Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first communication apparatus generates a sequence of a first secondary synchronization signal on the basis of a cell identifier and a first beam identifier; and the first communication apparatus sends the first secondary synchronization signal, wherein the first beam identifier indicates a first beam corresponding to the first secondary synchronization signal. The method is applied to simultaneously sending secondary synchronization signals corresponding to a plurality of beams, thereby reducing transmission time and lowering transmit / receive power consumption.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411987816.8, filed on December 27, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] In 5G networks, terminal devices determine the beam corresponding to the initial network access by measuring the SSB within the synchronization signal block (SSB) burst.

[0005] Currently, one SSB corresponds to one beam. Multiple time-division SSBs are used for beam indication within an SSB burst. The more beams required to meet coverage needs, the longer the transmission time and the greater the power consumption. Correspondingly, the more SSBs the terminal equipment needs to measure in a time-division manner, the greater the corresponding power consumption for receiving. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce transmission time and lower power consumption for transmitting and receiving.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method applicable to a first communication device. The first communication device can be a network device, or a device within the network device (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), a chip system, or a processor), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal functions. The communication method includes: generating a sequence of first auxiliary synchronization signals based on a cell identifier and a first beam identifier; wherein the first beam identifier indicates a first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal; and transmitting the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0008] The above method introduces a sequence of beam identifiers to generate auxiliary synchronization signals, which can enable the transmission of auxiliary synchronization signals corresponding to multiple beams on the same time and frequency resources, thereby simultaneously indicating multiple beams. This design can reduce transmission time and reduce the consumption of transmit and receive power.

[0009] In one possible design, generating the sequence of the first secondary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier includes: generating the sequence of the first secondary synchronization signal based on a first parameter m0 and a second parameter m1; wherein the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship:

[0010] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, It is an integer between 0 and 335. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0011] The above design provides a relational formula for introducing beam identifiers, which facilitates the accurate generation of the sequence of auxiliary synchronization signals. The auxiliary synchronization signals are code-division multiplexed on the same time-frequency resources, which can simultaneously indicate multiple beams.

[0012] In one possible design, generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier includes: generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and a first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signals are contained in a first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

[0013] Optionally, generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity includes: generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1; wherein the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship:

[0014] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first identifier, the K sssIndicates the first quantity, the For less than or equal to K sss The integer K sss The integers are positive integers, and D, E, and F are positive integers.

[0015] Optional, E=15, F=5. K sss It is an integer of 2, 4 or 8.

[0016] Optionally, the For less than or equal to K ID1 The integer K ID1 The value can be one of 42, 84, or 168. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies: This design reduces The range of values ​​for this value, i.e., reducing the number of cell identifiers, can reduce the indication overhead of cell identifiers.

[0017] In one possible design, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on a first time-frequency resource. The method further includes transmitting multiple Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) blocks on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the multiple PBCH blocks are code-division multiplexed or frequency-division multiplexed. By introducing multiple PBCH blocks, this design increases the number of indicator beams on the same time-frequency resource, further reducing transmission time and lowering transmit / receive power consumption.

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a communication method applicable to a second communication device. The second device can be a terminal device, or a device within the terminal device (e.g., a module, communication module, circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), chip system, or processor), or a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. The communication method includes: receiving a first auxiliary synchronization signal, the sequence of which is generated based on a cell identifier and a first beam identifier, the first beam identifier indicating a first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal; and determining the cell identifier and the first beam based on the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0019] In one possible design, the cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0020] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, It is an integer between 0 and 335. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0021] In one possible design, the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal is generated based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and a first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in a first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

[0022] Optionally, the cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0023] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first identifier, the K sss Indicates the first quantity, the For less than or equal to K sss The integer K sss The integers are positive integers, and D, E, and F are positive integers.

[0024] Optional, E=15, F=5. K sss It is an integer of 2, 4 or 8.

[0025] Optionally, the For less than or equal to K ID1 The integer K ID1 The value can be one of 42, 84, or 168. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0026] In one possible design, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on a first time-frequency resource, and the method further includes: receiving a plurality of physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the plurality of PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing.

[0027] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, which may be referred to as a first communication device. The first communication device may be a network device, a device, module, or chip within a network device, or a device compatible with a network device. In one design, the first communication device may include modules corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the first communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, the communication module including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the communication module may also be described as a transceiver module or transceiver unit, and the processing module may also be described as a processing unit. Optionally, when the first communication device is a chip within a network device, the communication module may also be described as an input / output circuit or communication interface for performing input operations (corresponding to receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to transmitting operations); the processing module may also be described as a processor, such as an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0028] The following description uses the first communication device, which includes a processing module and a communication module, as an example.

[0029] The processing module generates a sequence of first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier; wherein the first beam identifier indicates the first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0030] The communication module is used to send the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0031] In one possible design, the processing module is specifically used to generate a sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on a first parameter m0 and a second parameter m1; wherein the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship:

[0032] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, It is an integer between 0 and 335. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0033] In one possible design, the processing module is specifically configured to generate a sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signals are contained in a first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

[0034] Optionally, generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity includes: generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1; wherein the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship:

[0035] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first identifier, the K sss Indicates the first quantity, the For less than or equal to K sss The integer K sss The integers are positive integers, and D, E, and F are positive integers.

[0036] Optional, E=15, F=5. K sss It is an integer of 2, 4 or 8.

[0037] Optionally, the For less than or equal to K ID1 The integer K ID1 The value can be one of 42, 84, or 168. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0038] In one possible design, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on a first time-frequency resource, and the communication module is further configured to: transmit multiple physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the multiple PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing.

