Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and a communication apparatus, which are applied to the technical field of communications. The communication method comprises: a network device sending a first SSB, and correspondingly, a terminal receiving the first SSB; the network device sending first information, and correspondingly, the terminal receiving the first information, wherein the first information indicates an association relationship between the first SSB and a first preamble format; and sending a random access request on the basis of the first preamble format associated with the first SSB. The method facilitates an improvement in the random access performance of terminals.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411945031.4, filed on December 24, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and communication devices. Background Technology

[0003] In 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR) systems, network devices can configure parameters for random access for terminals via system information block (SIB) 1. Terminals need to initiate random access according to the parameters indicated by SIB 1.

[0004] However, different terminals may have different communication environments, and the parameters configured for random access by network devices may not be suitable for the current communication environment of the terminal. Inappropriate random access parameters may reduce the random access performance of the terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device, which are beneficial to improving the random access performance of terminals.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applicable to a terminal-side device, which may be a terminal, or a processor, module, chip, chip system, or functional module of the terminal for implementing the method. The method includes: receiving a first synchronization signal block (SSB); receiving first information indicating the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format; and sending a random access request based on the first preamble format associated with the first SSB.

[0007] Based on the method described in the first aspect, the network device can associate a suitable preamble format with the first SSB according to the coverage area corresponding to the first SSB, thereby adapting to the communication environment of the terminal under the coverage area of ​​the first SSB, thereby improving the random access performance of the terminal and thus improving the success rate of the random access of the terminal.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates the association between the second SSB and the second preamble format, which is different from the first preamble format. Based on this implementation, the network device configures different preamble formats for the first and second SSBs to adapt to different communication environments, improve the random access performance of the terminal, and thus increase the success rate of random access. For example, in areas with poor communication environment and low communication quality at the cell edge, the SSB used to cover the cell edge can be associated with a preamble format with a longer preamble length to ensure the random access performance of the terminal. Conversely, in areas with better communication environment and higher communication quality at the cell center, the SSB used to cover the cell center can be associated with a preamble format with a shorter preamble length to improve the terminal's access latency.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format. Based on this implementation, one SSB can be associated with multiple different preamble formats, allowing the terminal to selectively choose the appropriate preamble format for random access, which helps improve random access performance.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access configuration index, which is associated with the first preamble format.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first parameter of the second SSB differs from that of the first SSB. The first parameter includes one or more of the following: SSB transmit power, SSB target receive power, or SSB beamforming gain. Based on this implementation, the network device transmitting the SSB can be characterized by the first parameter. For example, the difference between the first parameter of the second SSB and the first SSB indicates that the network device used to transmit the second SSB is different from the network device used to transmit the first SSB. The first and second network devices have different coverage areas or coverage ranges. By configuring different preamble formats for the first and second SSBs, it is beneficial to improve the random access performance of terminals in different communication environments.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a first association group, which includes the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format group, which includes a first preamble format and a third preamble format.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a second association group, which includes the association between a first preamble format and a first SSB group, and the first SSB group includes a first SSB and a third SSB.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access channel occasion (RO), on which the random access request is transmitted.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in system information block 1 (SIB1).

[0016] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a network-side device, which may be a network device, or a processor, module, chip, chip system, or functional module of the network device for implementing the method. The method includes: sending a first SSB; and sending first information, wherein the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the association between the second SSB and the second preamble format, which is different from the first preamble format.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access configuration index, which is associated with the first preamble format.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first parameter of the second SSB is different from the first parameter of the first SSB. The first parameter includes one or more of the following: SSB transmit power, SSB target receive power, or SSB beamforming gain.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a first association group, which includes the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format group, which includes a first preamble format and a third preamble format.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a second association group, which includes the association between a first preamble format and a first SSB group, and the first SSB group includes a first SSB and a third SSB.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in SIB1.

[0025] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for executing the method in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect. The communication device includes modules for executing the method in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect.

[0026] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processing circuit for executing a method in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect. The processing circuit executes a program, and when the program is executed, the method described in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect is performed.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing the program.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the aforementioned communication device.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the memory is located within the aforementioned communication device.

[0030] Furthermore, the processing circuitry and memory can be integrated into a single device; that is, the processing circuitry and memory can be combined. For example, the communication device can be a chip.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver circuit for receiving information (or inputting information) or sending information (or outputting information).

[0032] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes a processing circuit and a transceiver circuit. The processing circuit can be a logic circuit, and the transceiver circuit can be an interface circuit. The logic circuit and the interface are coupled. The interface circuit is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute a method of any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect.

[0033] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication system, including a communication device for performing the method described in the first aspect and a communication device for performing the method described in the second aspect.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method described in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect to be executed.

