message 4 from the network device before the first timer expires, the uplink data transmission according to CE level 1 fails. Since CE level 1 is not the highest CE level, the terminal device upgrades its CE level to CE level 2. The terminal device can then send uplink data according to the sending parameters corresponding to CE level 2. If the repetition count for CE level 2 is 3, the terminal device can send message 3 and two copies of message 3 to the network device each time to improve the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0196] In some implementations, the second coverage enhancement level is adjacent to the first coverage enhancement level, meaning the second coverage enhancement level is the next level after the first. This allows the terminal device to progressively upgrade its CE level. In other implementations, the second coverage enhancement level is not adjacent to the first coverage enhancement level; that is, there are other coverage enhancement levels between the second and first coverage enhancement levels. This allows the terminal device to upgrade its CE level across levels.

[0197] In some implementations, the ability to upgrade the CE level can be indicated by the network device. If the network device indicates that the terminal device can upgrade its CE level, the terminal device can upgrade to the next CE level and continue retransmitting uplink data.

[0198] For example, a network device can send a first instruction to a terminal device, which indicates that the terminal device is allowed to upgrade its CE rating.

[0199] Of course, in some implementations, it can be assumed that the terminal device can upgrade its CE level. If upgrading the CE level is not allowed, the network device can send a second instruction to the terminal device. Upon receiving the second instruction, the terminal device will transmit uplink data according to its current CE level without upgrading to the next CE level. If the terminal device does not receive the instruction from the network device, it can upgrade to the next CE level for uplink data transmission.

[0200] In some implementations, when a terminal device sends multiple duplicate messages to a network device, it can use the DSA (Digital Subtraction Anonymous) method. Based on the multiple duplicate uplink data sent using the DSA method, the network device can combine and merge these duplicate uplink data. As long as the multiple duplicate uplink data can be combined into a complete uplink data, it indicates that the uplink data transmission is successful, thereby further improving the success rate of uplink data transmission.

[0201] Taking a preset repetition count of n, where n is an integer greater than 1, as an example, the terminal device can send n identical messages 3 to the network device using the DSA method, with each message 3 including the same uplink data. If the terminal device sends uplink data using the DSA method, the network device can also decode the uplink data using the DSA method.

[0202] For example, suppose a terminal device sends two identical messages 3 (denoted as message 3 and message 3') to a network device each time. Without DSA, the network device can only consider the uplink data transmission successful after successfully receiving either message 3 or message 3'. With DSA, the network device can consider the uplink data transmission successful as long as the received messages 3 and 3' can be combined to form a complete message 3.

[0203] In some implementations, the network device can also send a third indication message to the terminal device. This third indication message indicates whether the network device supports DSA. If the third indication message indicates that the network device supports DSA, the terminal device can retransmit uplink data in DSA mode. If the third indication message indicates that the network device does not support DSA, the terminal device will retransmit uplink data in the normal transmission mode.

[0204] The solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. It should be noted that the solutions shown in Figures 9 and 10 are only for the purpose of illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0205] Figure 9 illustrates a data transmission process based on competition.

[0206] Referring to Figure 9, in step S910, the network device maps CE levels based on RSRP and configures different retransmission parameters and CB-Msg3 PUSCH resources for different CE levels. The retransmission parameters include the number of retransmissions and the number of repetitions in each transmission.

[0207] Different CE levels can be configured with different DSA-based transport replicas. For example, CE level 1 corresponds to two CB-Msg3 replicas, and CE level 2 corresponds to three CB-Msg3 replicas.

[0208] In step S920, the network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal device. This broadcast message includes the PUSCH resource configuration based on CB-Msg3 according to the CE level, and the retransmission parameters corresponding to different CE levels. This system broadcast can be an SIB.

[0209] In step S930, the terminal device determines the CE level based on RSRP, and selects the PUSCH resource and the number of DSA copy transmissions based on the CE level.

[0210] In step S940, the terminal device performs CB-Msg3 transmission on the selected PUSCH resource.

[0211] In step S950, the terminal device starts a contention resolution timer. The terminal device can listen to the PDCCH within the contention resolution timer window to confirm whether CB-Msg3 has been successfully sent.