[0039] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which may be referred to as a second communication device. The second communication device can be a terminal device, a device, module, or chip within the terminal device, or a device compatible with the terminal device. In one design, the second communication device may include modules corresponding to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the second communication device may include a processing module and a communication module, the communication module including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. Optionally, the communication module may also be described as a transceiver module or transceiver unit, and the processing module may also be described as a processing unit. Optionally, when the second communication device is a chip within the terminal device, the communication module may also be described as an input / output circuit or communication interface for performing input operations (corresponding to receiving operations) and output operations (corresponding to transmitting operations); the processing module may also be described as a processor, such as an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0040] The following description uses the second communication device, which includes a processing module and a communication module, as an example.

[0041] The communication module is used to receive a first auxiliary synchronization signal, the sequence of which is generated based on a cell identifier and a first beam identifier, wherein the first beam identifier indicates the first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0042] The processing module is used to determine the cell identifier and the first beam based on the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0043] In one possible design, the cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0044] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, It is an integer between 0 and 335. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0045] In one possible design, the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal is generated based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and a first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in a first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

[0046] Optionally, the cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0047] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first identifier, the K sss Indicates the first quantity, the For less than or equal to K sss The integer K sss The integers are positive integers, and D, E, and F are positive integers.

[0048] Optional, E=15, F=5. K sss It is an integer of 2, 4 or 8.

[0049] Optionally, the For less than or equal to K ID1 The integer K ID1 The value can be one of 42, 84, or 168. It is an integer between 0 and 2, where D is 112. With the and stated The relationship between them satisfies:

[0050] In one possible design, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on a first time-frequency resource, and the communication module is further configured to receive multiple physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the multiple PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing.

[0051] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device including at least one processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions, and when the device is running, the at least one processor executes the computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods as described in the first aspect or embodiments of the first aspect above, or to perform the methods as described in the second aspect or embodiments of the second aspect above.

[0052] In a sixth aspect, this application provides another communication device, comprising: a logic circuit and an input / output interface; wherein the input / output interface can be understood as an interface circuit, and the logic circuit can be used to run code instructions to perform the methods of the first aspect or embodiments thereof, or to perform the methods of the second aspect or embodiments thereof.

[0053] In a seventh aspect, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method as described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or to perform a method as described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0054] Eighthly, this application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect or embodiments of the first aspect, or to perform the methods described in the second aspect or embodiments of the second aspect.

[0055] Ninthly, this application provides a chip system including a processor and potentially a memory, for implementing the methods described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or performing the methods described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0056] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication system, the system including a terminal device and a network device, the communication system being used to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0057] For the technical effects that can be achieved by the second to tenth aspects mentioned above, please refer to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by the first aspect or the corresponding possible design scheme in the first aspect. This application will not repeat them here. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system;

[0059] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device;

[0060] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of the logical function division of a network element;

[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the beam distribution of the synchronization signal block (SSB) in the prior art;

[0062] Figure 4A is one of the beam distribution diagrams of the synchronization signal block SSB provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 4B is one of the beam distribution diagrams of the synchronization signal block SSB provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 4C is one of the beam distribution diagrams of the synchronization signal block SSB provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating one of the communication methods provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating one of the communication methods provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 8 is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the communication device in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0069] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] The at least one item mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to one or more items. Multiple items refers to two or more items. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. Furthermore, it should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe objects in the embodiments of this application, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the objects from each other.

[0071] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the following description of embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. It should be noted that in embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any method or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in embodiments of this application should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0072] The technology provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system such as New Radio (NR) system, and future communication systems, etc.

[0073] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0074] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0075] In a communication system, a network element can send signals to or receive signals from another network element. These signals can include information or data. A network element can also be referred to as an entity, network entity, device, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application describes the concept of a network element. For example, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The signal-transmitting network element can be a network device, and the signal-receiving network element can be a terminal device; or, the signal-transmitting network element can be a terminal device, and the signal-receiving network element can be a network device. Furthermore, it is understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminal devices, these terminal devices can also exchange signals; that is, both the signal-transmitting network element and the signal-receiving network element can be terminal devices.

[0076] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture diagram of a communication system 1000 applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, Figure 1 is an exemplary architecture diagram of a communication system 10 applied in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be independent physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals can be interconnected with each other, and RAN nodes can be interconnected with each other, via wired or wireless means.

[0077] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0078] The network device involved in this application embodiment can be a RAN node. A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, is used to help terminals access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a future communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or an indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), or a relay node or donor node.

[0079] Terminal equipment can be any device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and possesses corresponding communication functions. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, user device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal unit, terminal station, terminal device, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. Terminal equipment typically contains communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. It may also be configured with program instructions for performing these functions.

[0080] For example, the terminal device in the embodiments of this application may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a drone, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a machine-type communication (MTC) terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home (e.g., game consoles, smart TVs, smart speakers, smart refrigerators, and fitness equipment), a transportation vehicle with wireless communication capabilities, a communication module, or a roadside unit (RSU) with terminal functionality. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device.

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

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

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

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

[0085] In this application, the transmission of downlink signals or downlink information from the base station to the terminal can be understood as downlink communication; the transmission of uplink signals or uplink information from the terminal to the base station can be understood as uplink communication. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection with the cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a wireless connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also subject to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0086] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices can follow a specific protocol layer structure. For example, this protocol layer structure may include a control plane protocol layer structure and a user plane protocol layer structure. For instance, the control plane protocol layer structure may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media / medium access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. Similarly, the user plane protocol layer structure may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0087] At the physical layer, uplink communication can include the transmission of uplink physical channels and uplink signals. Uplink physical channels include the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), etc. Uplink signals include the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), the PUCCH Demodulation Reference Signal (PUCCH-DMRS), the PUSCH Demodulation Reference Signal (PUSCH-DMRS), the Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), the Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), and the Positioning Reference Signal (SRS), etc. The Positioning Reference Signal, for example, is the SRS for Positioning or the Positioning SRS.