[0035] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the method shown in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect to be executed. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a four-step random access process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a two-step random access process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of an RRC connection establishment process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a capacity network device and an anchor network device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a preamble format and a RO provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a preamble format and a RO provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a preamble format and a RO provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a preamble format and a RO provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 7D is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a preamble format and a RO provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of this application, the application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a 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 steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0053] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0054] In this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" indicates that there can be two relationships, such as only A exists and only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that there are three relationships, such as only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0055] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, traces, or interfaces.

[0056] In this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time. They do not require a judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0057] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0058] In this application, "instruction" may include: direct instruction, or indirect instruction, or explicit instruction, or implicit instruction.

[0059] In this application, "including" can include: direct inclusion, indirect inclusion, explicit inclusion, or implicit inclusion.

[0060] The prior art may change as the technical solutions evolve, and the technical solutions provided in this application are not limited to the prior art provided.

[0061] It should be noted that different embodiments or some steps (e.g., any one or more steps) in different embodiments of this application can be combined with each other to form new embodiments. It should also be noted that the scope of this application is not limited to including optional steps in a certain embodiment, mandatory steps in a certain embodiment, or both optional and mandatory steps in a certain embodiment.

[0062] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced in each other.

[0063] It should be noted that the order of the steps in the embodiments of this application is not limited by this application.

[0064] It should be noted that the order in which different conditions are judged in the embodiments of this application is not limited by this application.

[0065] It should be noted that the terms "after" and "time" in this application do not strictly limit the specific point in time.

[0066] It should be noted that the nouns and terms used in this application are merely examples and may be other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0067] The following describes the communication system involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0068] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, future communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0069] The method provided in this application can be applied between two entities in a communication system, such as one entity sending information to or receiving information sent by the other entity. In a wireless communication system, communication devices are included, and these devices can communicate wirelessly using air interface resources. Air interface resources may include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code resources, and spatial resources; this application does not limit this. For example, the aforementioned two entities may include a network device and a terminal device, or may include a chip that can be placed in a network device and a chip that can be placed in a terminal device, etc. Of course, as standards advance, other types of entities may emerge subsequently; this application does not limit this.

[0070] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device, such as terminal device 1 to terminal device 4 in Figure 1. The terminal device and the network device can communicate via an air interface Uu link or via a non-terrestrial network (NTN) link, etc. For example, terminal device 3 and terminal device 4 can communicate via a D2D sidelink, etc. The form of the terminal device shown in Figure 1 is only an example. In a specific implementation, the terminal device may also include in-vehicle equipment or in-vehicle terminals in a vehicle network. This application embodiment does not limit the specific form of the terminal device when applied to a vehicle network or the Internet.

[0071] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the scenarios of this communication system may include at least one of scenario (a), scenario (b), scenario (c), or scenario (d). Scenario (a) is a point-to-point single connection between a network device and a terminal device; scenario (b) is a multi-hop single connection between a network device and a terminal device; scenario (c) is a point-to-point dual connectivity (DC) between a network device and a terminal device; and scenario (d) is a multi-hop dual connection between a network device and a terminal device.

[0072] Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates a network device and multiple terminal devices, and Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates single-connection and dual-connection. In specific implementations, the communication system may also include a greater number of network devices, and the coverage area of ​​each network device may include a greater or lesser number of terminal devices; this application embodiment does not limit this. The architectures shown in Figures 1 and 2 are merely examples and do not impose limitations on the network architecture applicable to this application. Any network-side device communicating with or sensing other devices is a network architecture usable in this application.

[0073] The following provides a detailed description of terminal equipment and network equipment.

[0074] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can communicate with RAN nodes (or wireless access devices, or network devices as described below) in a radio access network (RAN). Terminal devices can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, user agent, or user device, etc. In one possible implementation, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; or it can be deployed on water, including ships; or it can be deployed in the air, such as on airplanes, balloons, or satellites. In another possible implementation, the terminal device can be a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a sensor, a terminal in the Internet of Things (IoT), a terminal in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), a drone, a terminal device in a 5G network, or any form of terminal device in a future network, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this. In another possible implementation, the terminal device can also be a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in autonomous driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in a smart city, or a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc.

[0075] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. For ease of description, when some examples are mentioned below, the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment are described using the UE as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the terminal functions.

[0076] A network device can be a device deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication services to terminal devices. This network device can also be called an access network device, access equipment, or RAN device, etc. For example, a network device can be a next-generation node B (gNB), a next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB), or a network device in future communications. A network device can be any device with wireless transceiver capabilities, including but not limited to the base stations mentioned above (including base stations deployed on satellites). This network device can also be a device with base station functionality in future communication systems. As an example, this network device can be an access node, wireless relay node, or wireless backhaul node in a wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. As another example, this network device can be a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. As yet another example, this network device can be a wearable device or vehicle-mounted device capable of providing wireless communication services. As yet another example, this network device can also be a small cell, a transmission reception point (TRP) (or transceiver point), etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with network equipment functions may vary, and these will not be listed one by one in the embodiments of this application.