[0212] If the terminal device receives a contention resolution message (Msg4) from the network device before the contention resolution timer expires, it indicates that the CB-Msg3 transmission was successful, the current uplink transmission is complete, and any subsequent retransmissions and copy transmissions are cancelled.

[0213] In step S960, if the CB-Msg3 sent by the terminal device has not been acknowledged after the contention resolution timer expires, the terminal device retransmits the CB-Msg3 and increments the retransmission count by 1. If the current retransmission count reaches the retransmission count corresponding to the current CE level, and an acknowledgment message is still not received from the network device, the terminal device can upgrade the CE level and select the PUSCH resource and retransmission parameters for the CB-Msg3 corresponding to the new CE level.

[0214] For configuring CB-Msg3 PUSCH resources, network devices can reserve CB-Msg3 PUSCH resources according to CE level. For example, terminal devices can reserve CB-Msg3 PUSCH resources corresponding to CE level 0, CE level 1, and CE level 2 respectively.

[0215] The CB-Msg3 PUSCH resource corresponding to CE level 0 does not require the terminal device to send duplicate data.

[0216] For CE Level 1, a copy of the CB-Msg3 PUSCH resource will be reserved. After selecting CE Level 1, if the network equipment supports DSA (dsaSupport), the terminal device can use DSA to send two identical CB-Msg3 copies.

[0217] For CE Level 2, two copies of the CB-Msg3 PUSCH resource are reserved. After selecting CE Level 2, if the network equipment supports DSA, the terminal device can use DSA to send three identical CB-Msg3 copies.

[0218] In addition, network devices can be configured with different retransmission counts for different CE levels.

[0219] The codes for the CB-Msg3 PUSCH resources corresponding to different CE levels configured in network devices can be as follows:

[0220] Figure 10 shows the transmission process of the terminal device based on CE level CB-Msg3.

[0221] Referring to Figure 10, in step S1010, the terminal device determines its CE level based on its own measured RSRP and the RSRP thresholds corresponding to each CE level broadcast by the network device.

[0222] In step S1020, the terminal device selects the CB-Msg3 PUSCH resource corresponding to the current CE level and sends uplink data on the selected PUSCH resource. Additionally, the terminal device can also enable a contention resolution timer.

[0223] In step S1030, it is determined whether the terminal device received the Msg4 message before the timer expired.

[0224] If the terminal device receives a Msg4 acknowledgment message from the network device before the contention resolution timer expires, it indicates that the data transmission was successful and the terminal device ends the CB-Msg3 transmission process.

[0225] In step S1040, if the terminal device has not received the Msg4 acknowledgment message sent by the network device after the contention resolution timer expires, the terminal device determines whether the current retransmission count exceeds the maximum retransmission count corresponding to the current CE level.

[0226] In step S1050, if the current number of retransmissions does not exceed the maximum number of retransmissions corresponding to the current CE level, the terminal device can keep the CE level unchanged and increment the number of retransmissions by 1. In other words, the terminal device can continue to send uplink data according to the retransmission parameters corresponding to the current CE level.

[0227] In step S1060, if the current number of retransmissions exceeds the number of retransmissions corresponding to the current CE level, the terminal device further determines whether the current CE level is the maximum CE level.

[0228] If the current CE level is the maximum CE level, it means that the data transmission was successful and the terminal device ends the CB-Msg3 transmission process.

[0229] In step S1070, if the current CE level is not the maximum CE level, it is further determined whether the network device allows the terminal device to upgrade the CE level based on the number of retransmissions.

[0230] If the network device does not allow the terminal device to upgrade its CE level based on the number of retransmissions, the data transmission will fail.

[0231] In step S1080, if the network device allows the terminal device to upgrade its CE level based on the number of retransmissions, the terminal device updates its current CE level to the next CE level and sets the number of retransmissions to 0. The terminal device can then send CB-Msg3 according to the retransmission parameters corresponding to the next CE level.

[0232] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 10. The apparatus embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 11 to 13. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the preceding method embodiments.

[0233] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 includes a first determining module 1110, a second determining module 1120, and a transmitting module 1130.

[0234] In one possible implementation, the device 1100 can be used to perform the steps described above by the terminal device.

[0235] The first determining module 1110 is used to: determine the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device based on the acquired first signal measurement result.