[0088] At the physical layer, downlink communication can include the transmission of downlink physical channels and downlink signals. Downlink physical channels include the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. Downlink signals include the primary synchronization signal (PSS) / secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical downlink control demodulation reference signal (PDCCH-DMRS), physical downlink shared channel demodulation reference signal (PDSCH-DMRS), DMRS, PTRS, CSI-RS, cell reference signal (CRS), tracking reference signal (TRS), positioning reference signal (positioning RS), synchronization signal block (SSB), etc.

[0089] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of the network device structure used in an embodiment of this application. The RAN node includes one or more control units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), and one or more radio units (RUs). As an example, only one CU, DU, and RU are shown in Figure 2A. The CU performs the functions of the radio resource control protocol and packet data aggregation layer protocol (PDCP) of the base station, and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the radio link control layer (RLC) and medium access control layer (MAC) of the RAN, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the radio frequency signal transmission and reception functions. The CU and DU can be two independent units, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node in the 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).

[0090] Figure 2A illustrates an example where the CU and DU are integrated within the BBU. It also shows that the BBU in the RAN communicates with the core network via a backhaul link, the CU and DU within the BBU communicate via a midhaul link, and the BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The RF unit RU in the RAN communicates with at least one UE via an air interface.

[0091] Optionally, the CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane. As illustrated in Figure 2B, the CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as location updates for terminal devices, network registration for terminal devices, and handover of terminal devices. The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. The CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0092] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, Higher Physical Layer (PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0093] In some examples, the RU is a logical node carrying both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0094] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a lower-layer split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0095] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0096] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The CU-control panel (CU-CP) can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), and the CU-user panel (CU-UP) can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP). 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.

[0097] In 5G networks, terminal devices determine the optimal beam for network access by measuring and receiving the SSB (Signal Received Signal), thus accessing the network through the random access resources corresponding to the optimal beam. For example, signal quality can be understood as: reference signal received quality (RSRQ), reference signal received power (RSRP), interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or other information such as layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) and layer 1 interference-plus-noise ratio (L1-SINR).

[0098] Currently, one SSB corresponds to one beam. The maximum number of SSBs within a 5ms half-frame is Lmax, which can be 4, 8, or 64. The SSBs included in a 5ms half-frame can be called an SSB burst. As shown in Figure 3, an SSB burst includes 4 SSBs, which are transmitted on 4 different time-frequency resources to indicate their respective beams. The terminal device needs to time-division measure and receive the 4 SSBs. Based on the RSRP (Real-Time Access Resource Ratio) of each SSB, it determines the SBB with the strongest RSRP among the 4 SSBs. The beam corresponding to this SBB with the strongest RSRP is the optimal beam. Therefore, the terminal device can perform initial access on the random access resource corresponding to the optimal beam, ensuring communication quality.

[0099] One SSB corresponds to one PSS, one SSS, and one PBCH. The time-frequency resources used for transmitting SSBs can be understood as SSB resources; one SSS, one SSS, and one PBCH are transmitted on one SSB resource. In the existing protocol (3GPP TS 38.211, Chapter 7.4.2), an SSS sequence is a Gold sequence of length 127, determined by modulo-2 addition of two M sequences. The index range of elements in the SSS sequence is 0–126. The generation of the SSS sequence is related to the cell identifier. The generation process of the SSS sequence can be understood as follows:

[0100] The cell identifier can be understood as the cell ID at the physical layer, denoted as... and and The corresponding relationships satisfy the following:

[0101] in, This can be understood as the cell identifier used to transmit SSS. The value of is an integer from 0 to 335, that is This can be understood as a cell identifier used to transmit PSS. The value of is an integer from 0 to 2, that is

[0102] The element d at index n in the SSS sequence SSS (n) satisfies the following relation: d SSS (n)=[1-2*x0((n+m0)mod127)]*[1-2*x1((n+m1)mod127)];

[0103] Where x0 and x1 are the two M sequences mentioned above, with a sequence length of 127. x0(0) represents the first element in sequence x0, x0(1) represents the second element in sequence x0, and so on, with x0(126) representing the last element in sequence x0. x1(0) represents the first element in sequence x1, x1(1) represents the second element in sequence x1, and so on, with x1(126) representing the last element in sequence x1. x0(i+7)=(x0(i+4)+x0(i))mod 2; x1(i+7)=(x1(i+1)+x0(i))mod 2;

[0104] Where i takes integers from 0 to 119, the values ​​of the first 7 elements in x0 and x1 can be understood by referring to the following relationship: [x0(6) x0(5) x0(4) x0(3) x0(2) x0(1) x0(0)]=[0 0 0 0 0 0 1]; [x1(6) x1(5) x1(4) x1(3) x1(2) x1(1) x1(0)]=[0 0 0 0 0 0 1].

[0105] This approach uses multiple time-division SSBs for beam indication. The more beams that meet the coverage requirements, the longer the transmitter transmission time and the greater the power consumption. For the terminal equipment, it needs to measure multiple SSBs in a time-division manner, which increases the detection complexity and the power consumption of the receiver.

[0106] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that, by designing a code division multiplexing (CDM) SSS sequence, transmits multiple SSSs on the same time-frequency resource (such as the same SSB resource), realizing a scheme where one SSB indicates multiple beams, which can reduce the transmitter's transmission time and power consumption; and reduce the detection complexity and power consumption of the terminal equipment. The generation and transmission of the SSS sequence in embodiments of this application are described in detail below.

[0107] Option 1: The sequence of SSS can be generated from cell identifier and beam identifier.