[0077] Network devices can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile network device, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile network device. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to be used as a device to communicate with another network device.

[0078] In some network device deployments, the network device may include a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). For example, some protocol layer functions of the network device may be centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions may be distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. In other network device deployments, the CU may be divided into a CU-control plane (CP) and a CU-user plane (UP). In still other network device deployments, the network device may also be an open radio access network (ORAN) architecture. When the network device is an ORAN architecture, it may be a functional entity or module within the ORAN. For example, the network device may be one or more of a CU, DU, or RU. In an ORAN system, the CU may also be called an open (O)-CU, the DU may also be called an O-DU, the CU-CP may also be called an O-CU-CP, and the CU-UP may also be called an O-CU-UP, etc. The network device deployment methods listed here are merely examples. As standard technologies evolve, network devices may have other deployment forms, and this application does not limit these.

[0079] In some deployments, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the access network's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or RUs. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as an indoor baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0080] RAN nodes can support one or more types of fronthaul interfaces, each corresponding to a DU and RU with different functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), the DU is configured to implement one or more baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement one or more radio frequency functions. If the fronthaul interface between the DU and RU is another type of interface, relative to CPRI, it moves some downlink and / or uplink baseband functions—for example, for downlink, precoding, or one or more of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) / adding a cyclic prefix (CP)—from the DU to the RU; and for uplink, digital beamforming, or one or more of fast Fourier transform (FFT) / removing CP—from the DU to the RU. In one possible implementation, this interface can be an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). Under the eCPRI architecture, the partitioning methods between DU and RU are different, corresponding to different types (category, Cat) of eCPRI, such as eCPRI Cat A, B, C, D, E, F.

[0081] Taking eCPRI Cat A as an example, for downlink transmission, layer mapping is used as the dividing line. The DU is configured to implement one or more functions preceding layer mapping (i.e., coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping itself), while other functions following layer mapping (e.g., resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming, or IFFT / CP addition) are implemented in the RU. For uplink transmission, de-RE mapping is used as the dividing line. The DU is configured to implement one or more functions preceding de-mapping (i.e., decoding, rate matching de-matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), channel equalization, and de-RE mapping itself), while other functions following de-mapping (e.g., digital BF or FFT / CP removal) are implemented in the RU. For functional descriptions of the DU and RU corresponding to various types of eCPRI, please refer to the eCPRI protocol; they will not be elaborated here.

[0082] In one possible design, the processing unit in the BBU used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband high (BBH) unit, and the processing unit in the RRU / AAU / RRH used to implement baseband functions is called the baseband low (BBL) unit.

[0083] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0084] Network devices and / or terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminals are located. Furthermore, terminals and network devices can be hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminals and network devices.

[0085] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the network device can be the network device itself; or it can be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0086] The following explains the relevant terms used in the embodiments of this application:

[0087] I. Initial Access

[0088] Initial access refers to the process of a terminal initially connecting to the network. The main goal of initial access is to allocate necessary resources and establish a reliable communication link when the terminal first accesses or re-accesses the network. For example, as shown in Figures 3A-3C, the main steps of initial terminal access are as follows:

[0089] 301. Network devices can periodically broadcast different synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in different communication areas, and these SSBs can be distinguished by their indices. SSBs can also be called synchronization signal and physical broadcasting channel blocks (SS / PBCH blocks). Different SSB indices represent SSBs with different beam directions, which are used to cover and serve different areas. When a terminal receives an SSB from a network device, it can determine the time-frequency resource containing system information block 1 (SIB1) based on the SSB.

[0090] 302. The terminal receives SIB1 from the network device according to the time-frequency resources where SIB1 is located. SIB1 indicates the configuration parameters for random access, such as the time-frequency resources for the random access channel occasion (RO), the available random access preamble, and the preamble format.

[0091] The terminal can perform random access according to the configuration parameters for random access indicated by the SIB. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, the terminal can use a four-step random access method, as shown in steps a1 to a4 below:

[0092] a1. The terminal sends a random access message 1 (Msg1) to the network device on the RO selected based on SIB1. The content of Msg1 is the random access preamble selected by the terminal. The terminal sends the random access preamble to the network device to make a random access request. The network device uses the random access preamble sent by the terminal to estimate the transmission delay between itself and the terminal so that the network device can calibrate the uplink timing.

[0093] The random access preamble, also known as the physical random access channel (PRACH) preamble, preamble signal, or simply preamble, is a short-lived Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence that exhibits good autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties, helping the base station accurately detect access requests.