[0236] The second determining module 1120 is used to: determine the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be transmitted based on the first coverage enhancement level, wherein the first transmission parameters include: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission.

[0237] The sending module 1130 is used to: send the uplink data to the network device via message 3 based on the first sending parameters.

[0238] In some implementations, the device 1100 further includes an activation module and a third determination module. The activation module is used to activate a first timer after sending the message 3 to the network device; the third determination module is used to determine whether the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count if the message 4 sent by the network device for the message 3 has not been received after the first timer expires; the sending module 1130 is used to retransmit the uplink data to the network device through the message 3 according to the preset retransmission count if the current retransmission count has not reached the preset retransmission count.

[0239] In some implementations, the device 1100 further includes a fourth determining module, which is configured to: determine the coverage enhancement level of the terminal device as a second coverage enhancement level if the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count, and the first coverage enhancement level is not the highest coverage enhancement level configured by the network device, wherein the level of the second coverage enhancement level is higher than the level of the first coverage enhancement level; and determine a second transmission parameter corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level, wherein the second transmission parameter includes: a preset retransmission count and / or a preset repetition count in each transmission; the transmission unit is further configured to: retransmit the uplink data to the network device through the message 3 based on the second transmission parameter.

[0240] In some implementations, the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, and / or the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

[0241] In some implementations, the apparatus further includes a receiving module, which is configured to: receive first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; and the first determining module 1110 is configured to: determine the first coverage enhancement level corresponding to the first signal measurement result based on the first signal measurement result and the first information.

[0242] In some implementations, the device further includes a receiving module, which is configured to: receive second information sent by the network device, the second information being used to indicate transmission parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels;

[0243] The second determining module 1120 is used to: determine the first transmission parameter corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second information.

[0244] In some implementations, the apparatus further includes a receiving module and a fifth determining module. The receiving module is configured to: receive resource configuration information sent by the network device, the resource configuration information being used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; the fifth determining module is configured to: determine a target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level based on the first coverage enhancement level and the resource configuration information, the target PUSCH resource being used to transmit the message 3.

[0245] In some implementations, if the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, the sending module is used to: send n identical messages 3 to the network device using the DSA method, each message 3 including the uplink data.

[0246] In some implementations, if the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

[0247] In some implementations, the terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and the message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

[0248] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device 1200 includes a transmitting module 1210 and a receiving module 1220.

[0249] In one possible implementation, the device 1200 can be used to perform the steps described above by the network device.

[0250] The sending module 1210 is used to: send first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to indicate the signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, the first information being used to determine the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device, the first coverage enhancement level being used to determine the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be sent, the first transmission parameters including: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission;

[0251] The receiving module 1220 is used to: receive the uplink data sent by the terminal device based on the first sending parameters via message 3.

[0252] In some implementations, the sending module is further configured to: send second information to the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate sending parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, the first sending parameters being determined based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second information.

[0253] In some implementations, the sending module is further configured to: send resource configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the resource configuration information is used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels, wherein the resource configuration information is used to determine a target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, and wherein the target PUSCH resource is used to transmit the message 3.

[0254] In some implementations, if the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, the receiving module is used to: receive n identical messages 3 sent by the terminal device using DSA method, each message 3 including the uplink data.

[0255] In some implementations, if the level of the second coverage enhancement level is higher than the level of the first coverage enhancement level, then the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

[0256] In some implementations, if the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

[0257] In some implementations, the terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and the message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

[0258] It should be understood that devices 1100 and 1200 are embodied as functional modules. The term "module" here can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors, etc.) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that device 1100 can be specifically a terminal device in the above embodiments, and device 1100 can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiments. Device 1200 can be specifically a network device in the above embodiments, and device 1200 can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0259] The aforementioned device 1100 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device in the aforementioned method, and the aforementioned device 1200 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the network device in the aforementioned method. These functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0260] In embodiments of this application, devices 1100 and 1200 may also be chips, such as a system-on-a-chip (SOC) or a modem. Correspondingly, the receiving module and the transmitting module may be the transceiver circuits of the chip, and are not limited herein.