[0108] Optionally, an SSB may include multiple SSSs, or alternatively, multiple SSSs may be transmitted over an SSB resource, where the multiple SSSs are code-division multiplexed. The multiple SSSs within an SSB correspond to different beams, or it can be understood as: an SSB indicates multiple beams, and an SSB includes multiple SSSs corresponding to each beam. The beam identifier used to generate the SSS sequence can indicate the beam corresponding to that SSS sequence among the multiple beams indicated by an SSB.

[0109] The SSS sequence generation process can be understood by referring to the following:

[0110] The cell identifier can be understood as the cell ID at the physical layer, denoted as... and and The corresponding relationships satisfy the following:

[0111] in, This can be understood as the cell identifier used to transmit SSS. The value of is an integer from 0 to 335, that is This can be understood as a cell identifier used to transmit PSS. The value of is an integer from 0 to 2, that is

[0112] The element d at index n in the SSS sequence SSS (n) satisfies the following relation: d SSS (n)=[1-2*x0((n+m0)mod127)]*[1-2*x1((n+m1)mod127)];

[0113] Here, x0 and x1 are two M sequences, which are optional and have a sequence length of 127. The design of x0 and x1 can be understood with reference to the existing protocols described above, and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0114] The and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier used to generate the SSS sequence, The beam identifier for the beam corresponding to the SSS sequence. The range of values ​​for is related to the number of SSSs K included in an SSB. sss related, For less than or equal to K sss non-negative integers, for example K sss The integers are greater than 1. A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, A, B, and C are determined by the sequence length of m0. The range of values ​​and The range of values ​​and The value of m0 is determined by one or more values ​​within its range. For example, according to existing protocols, the sequence length of m0 is defined as 127. A, B, and C are... The range of values ​​for D is determined. The range of values ​​is related to, for example When D is a factor of 336, such as D = 112.

[0115] For ease of implementation, taking D=112 as an example, Table 1 below shows some candidate relations for m0.

[0116] Table 1

[0117] Based on the above design, Figure 5 illustrates a communication method, which is mainly described using the interaction flow between a first communication device and a second communication device as an example. It can be understood that the first communication device is a transmitting device or sending end, and the second communication device is a receiving device or receiving end. The first communication device is applied to a network device, and the second communication device is applied to a terminal device. For example, the first communication device can be a network device, or a device, module, or chip within a network device, or a device compatible with a network device. The second communication device can be a terminal device, or a device, module, or chip within a terminal device, or a device compatible with a terminal device. This communication method mainly includes the following steps:

[0118] S501, the first communication device generates a sequence of first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier.

[0119] The first beam identifier indicates the first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal. Optionally, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is included in the first synchronization signal block. For example, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is any one of the multiple auxiliary synchronization signals included in the first synchronization signal block. Different auxiliary synchronization signals correspond to different beams. For example, when the first synchronization signal block includes a main synchronization signal (PSS) and a PBCH block, and the number of auxiliary synchronization signals included in the first synchronization signal block is a first number, it can be understood that the number of beams indicated by the first synchronization signal block is equal to the first number. The first beam identifier is an integer less than or equal to the first number. For example, when the first number is 4, the beam identifier starts numbering from 0, and the value of the first beam identifier is an integer from 0 to 3; or, for example, when the first number is 4, the beam identifier starts numbering from 1, and the value of the first beam identifier is an integer from 1 to 4. Optionally, the first number can be defined by the protocol or indicated by the first communication device to the second communication device.

[0120] Corresponding to the design of Scheme 1 above, the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0121] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers. Optionally, the... The values ​​of A, B, C, and D can be understood with reference to the description in Table 1, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment. Accordingly, the first communication device determines the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal according to the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1. This method can also be understood with reference to the relational expression in the aforementioned existing protocol, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0122] S502, the first communication device sends a first auxiliary synchronization signal; the second communication device receives the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0123] For example, the first communication device can map the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal onto the first time-frequency resource for transmission; correspondingly, the second communication device can also receive the first auxiliary synchronization signal on the first time-frequency resource. Optionally, the first time-frequency resource can be understood as a time-frequency resource for transmitting the first synchronization signal block, on which the first time-frequency resource transmits a primary synchronization signal, multiple auxiliary synchronization signals, and a PBCH block.

[0124] S503, the second communication device determines the cell identifier and the first beam identifier corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0125] For example, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in the first synchronization signal block, and the terminal device can determine this by detecting the primary synchronization signal PSS in the first synchronization signal block on the first time-frequency resource. The value of is then used to detect the first auxiliary synchronization signal, which can determine . The value and the first beam identifier The value. The cell identifier can be determined by... and Determined, that is

[0126] Correspondingly, the second communication device can also measure the first auxiliary synchronization signal to obtain the corresponding channel measurement results and determine the signal quality of the beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal. It is understood that the sequence generation of each auxiliary synchronization signal in the first synchronization signal block can be understood with reference to the sequence generation method of the first auxiliary synchronization signal, but the difference lies in the different beam identifiers corresponding to different auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block. Referring to the implementation methods of steps S501 to S503 above, the second communication device can determine the beam with the best signal quality among multiple beams corresponding to a synchronization signal block.

[0127] As described above, the terminal device detects multiple SSBs of an SSB burst to determine the beam with the best signal quality for network access. For example, an SSB burst corresponds to N transmitted in the time domain. ssb Each SSB transmits one PSS, one PBCH block, and K using code division on its corresponding time-frequency resources. sss Given a set of SSS sequences, each corresponding to a beam, then the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst is L. max =N ssb *K sss For example, the parameter values ​​related to SSB burst can be understood with reference to Table 2 below.