[0094] a2. After receiving Msg1, the network device sends a random access message 2 (Msg2) to the terminal. Msg2 can also be called a random access response, which may include one or more of the following information: time alignment (TA), uplink grant (UL grant), temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), power control, and resource indications for the terminal to send random access message 3 (Msg3), etc. Msg2 may also include other information, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0095] a3. After receiving Msg2, if the preamble indicated by the sequence number of the preamble in Msg2 is the same as the preamble in Msg1 sent by the terminal, the terminal can determine that Msg2 is a random access response for itself, and send Msg3 on the uplink channel resources indicated by Msg2. Msg3 may carry a unique user identifier.

[0096] a4. After receiving Msg3 from the terminal, the network device returns a random access message 4 (Msg4) to the successfully connected terminal. The network device includes the unique user identifier from Msg3 in Msg4 to identify the successfully connected terminal, while other unsuccessful terminals will re-initiate random access. If the unique user identifier included in Msg4 matches the unique user identifier carried in the terminal's Msg3, the terminal considers the access successful.

[0097] Terminals can also employ two-step random access to reduce access latency and signaling overhead. For example, as shown in Figure 3B, the two-step random access process can be seen in steps b1 to b2 below.

[0098] b1. The terminal sends a random access message A (MsgA) to the network device. MsgA includes a preamble and data.

[0099] b2. The network device sends a random access message B (MsgB) to the terminal.

[0100] Of course, the random access method described above is only an example. The terminal may also use other methods to initiate random access during the initial access process. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0101] After completing random access, the terminal can establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the network device, as shown in Figure 3C:

[0102] 303. The terminal sends an RRC connection request message, and the corresponding network device receives the RRC connection request message from the terminal. This RRC connection request message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection.

[0103] 304. After the network device and the terminal have established an RRC connection, the network device sends an RRC connection confirmation message to the terminal. The RRC connection confirmation message indicates that the RRC connection has been established. After receiving the RRC connection confirmation message, the terminal can then engage in subsequent communication and data transmission with the network device.

[0104] II. Preamble format

[0105] The preamble format refers to the format of the preamble, which is a specific sequence sent by the terminal during random access. The preamble format can be used to indicate random access configuration parameters such as preamble length, subcarrier spacing, restriction set, and cyclic prefix.

[0106] Here, the preamble length refers to the length of the preamble sequence. The subcarrier spacing refers to the subcarrier spacing carried by the preamble. The constraint set refers to the set used to restrict the available cyclic shifts. Restricting the available cyclic shift offsets can be used to combat frequency offsets, and can be divided into Type A and Type B types, for example. The preamble format can also be used to indicate other random access parameters, but this application does not limit this.

[0107] For example, Table 1 below shows the random access configuration parameters indicated by four preamble formats (format 0, format 1, format 2, and format 3, respectively).

[0108] Table 1

[0109] For example, Table 2 below shows the random access configuration parameters indicated by nine preamble formats (format A1, format A2, format A3, format B1, format B2, format B3, format B4, format C0, and format C2, respectively).

[0110] Table 2

[0111] In Tables 1 and 2, L RA Indicates the preamble length, Δf RA N represents the subcarrier spacing. u This indicates the length of time the preamble occupies. This indicates the time-domain length of the cyclic prefix of the preamble. μ is used to represent different subcarrier spacing configurations, and κ equals 64.

[0112] Based on the above introduction regarding initial access, network devices can configure parameters for random access for terminals via broadcast SIB1. Terminals can then initiate random access based on the configuration parameters indicated by SIB1. However, since different terminals may have different communication environments, the parameters configured by the network device for random access may not be suitable for the terminal's current communication environment. Inappropriate random access parameters may degrade the terminal's random access performance.

[0113] To improve the random access performance of terminals, this application proposes a communication method that associates a preamble format with an SSB (Service Block Provider). The terminal can initiate random access based on the preamble format associated with the SSB. As shown in Figure 4, the communication method includes steps 401 to 403. The method shown in Figure 4 can be applied between a terminal-side device and a network-side device. The terminal-side device can be a terminal, or a processor, module, chip, chip system, or functional module implementing the method. The network-side device can be a network device, or a processor, module, chip, chip system, or functional module implementing the method. Figure 4 illustrates the method using a terminal and a network device as the executing entities, where:

[0114] 401. The network device sends the first SSB.

[0115] Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first SSB.

[0116] In some possible implementations, network devices can periodically broadcast different Service Streaming Buses (SSBs) in different communication areas, and these SSBs can be distinguished by their indices. Different SSB indices represent SSBs with different beam directions, each used to cover and serve different areas. Correspondingly, when a terminal is located within the coverage area corresponding to a first SSB, it can receive that first SSB. Optionally, when a terminal is located in an overlapping area corresponding to the coverage areas of multiple SSBs, it can also receive multiple SSBs. For example, when a terminal is located in an overlapping area of ​​the coverage areas corresponding to the first SSB and the second SSB, it can receive both the first and second SSBs.