[0261] Figure 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 13 indicate that the unit or module is optional. This device 1300 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. Device 1300 can be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0262] Apparatus 1300 may include one or more processors 1310. The processor 1310 may support apparatus 1300 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 1310 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0263] The apparatus 1300 may further include one or more memories 1320. The memories 1320 store a program that can be executed by the processor 1310, causing the processor 1310 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 1320 may be independent of the processor 1310 or integrated within the processor 1310.

[0264] The device 1300 may also include a transceiver 1330. The processor 1310 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330. For example, the processor 1310 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330.

[0265] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of this application.

[0266] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. This computer program product can be applied to a terminal device or network device provided in the embodiments of this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of this application.

[0267] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the terminal device or network device provided in this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0268] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0269] 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. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0270] 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 constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0271] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information transmission and reception can be between RAN nodes and terminals, such as between a base station and a terminal; between two RAN nodes, such as between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules of the base station.

[0272] 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.

[0273] 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.

[0274] 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.

[0275] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and 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., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs) or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0276] 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 wireless communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device and includes: Based on the acquired first signal measurement results, the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device is determined; Based on the first coverage enhancement level, the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be transmitted are determined, and the first transmission parameters include: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission; Based on the first sending parameters, the uplink data is sent to the network device via message 3.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After sending message 3 to the network device, start the first timer; If message 4 for message 3 is not received from the network device after the first timer expires, it is determined whether the current retransmission count has reached the preset retransmission count. If the current number of retransmissions has reached the preset number of retransmissions, and the first coverage enhancement level is not the highest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the coverage enhancement level of the terminal device is determined to be the second coverage enhancement level, and the level of the second coverage enhancement level is higher than the level of the first coverage enhancement level. Determine a second transmission parameter corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level, the second transmission parameter including: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission; Based on the second transmission parameter, the uplink data is retransmitted to the network device via message 3.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level, and / or the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of retransmissions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; The determination of the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device based on the first signal measurement result obtained by measurement includes: Based on the first signal measurement result and the first information, the first coverage enhancement level corresponding to the first signal measurement result is determined.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information sent by the network device, the second information being used to indicate the transmission parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; The first transmission parameters for determining the uplink data to be transmitted based on the first coverage enhancement level include: Based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second information, the first transmission parameter corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level is determined.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive resource configuration information sent by the network device, wherein the resource configuration information is used to configure the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels; Based on the first coverage enhancement level and the resource configuration information, a target PUSCH resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level is determined, and the target PUSCH resource is used to transmit the message 3.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, If the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, sending the uplink data to the network device via message 3 includes: The network device is sent n identical messages 3 using the diversity time-slot ALOHA method, and each message 3 includes the uplink data.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, If the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

10. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to network devices, including: Send first information to the terminal device. The first information is used to indicate the signal measurement results corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels. The first information is used to determine the first coverage enhancement level of the terminal device. The first coverage enhancement level is used to determine the first transmission parameters of the uplink data to be sent. The first transmission parameters include: a preset number of retransmissions and / or a preset number of repetitions in each transmission. The uplink data sent by the terminal device based on the first sending parameters is received via message 3.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device is sent a second message, which indicates the transmission parameters corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels. The first transmission parameters are determined based on the first coverage enhancement level and the second message.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Resource configuration information is sent to the terminal device. The resource configuration information is used to configure PUSCH resources corresponding to different coverage enhancement levels. The resource configuration information is used to determine the target physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level. The target PUSCH resource is used to transmit the message 3.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, If the preset number of repetitions is n, and n is an integer greater than 1, receiving the uplink data sent by the terminal device based on the first sending parameters via message 3 includes: The terminal device receives n identical messages 3 using the diversity time-slot ALOHA method, and each message 3 includes the uplink data.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, If the level of the second coverage enhancement level is higher than the level of the first coverage enhancement level, then the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the second coverage enhancement level is greater than the preset number of repetitions corresponding to the first coverage enhancement level.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that, If the first coverage enhancement level is the lowest coverage enhancement level configured for the network device, then the preset repetition count is 1.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The terminal device is a terminal device in a non-terrestrial network communication system, and message 3 is a contention-based message 3.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, wherein when the processor invokes the computer program, the communication device performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 or any one of claims 10 to 16.

18. A chip, characterized in that, include: A processor for reading and executing a computer program stored in a memory to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, or any one of claims 10 to 16.

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