[0128] Table 2

[0129] As an example, Figure 4A illustrates L max =4, N ssb =1, one SSB corresponds to one PSS, four SSS, and one PBCH. The beam coverage of one PSS (or PBCH) is equivalent to the beam coverage of the four beams corresponding to four SSS. Optionally, the beam corresponding to one PSS (or PBCH) can be understood as a wide beam, and the beam corresponding to each of the four SSS can be understood as a narrow beam. As shown in Figure 4B, L max =4, N ssb When the value is 2, the two SSBs transmit in a time-division multiplexing manner. Each SSB corresponds to one PSS, two SSSs, and one PBCH block. The beam coverage of one PSS (or PBCH) is equivalent to the beam coverage of the two beams corresponding to the two SSSs. Optionally, the beam corresponding to one PSS (or PBCH) can be understood as a wide beam, and the beam corresponding to each of the two SSSs can be understood as a narrow beam.

[0130] Furthermore, the second communication device can also determine the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality by measuring the PBCH block among multiple synchronization signal blocks; thereby, the beam with the best signal quality among the multiple beams corresponding to the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality is determined as the beam with the best signal quality for network access. It is understood that the beam identifier b of the beam with the best signal quality for network access is... ssb The beam identifier with the best signal quality corresponding to a single synchronization signal block The following relationship must be satisfied: Among them, i ssb The identifier of the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality, i ssb ∈[0,N ssb -1],N ssbK indicates the number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in an SSB burst. sss Indicates the number of secondary synchronization signals (SSS) in a synchronization signal block. b ssb ∈[0,L max -1], L max Indicates the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst.

[0131] The above embodiments describe an implementation that includes a PBCH block within a synchronization signal block. In another possible implementation, a synchronization signal block may include a PSS, multiple SSSs, and multiple PBCH blocks, or alternatively, a PSS, multiple SSSs, and multiple PBCH blocks may be transmitted on a first time-frequency resource. The generation and transmission of the SSS sequence can be understood with reference to the examples described in Scheme 1 and Figure 5, and will not be elaborated further in this embodiment. The number of beams corresponding to a synchronization signal block is K. PBCH *K sss K PBCH K indicates the number of PBCH blocks in a synchronization signal block. sss Indicates the number of SSSs in a synchronization signal block. K PBCH With K sss The values ​​can be the same or different, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0132] For example, the first synchronization signal block includes two PBCH blocks and four secondary synchronization signals (SSS), i.e., K PBCH =2,K sss =4, the first synchronization signal block can correspond to 8 beams. Correspondingly, 2 PBCH blocks and 4 auxiliary synchronization signals are transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, which can correspond to 8 beams, denoted as beams 0 to 7. In one possible implementation, each PBCH in the 2 blocks corresponds to 4 of the 8 beams, and each auxiliary synchronization signal in the 4 auxiliary synchronization signals corresponds to 2 of the 8 beams. As shown in Figure 4C, in an SSB: the beam coverage of the first PBCH in the 2 blocks is equivalent to the beam coverage of {beam 0, beam 2, beam 4, beam 6}, and the beam coverage of the second PBCH is equivalent to the beam coverage of {beam 1, beam 3, beam 5, beam 7}. Each SSS in the 4 SSSs corresponds to one beam. The beam coverage range is equivalent to the beam coverage range of two beams from beams 0 to 7, as shown below, where one beam corresponds to one SSS. The beam coverage area is simply referred to as the beam coverage area corresponding to one SSS. For example, the beam coverage area corresponding to the first SSS is equivalent to the beam coverage area of ​​beams 0-1, the beam coverage area corresponding to the second SSS is equivalent to the beam coverage area of ​​beams 2-3, the beam coverage area corresponding to the third SSS is equivalent to the beam coverage area of ​​beams 4-5, and the beam coverage area corresponding to the fourth SSS is equivalent to the beam coverage area of ​​beams 6-7. Assume j ssb =1, The beam identifier of the beam with the best signal quality among the eight beams corresponding to the first synchronization signal block is: That is, among the 8 beams, the beam with the best signal quality is beam 3.

[0133] Optionally, when transmitting multiple PBCH blocks on the first time-frequency resource, the multiple PBCH blocks are either code-division multiplexed or frequency-division multiplexed. Specifically, when multiple PBCH blocks are frequency-division multiplexed, they are transmitted on the same time-domain resource but different frequency-domain resources within the first time-frequency resource; that is, the first communication device can simultaneously use multiple frequency-domain resources to transmit multiple PBCH blocks. Different frequency-domain resources correspond to different beams for transmission. When multiple PBCH blocks are code-division multiplexed, they occupy the same time-domain and frequency-domain resources on the first time-frequency resource, but are transmitted using different ports, with different ports corresponding to different beams for transmission; or, in other words, when multiple PBCH blocks are code-division multiplexed, the first communication device can simultaneously use beams corresponding to multiple ports to transmit multiple PBCH blocks. The multiple ports are orthogonal, meaning the precodes corresponding to the multiple ports are orthogonal. For example, using beams corresponding to two ports to transmit PBCH blocks, the two ports are port0 and port1, with the precode for port0 being [1 1] and the precode for port1 being [1 -1].

[0134] As described above, the terminal device detects multiple SSBs of an SSB burst to determine the beam with the best signal quality for network access. For example, an SSB burst corresponds to N transmitted in the time domain. ssb There are 1 SSB, and one PSS is transmitted on the time-frequency resources corresponding to each SSB, using code division to transmit K. sss A number of SSS sequences, and K transmitted using code division or frequency division. PBCH If there are PBCH blocks, then the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst is L. max =N ssb *K sss *K PBCH For example, the parameter values ​​related to SSB burst can be understood with reference to Table 3 below.

[0135] Table 3

[0136] Based on this design, the aforementioned second communication device, when using the beam with the best signal quality for network access, can be implemented with reference to the following relationship: The second communication device can determine the synchronization signal block (i) with the best signal quality by measuring the PBCH DMRS in multiple synchronization signal blocks. ssb Thus, the beam with the best signal quality among the multiple beams corresponding to the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality is determined as the beam with the best signal quality for network access. ssb Understandably, Where, j ssb ∈[0,K PBCH -1],j ssb Indicates that the same synchronization signal block includes K PBCH The PBCH block with the best signal quality among all PBCH blocks; Indicates K included in the same synchronization signal block ssb The SSS with the best signal quality among the auxiliary synchronization signals SSS; the other parameters can be understood with reference to the previous description, and will not be repeated in the embodiments of this application.