[0117] 402. The network device sends first information, which indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format.

[0118] Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information.

[0119] The embodiments of this application do not limit the order in which steps 401 and 402 are executed. For example, step 401 may be executed before step 402; or step 402 may be executed before step 401; or steps 401 and 402 may be executed simultaneously.

[0120] In this embodiment, the SSB is associated with a preamble format, allowing the terminal to send a random access request based on the preamble format associated with the SSB. For example, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format, which can be used to indicate that when the terminal chooses to send a random access request based on the first SSB, it can send the random access request according to the first preamble format. Optionally, the first information is carried on SIB1, or the first information is SIB1.

[0121] Optionally, the first preamble format can be one of the preamble formats format 0, format 1, format 2, and format 3 described above, or it can be one of the preamble formats format A1, format A2, format A3, format B1, format B2, format B3, format B4, format C0, and format C2 described above, or the first preamble format can be other formats, which are not limited in this embodiment of the application.

[0122] In some examples, "association" can be replaced with "correspondence" or "mapping." For instance, "association relationship" can be replaced with "mapping relationship" or "correspondence relationship." Similarly, the first leading format of the first SSB association can be replaced with "the first leading format corresponding to the first SSB," or "the first leading format mapped from the first SSB."

[0123] In some possible implementations, the first information may also indicate the association between other SSBs besides the first SSB and the preamble format. For example, the first information may also indicate the association between a second SSB and a second preamble format, which is different from the first preamble format.

[0124] Optionally, the network device sends a second SSB, and the corresponding terminal receives the second SSB. The network device can configure different preamble formats for the first and second SSBs to adapt to different communication environments, improve the terminal's random access performance, and thus increase the success rate of random access. For example, in areas with poor communication quality at the cell edge, the SSB used to cover the cell edge can be associated with a preamble format with a longer preamble length to ensure the terminal's random access performance. Conversely, in areas with good communication quality at the cell center, the SSB used to cover the cell center can be associated with a preamble format with a shorter preamble length to improve the terminal's access latency.

[0125] In some possible implementations, the network devices used to transmit the first SSB and the network devices used to transmit the second SSB are different; optionally, the network device is a transmission point. Exemplarily, embodiments of this application can be applied to user-centric and no-cell (UCNC) scenarios. UCNC refers to a user-centric network that provides user-centric wireless communication services, weakening cell boundaries so that the terminal is unaware of cell edges, thereby enabling the terminal to obtain a high-speed and low-latency experience. In a UCNC scenario, multiple network devices can be simultaneously activated to provide services to the terminal, and these multiple network devices use the same cell identifier.

[0126] Optionally, the network device that sends the first SSB is referred to as the first network device, and the network device that sends the second SSB is referred to as the second network device. The coverage areas or coverage ranges of the first network device and the second network device are different. By configuring different preamble formats for the first SSB and the second SSB, it is beneficial to improve the random access performance of terminals in different communication environments.

[0127] Further optionally, the first network device can be an anchor network device, or also referred to as an anchor transmission point (Anchor TRP), and the second network device can be a capacity network device, or also referred to as a capacity transmission point (Capacity TRP). Alternatively, the second network device can be an anchor network device, and the first network device can be a capacity network device.

[0128] In some examples, anchor network devices and capacity network devices meet one or more of the following criteria:

[0129] (1) The coverage area of ​​the anchor network device is greater than that of the capacity network device; or...

[0130] (2) Anchor network devices are used to provide network coverage, while capacity network devices are used to provide data transmission; or...

[0131] (3) The communication frequency of anchor network devices is lower than that of capacity network devices.

[0132] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the anchor network device sends SSB0 to SSB4, capacity network device 1 sends SSB5 and SSB6, and capacity network device 2 sends SSB7 and SSB8. The SSB0 to SSB4 sent by the anchor network device are associated with preamble format 0 and / or preamble format 1 to provide better coverage; the SSB5 and SSB6 sent by capacity network device 1 are associated with preamble format 2 to provide stronger penetration capability; and the SSB7 and SSB8 sent by capacity network device 2 are associated with preamble format 3 to provide higher mobility.

[0133] Optionally, the network device transmitting the SSB can be characterized by a first parameter. For example, the first parameter of the second SSB differs from that of the first SSB, thus indicating a difference between the second and first network devices. The first parameter includes one or more of the following: SSB transmit power, SSB target receive power, or SSB beamforming gain.