[0137] The above-described scheme 1 provided in the embodiments of this application transmits multiple SSSs and / or multiple PBCH blocks in the same SSB using code division, which can realize a scheme where one SSB indicates multiple beams.

[0138] Option 2: The sequence of SSSs can be generated from the cell identifier, beam identifier, and the number of SSSs in an SSB.

[0139] Optionally, an SSB may include multiple SSSs, or alternatively, multiple SSSs may be transmitted over an SSB resource, where the multiple SSSs are code-division multiplexed. The multiple SSSs within an SSB correspond to different beams, or it can be understood as: an SSB indicates multiple beams, and an SSB includes multiple SSSs corresponding to each beam. The beam identifier used to generate the SSS sequence can indicate the beam corresponding to that SSS sequence among the multiple beams indicated by an SSB.

[0140] The SSS sequence generation process can be understood by referring to the following:

[0141] The cell identifier can be understood as the cell ID at the physical layer, denoted as... and and The corresponding relationships satisfy the following:

[0142] in, This can be understood as the cell identifier used to transmit SSS. The value range is 0 to (K). ID1 Integers of -1), that is This can be understood as a cell identifier used to transmit PSS. The value of is an integer from 0 to 2, that is Optional, K ID1 It is a positive integer less than 336, for example, K. ID1 It can be one of the values ​​42, 84, or 168. This design reduces the number of cell identifiers compared to Scheme 1 and the existing protocol.

[0143] The element d at index n in the SSS sequence SSS (n) satisfies the following relation: d SSS (n)=[1-2*x0((n+m0)mod127)]*[1-2*x1((n+m1)mod127)];

[0144] Here, x0 and x1 are two M sequences, which are optional and have a sequence length of 127. The design of x0 and x1 can be understood with reference to the existing protocols described above, and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0145] The and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier used to generate the SSS sequence, The beam identifier for the beam corresponding to the SSS sequence. The range of values ​​for is related to the number of SSSs K included in an SSB. sss related, For less than or equal to K sss integers, for example K sss The integers are greater than 1. D, E, and F are positive integers. For example, D = 112. Optionally, E and F are determined by the sequence length of m0, The range of values ​​and The range of values ​​for K sss One or more of them are determined.

[0146] For ease of implementation, taking D=112 as an example, the candidate relationships between m0 and m1 are shown in Table 4 below.

[0147] Table 4

[0148] Based on the above design, Figure 6 illustrates a communication method, which is mainly described using the interaction flow between a first communication device and a second communication device as an example. It can be understood that the first communication device is a transmitting device or sending end, and the second communication device is a receiving device or receiving end. The first communication device is applied to a network device, and the second communication device is applied to a terminal device. For example, the first communication device can be a network device, or a device, module, or chip within a network device, or a device compatible with a network device. The second communication device can be a terminal device, or a device, module, or chip within a terminal device, or a device compatible with a terminal device. This communication method mainly includes the following steps:

[0149] S601, the first communication device generates a sequence of first auxiliary synchronization signals based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity.

[0150] The first beam identifier indicates the first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal. Optionally, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is included in the first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals included in the first synchronization signal block. The first auxiliary synchronization signal is any one of the multiple auxiliary synchronization signals included in the first synchronization signal block, and different auxiliary synchronization signals correspond to different beams. For example, when the first synchronization signal block includes a main synchronization signal (PSS) and a PBCH block, and the number of auxiliary synchronization signals included in the first synchronization signal block is the first quantity, it can be understood that the number of beams indicated by the first synchronization signal block is equal to the first quantity. The first beam identifier is an integer less than or equal to the first quantity. For example, when the first quantity is 4, the beam identifier starts numbering from 0, and the value of the first beam identifier is an integer from 0 to 3; or, for example, when the first quantity is 4, the beam identifier starts numbering from 1, and the value of the first beam identifier is an integer from 1 to 4.

[0151] Corresponding to the design of Scheme 2 above, the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship:

[0152] Among them, the and stated Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first beam identifier, For less than or equal to K sss The integers. E, F, and D are positive integers. Optionally, the... The values ​​of E, F, and D can be understood with reference to the description in Table 4, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment. Accordingly, the first communication device determines the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal according to the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1. This method can also be understood with reference to the relational expression in the aforementioned existing protocol, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0153] Furthermore, it is understandable that K sss The value can be predefined by the protocol, or it can be indicated by the first communication device to the second communication device.

[0154] S602, the first communication device sends a first auxiliary synchronization signal; the second communication device receives the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0155] For example, the first communication device can map the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal onto the first time-frequency resource for transmission; correspondingly, the second communication device can also receive the first auxiliary synchronization signal on the first time-frequency resource. Optionally, the first time-frequency resource can be understood as a time-frequency resource for transmitting the first synchronization signal block, on which the first time-frequency resource transmits a primary synchronization signal, multiple auxiliary synchronization signals, and a PBCH block.

[0156] S603, the second communication device determines the cell identifier and the first beam identifier corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

[0157] For example, the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in the first synchronization signal block, and the terminal device can determine this by detecting the primary synchronization signal PSS in the first synchronization signal block on the first time-frequency resource. The value of is then used to detect the first auxiliary synchronization signal, which can determine . The value and the first beam identifier The value. The cell identifier can be determined by... and Determined, that is

[0158] Correspondingly, the second communication device can also measure the first auxiliary synchronization signal to obtain the corresponding channel measurement results and determine the signal quality of the beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal. It is understood that the sequence generation of each auxiliary synchronization signal in the first synchronization signal block can be understood with reference to the sequence generation method of the first auxiliary synchronization signal, but the difference lies in the different beam identifiers corresponding to different auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block. Referring to the implementation methods of steps S601 to S603 above, the second communication device can determine the beam with the best signal quality among multiple beams corresponding to a synchronization signal block.

[0159] As described above, the terminal device detects multiple SSBs of an SSB burst to determine the beam with the best signal quality for network access. For example, an SSB burst corresponds to N transmitted in the time domain. ssb Each SSB transmits one PSS, one PBCH block, and K using code division on its corresponding time-frequency resources. sss Given a set of SSS sequences, each corresponding to a beam, then the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst is L. max =N ssb *K sss For example, the parameter values ​​related to SSB burst can be understood with reference to Table 5 below.

[0160] Table 5

[0161] An example of the distribution of an SSB including a PSS, multiple SSSs, and a PBCH can be understood with reference to Figure 4A or Figure 4B, and will not be described in detail in the embodiments of this application.

[0162] Furthermore, the second communication device can also determine the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality by measuring the PBCH block among multiple synchronization signal blocks; thereby, the beam with the best signal quality among the multiple beams corresponding to the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality is determined as the beam with the best signal quality for network access. It is understood that the beam identifier b of the beam with the best signal quality for network access is... ssb The beam identifier with the best signal quality corresponding to a single synchronization signal block The following relationship must be satisfied: Among them, i ssb The identifier of the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality, i ssb ∈[0,N ssb -1],N ssb K indicates the number of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in an SSB burst. sss Indicates the number of secondary synchronization signals (SSS) in a synchronization signal block. b ssb ∈[0,L max -1], L max Indicates the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst.

[0163] The above embodiments describe an implementation that includes a PBCH block within a synchronization signal block. In another possible implementation, a synchronization signal block may include a PSS, multiple SSSs, and multiple PBCH blocks, or alternatively, a PSS, multiple SSSs, and multiple PBCH blocks may be transmitted on a first time-frequency resource. The generation and transmission of the SSS sequence can be understood with reference to the examples described in Scheme 2 and Figure 6, and will not be elaborated further in this embodiment. The number of beams corresponding to a synchronization signal block is K. PBCH *K sss K PBCH K indicates the number of PBCH blocks in a synchronization signal block. sss Indicates the number of SSSs in a synchronization signal block. K PBCH With K sss The values ​​can be the same or different, and this application embodiment does not limit this. An example of a distribution including one PSS, multiple SSSs, and multiple PBCHs in an SSB can be understood with reference to Figure 4C, and this application embodiment will not elaborate further. Optionally, when multiple PBCH blocks are transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, the multiple PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0164] As described above, the terminal device detects multiple SSBs of an SSB burst to determine the beam with the best signal quality for network access. For example, an SSB burst corresponds to N transmitted in the time domain. ssb There are 1 SSB, and one PSS is transmitted on the time-frequency resources corresponding to each SSB, using code division to transmit K. sss A number of SSS sequences, and K transmitted using code division or frequency division. PBCH If there are PBCH blocks, then the total number of beams corresponding to one SSB burst is L. max =N ssb *K sss *K PBCH For example, the parameter values ​​related to SSB burst can be understood with reference to Table 6 below.

[0165] Table 6

[0166] Based on this design, the aforementioned second communication device, when using the beam with the best signal quality for network access, can be implemented with reference to the following relationship: The second communication device can determine the synchronization signal block (i) with the best signal quality by measuring the PBCH DMRS in multiple synchronization signal blocks. ssb Thus, the beam with the best signal quality among the multiple beams corresponding to the synchronization signal block with the best signal quality is determined as the beam with the best signal quality for network access.ssb Understandably, Where, j ssb ∈[0,K PBCH -1],j ssb Indicates that the same synchronization signal block includes K PBCH The PBCH block with the best signal quality among all PBCH blocks; Indicates K included in the same synchronization signal block ssb The SSS with the best signal quality among the auxiliary synchronization signals SSS; the other parameters can be understood with reference to the previous description, and will not be repeated in the embodiments of this application.

[0167] The second scheme provided in this application reduces the indication overhead of cell identifiers by reducing the total number of cell identifiers corresponding to the generation of SSS; in addition, it can keep the number of SSS sequences in an SSB burst unchanged, as shown in Table 6, where the number of SSS sequences is 336. This design can reduce the complexity of reception detection.

[0168] By using code division to transmit multiple SSSs and / or multiple PBCH blocks within the same SSB, a scheme can be implemented where one SSB indicates multiple beams.

[0169] Based on the same concept, referring to Figure 7, this application embodiment provides a communication device 700, which includes a processing module 701 and a communication module 702. The communication device 700 can be a first communication device, or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with a first communication device to implement a communication method executed on the first communication device side; alternatively, the communication device 700 can be a second communication device, or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with a second communication device to implement a communication method executed on the second communication device side.

[0170] The communication module can also be called a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver unit, or transceiver device. The processing module can also be called a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the first communication device side or the second communication device side in the above method. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function can be regarded as a sending unit. That is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit.

[0171] When the communication device 700 is applied to the first communication device, the processing module 701 can be used to implement the processing function of the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6, and the communication module 702 can be used to implement the sending and receiving function of the first communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG5 or FIG6. Alternatively, the communication device can also be understood with reference to the third aspect of the invention and the possible designs in the third aspect.

[0172] When the communication device 700 is applied to a second communication device, the processing module 701 can be used to implement the processing function of the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, and the communication module 702 can be used to implement the sending and receiving function of the second communication device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6. Alternatively, the communication device can be understood with reference to the fourth aspect of the invention and the possible designs in the fourth aspect.