[0134] The fact that the first parameter of the second SSB is different from the first parameter of the first SSB can mean that the transmit power of the second SSB is different from the transmit power of the first SSB, and / or that the target receive power of the second SSB is different from the target receive power of the first SSB, and / or that the beamforming gain of the second SSB is different from the beamforming gain of the first SSB.

[0135] Alternatively, it can be understood that the first parameters of the first network device and the first parameters of the second network device are different. For example, the SSB transmit power of the first network device is different from that of the second network device; or the target receive power of the SSB of the first network device is different from that of the second network device; or the beamforming gain of the SSB of the first network device is different from that of the second network device.

[0136] SSB transmit power refers to the power at which a network device transmits an SSB; SSB target receive power refers to the power at which the network device expects the terminal to receive the SSB; SSB beamforming gain refers to the gain obtained in a specific direction by appropriately beamforming the SSB transmitted by the antenna. Beamforming refers to adjusting the weighting coefficients of each element in the antenna array to generate a directional beam, thereby obtaining significant array gain.

[0137] In some possible implementations, the first information can indicate the association between the SSB and the preamble format in a direct or indirect manner.

[0138] Taking the first SSB as an example, when using a direct indication method, the first information can indicate the association between the index of the first SSB and the first preamble format. The index of the SSB is a symbol or value used to distinguish, mark, or locate the SSB. Optionally, the index of the SSB can be used to uniquely identify the SSB. Optionally, the index can also be described as an identifier or number; this application embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, the first information can indicate the association between the SSB and the preamble format using enumeration, tables, or bitmaps; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0139] For example, the association between SSBs and leading formats can be represented by enumeration, such as {SSB0: format 0, SSB1: format 1, SSB2: format 3}. format i represents leading format i, and SSBj represents the SSB with index j. That is, the SSB with index 0 is associated with leading format 0, the SSB with index 1 is associated with leading format 1, and the SSB with index 2 is associated with leading format 3.

[0140] For example, the association between SSB and leading format can be represented in a table. For instance, as shown in List 3 below, the SSB with index 0 is associated with leading format A1, the SSB with index 1 is associated with leading format A2, the SSB with index 2 is associated with leading format A3, and the SSB with index 3 is associated with leading format B1.

[0141] Table 3

[0142] Taking the first SSB as an example, when using an indirect indication method, the first information can indicate the association between the first SSB and the first random access configuration index, and the first random access configuration index is associated with the first preamble format. Optionally, the association between the first random access configuration index and the first preamble format can be a default or protocol preset, or it can be configured by the network device through the first information or other information. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0143] For example, suppose random access configuration index 0 is associated with preamble format A1, random access configuration index 1 is associated with preamble format A2, and random access configuration index 3 is associated with preamble format B1. The association between SSBs and random access configuration indices can be represented by enumeration, for example, as {SSB0:0, SSB1:1, SSB2:3}. That is, the SSB with index 0 is associated with random access configuration index 0, and random access configuration index 0 is associated with preamble format A1, thus the SSB with index 0 is associated with preamble format A1. The SSB with index 1 is associated with random access configuration index 1, and random access configuration index 1 is associated with preamble format A2, thus the SSB with index 1 is associated with preamble format A2. The SSB with index 2 is associated with random access configuration index 3, and random access configuration index 3 is associated with preamble format B1, thus the SSB with index 2 is associated with preamble format B1.

[0144] For example, suppose random access configuration index 0 is associated with preamble format A1, random access configuration index 1 is associated with preamble format A2, and random access configuration index 3 is associated with preamble format B1. The association between SSBs and random access configuration indices can be represented in a table. For instance, as shown in Table 4, the SSB with index 0 is associated with random access configuration index 0, and random access configuration index 0 is associated with preamble format A1, thus showing that the SSB with index 0 is associated with preamble format A1. The SSB with index 1 is associated with random access configuration index 1, and random access configuration index 1 is associated with preamble format A2, thus showing that the SSB with index 1 is associated with preamble format A2. The SSB with index 2 is associated with random access configuration index 3, and random access configuration index 3 is associated with preamble format B1, thus showing that the SSB with index 2 is associated with preamble format B1.

[0145] Table 4

[0146] In some possible implementations, the relationship between the SSB and the leading format can be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many.

[0147] The one-to-one correspondence between SSBs and leading formats means that one SSB is associated with one leading format, and each SSB is associated with a different leading format. For example, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first leading format, and the second SSB and the second leading format. Table 5 illustrates the one-to-one correspondence between SSBs and leading formats, where the SSB with index x1 is associated with the leading format y1, and the SSB with index x2 is associated with the leading format y2.