[0173] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned communication module and / or processing module can be implemented through virtual modules. For example, the processing module can be implemented through software functional units or virtual devices, and the communication module can be implemented through software functions or virtual devices. Alternatively, the processing module or communication module can also be implemented through physical devices. For example, if the communication device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0174] The module division in this embodiment is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in each embodiment of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0175] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a communication device 800. For example, the communication device 800 may be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in embodiments of this application, the chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0176] The communication device 800 can be used to implement the function of any network element in the communication system described in the foregoing embodiments. The communication device 800 may include at least one processor 810 coupled to a memory. Optionally, the memory may be located within the communication device, integrated with the processor, or located outside the communication device. For example, the communication device 800 may also include at least one memory 820. The memory 820 stores computer programs, computer programs or instructions, and / or data necessary for implementing any of the above embodiments; the processor 810 may execute the computer program stored in the memory 820 to complete the methods in any of the above embodiments.

[0177] The communication device 800 may also include a communication interface 830, through which the communication device 800 can interact with other devices. For example, the communication interface 830 may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. When the communication device 800 is a chip-based device or circuit, the communication interface 830 may also be an input / output circuit, capable of inputting information (or receiving information) and outputting information (or sending information). The processor may be an integrated processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or logic circuit, and the processor can determine the output information based on the input information.

[0178] The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 810 may operate in conjunction with the memory 820 and the communication interface 830. This embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the processor 810, the memory 820, and the communication interface 830.

[0179] Optionally, referring to Figure 8, the processor 810, the memory 820, and the communication interface 830 are interconnected via a bus 840. The bus 840 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 8, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0180] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0181] In the embodiments of this application, the memory can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the communication device 800 can be applied to a first communication device. Specifically, the communication device 800 can be the first communication device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the first communication device and implementing the functions of the first communication device in any of the above embodiments. The memory 820 stores computer programs (or instructions) and / or data that implement the functions of the first communication device in any of the above embodiments. The processor 810 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 820 to complete the methods performed by the first communication device in any of the above embodiments. Applied to the first communication device, the communication interface in the communication device 800 can be used to interact with a second communication device, sending information to the second communication device or receiving information from the second communication device.

[0183] In another possible implementation, the communication device 800 can be applied to a second communication device. Specifically, the communication device 800 can be the second communication device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the second communication device and implementing the functions of the second communication device in any of the above embodiments. The memory 820 stores computer programs (or instructions) and / or data that implement the functions of the second communication device in any of the above embodiments. The processor 810 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 820 to complete the method executed by the second communication device in any of the above embodiments. Applied to the second communication device, the communication interface in the communication device 800 can be used to interact with the first communication device, sending information to the first communication device or receiving information from the first communication device.

[0184] Since the communication device 800 provided in this embodiment can be applied to a first communication device to complete the method executed by the first communication device, or applied to a second communication device to complete the method executed by the second communication device, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method examples, and will not be repeated here.

[0185] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a communication system, including a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device can implement the method provided in the embodiments shown in FIG5 or FIG6.

[0186] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, 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, a second communication device, a first communication device, or other programmable devices. 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, optical fiber, 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 access 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, etc.

[0187] In the embodiments of this application, provided there is no logical contradiction, the embodiments may reference each other. For example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, and the functions and / or terms between device embodiments and method embodiments may reference each other.

[0188] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of the claims of the embodiments of this application and their equivalents, the embodiments of this application are also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a first communication device, comprising: A sequence of first auxiliary synchronization signals is generated based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier; wherein, the first beam identifier indicates the first beam corresponding to the first auxiliary synchronization signal; Send the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier includes: The sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal is generated based on the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1; wherein the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship: Among them, the and said corresponding to the cell identity, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier and the first beam identifier includes: A sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signals is generated based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in the first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The step of generating the sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity includes: The sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal is generated based on the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1; Wherein, the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 satisfy the following relationship: wherein the and said corresponding to the cell identity, the indicate the first identity, the K sss indicate the first number, the for integers less than or equal to the K sss , the K sss is a positive integer, the D, the E and the F are positive integers.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The is an integer less than or equal to K ID1 , the K ID1 takes one of the values 42, 84, 168.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, and the method further includes: Multiple Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) blocks are transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the multiple PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, including: Receive a first secondary synchronization signal, the sequence of which is generated based on a cell identifier and a first beam identifier, the first beam identifier indicating the first beam corresponding to the first secondary synchronization signal; The cell identifier and the first beam are determined based on the first auxiliary synchronization signal.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship: Among them, the Japanese Corresponding to the cell identifier, the The first beam identifier is indicated, where A, B, C, and D are positive integers.

9. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The sequence of the first auxiliary synchronization signal is generated based on the cell identifier, the first beam identifier, and the first quantity; wherein the first auxiliary synchronization signal is contained in the first synchronization signal block, and the first quantity indicates the number of auxiliary synchronization signals in the first synchronization signal block.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The cell identifier and the first parameter m0 and the second parameter m1 corresponding to the sequence of the first beam and the first auxiliary synchronization signal satisfy the following relationship: wherein the and said Corresponding to the cell identifier, the Indicates the first identifier, the K sss Indicates the first quantity, the for integers less than or equal to the K sss , the K sss is a positive integer, the D, the E and the F are positive integers.

11. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The For less than or equal to K ID1 The integer K ID1 The value can be one of 42, 84, or 168.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7-11, characterized in that, The first auxiliary synchronization signal is transmitted on the first time-frequency resource, and the method further includes: Multiple Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) blocks are received on the first time-frequency resource, wherein the multiple PBCH blocks are code division multiplexing or frequency division multiplexing.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7-12.

15. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a communication device for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, and a communication device for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7-12.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to invoke computer program instructions stored in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes computer execution instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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