[0148] Table 5

[0149] The one-to-many correspondence between SSBs and preamble formats means that one SSB is associated with multiple preamble formats. Optionally, one SSB can correspond to preamble formats with different cycle prefix lengths. For example, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format, and the first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format; that is, the first SSB is associated with both the first and third preamble formats. Multiple first information messages can also indicate the association between the first SSB and multiple preamble formats. For example, one first information message indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format, and another first information message indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format. With one SSB associated with multiple different preamble formats, the terminal can selectively choose the appropriate preamble format for random access, which helps improve random access performance.

[0150] Optionally, multiple leading formats associated with an SSB can be grouped into a leading format group. For example, an SSB is associated with a leading format group, which includes multiple leading formats, and the leading formats included in the leading format group are different. For instance, the first information indicates a first association group, which includes the association between a first SSB and a first leading format group, and the first leading format group includes a first leading format and a third leading format.

[0151] For example, an enumeration can be used to indicate that an SSB is associated with multiple leading formats. For instance, {SSB0: format group 0; SSB1: format group 1; SSB2: format group 2}. Format group i represents leading format group i, and SSBj represents the SSB with index j. That is, the SSB with index 0 is associated with leading format group 0, the SSB with index 1 is associated with leading format group 1, and the SSB with index 2 is associated with leading format group 2. Each leading format group includes multiple leading formats.

[0152] For example, a table can be used to indicate that an SSB is associated with multiple leading formats. Table 6 illustrates a one-to-many relationship between an SSB and its leading formats. Specifically, the SSB with index x1 is associated with leading format y1, leading format y2, ..., leading format y... n Any of the preceding formats in the code are interconnected.

[0153] Table 6

[0154] A many-to-one correspondence between an SSB and a preamble format means that multiple SSBs are associated with a single preamble format. For example, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format, and the first information also indicates the association between the third SSB and the first preamble format; that is, both the first and third SSBs are associated with the first preamble format. Associating a preamble format with multiple SSBs allows SSBs with the same requirements to be merged and associated with a single preamble format, reducing overhead.

[0155] Optionally, multiple SSBs associated with a leading format can be grouped into an SSB group. For example, a leading format is associated with an SSB group, and an SSB group includes multiple SSBs, with different SSBs included in the group. For instance, the first information indicates a second association group, which includes the association between the first leading format and the first SSB group, and the first SSB group includes a first SSB and a third SSB.

[0156] For example, multiple SSBs can be associated with a leading format using an enumeration method, such as {SSB group 0: format 0, SSB group 1: format 1, SSB group 2: format 3}. Here, format i represents leading format i, and SSB group j represents SSB group j. That is, SSB group 0 is associated with leading format 0, SSB group 1 is associated with leading format 1, and SSB group 2 is associated with leading format 3. Each SSB group contains multiple SSBs.

[0157] For example, a table can be used to indicate the association of multiple SSBs with a leading format. Table 7 illustrates a many-to-one relationship between multiple SSBs and a leading format. The indices are x1, x2, ... x n Any SSB in the sequence is associated with the preceding format y1, with an index of x. n+1 , z n+2 , ...x m The SSB of any one of them is related to the preceding format y2.

[0158] Table 7

[0159] The many-to-many correspondence between SSBs and preamble formats means that multiple SSBs are associated with multiple preamble formats. For example, the first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format, as well as the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format. The first information also indicates the association between the third SSB and the first preamble format, as well as the association between the third SSB and the third preamble format. That is, both the first and third SSBs are associated with the first and third preamble formats, respectively. Associating multiple SSBs with multiple different preamble formats not only allows SSBs with the same requirements to be merged and associated, but also allows terminals to selectively choose the appropriate preamble format for random access, which is beneficial for improving random access performance.

[0160] Optionally, a leading format group can be associated with an SSB group; that is, multiple leading formats associated with an SSB group can form a leading format group, and multiple SSBs associated with a leading format group can form an SSB group. An SSB group includes multiple SSBs, and the SSBs included in an SSB group are different. Similarly, a leading format group includes multiple leading formats, and the leading formats included in a leading format group are different. For example, the first information indicates a third association group, which includes the association between the first leading format group and the first SSB group. The first SSB group includes a first SSB and a third SSB, and the first leading format group includes a first leading format and a third leading format.

[0161] For example, an enumeration can be used to indicate that a group of SSBs is associated with a group of leading formats. For instance, {SSB group 0: format group0; SSB group 1: format group 1; SSB group 2: format group 2}. Format group i represents leading format group i, and SSB group j represents SSB group j. That is, SSB group 0 is associated with leading format group 0, SSB group 1 is associated with leading format group 1, and SSB group 2 is associated with leading format group 2. Each leading format group includes multiple leading formats, and each SSB group includes multiple SSBs.

[0162] For example, a table can be used to indicate that multiple SSBs are associated with multiple leading formats. Table 8 illustrates a many-to-many relationship between SSBs and leading formats. The indices are x1, x2, ... x n Any SSB in the given set is associated with a leading format y1, leading format y2, ... leading format y m The preceding formats of any one of them are interconnected.

[0163] Table 8

[0164] The first information can indicate at least one set of associations between SSBs and leading formats, where each set of SSBs and leading formats has a one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many correspondence. For example, if each set of SSBs and leading formats has a one-to-one correspondence, the first information can indicate three sets of associations between SSBs and leading formats: the first SSB is associated with the first leading format, the second SSB is associated with the second leading format, and the third SSB is associated with the third leading format. Alternatively, the first information can indicate multiple sets of associations between SSBs and leading formats, where at least two sets have different correspondences. For example, one set of SSBs and leading formats has a one-to-many correspondence, and another set has a one-to-one correspondence. For example, the first information indicates the association between two sets of SSBs and preamble formats. One set of SSBs and preamble formats is associated with the first SSB, the first preamble format, and the third preamble format, which is a one-to-many association. The other set of SSBs and preamble formats is associated with the second SSB and the second preamble format, which is a one-to-one association.

[0165] 403. The terminal sends a random access request based on the first preamble format associated with the first SSB.

[0166] Correspondingly, the network device receives random access requests from the terminal.

[0167] For example, the random access request may refer to Msg1 in four-step random access; or, the random access request may refer to MsgA in two-step random access, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0168] Based on this implementation, network devices can associate a suitable preamble format with the first SSB according to the coverage area corresponding to the first SSB, thereby adapting to the communication environment of terminals within the coverage area of ​​the first SSB, thus improving the random access performance of terminals and increasing the success rate of random access.

[0169] In some possible implementations, the terminal can receive one or more SSBs, and an SSB can be associated with one or more preamble formats. The terminal can select a suitable SSB and a preamble format associated with the SSB based on the received SSB and its own needs, and send a random access request.

[0170] In some examples, the terminal receives a single SSB, such as the first SSB. If the first information indicates that the first SSB is associated with only one preamble format, for example, the first SSB is associated with the first preamble format, then the terminal can send a random access request based on the first preamble format. If the first information indicates that the first SSB is associated with multiple preamble formats, the terminal can select the appropriate preamble format according to its needs.

[0171] For example, the first SSB is associated with a first preamble format and a third preamble format, and the terminal can choose between the first preamble format and the third preamble format according to its own needs. Optionally, the own needs may include one or more of the following: the area where the terminal is located, the mobility (or speed) of the terminal, or the terminal access latency requirements.

[0172] For example, when the terminal is located at the edge of the cell, or is in a fast-moving state, or when the terminal has low latency requirements, the terminal can choose a preamble format with a longer preamble length. For instance, assuming the terminal chooses the first preamble format to send a random access request, the preamble length corresponding to the first preamble format is longer than the preamble length corresponding to the third preamble format.

[0173] For example, when the terminal is located in the center of the cell, or is in a low-speed moving state, or when the terminal has high latency requirements, the terminal can choose a preamble format with a shorter preamble length. For instance, assuming the terminal chooses the first preamble format to send a random access request, the preamble length corresponding to the first preamble format is shorter than the preamble length corresponding to the third preamble format.

[0174] In some examples, a terminal can receive multiple SSBs and select one of them to send a random access request. For example, if a terminal receives a first SSB and a second SSB, it can select one of the first and second SSBs to send a random access request.

[0175] Optionally, the terminal can select one SSB from multiple SSBs based on the SSB's reference signal receiving power (RSRP) to send a random access request. More optionally, the terminal can select the SSB with the highest RSRP from the multiple SSBs to send a random access request, or the terminal can send a random access request from one SSB among those with an RSRP higher than a preset value. For example, if the terminal receives a first SSB and a second SSB, and the RSRP of the first SSB is higher than that of the second SSB, the terminal can select the first SSB to send the random access request.

[0176] Furthermore, the terminal selects one SSB from multiple SSBs and determines a preamble format to send a random access request based on one or more preamble formats associated with the selected SSB. For example, assuming the terminal selects the first SSB, and the first information indicates that the first SSB is associated with only one preamble format (e.g., the first SSB is associated with the first preamble format), then the terminal can send a random access request based on the first preamble format. If the first information indicates that the first SSB is associated with multiple preamble formats, the terminal can select a suitable preamble format according to its own needs. This implementation method can be seen in the example above and will not be repeated here.

[0177] Optionally, when a terminal needs to select one preamble format from multiple preamble formats to send a random access request based on its own requirements, the terminal can make a judgment based on the association between its requirements and the preamble format. This association between the terminal requirements and the preamble format can be default, protocol-defined, determined by the terminal itself, configured by the network device, or negotiated between the terminal and the network device. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0178] For example, taking terminal requirements including mobility as an example, the relationship between mobility and preamble format is shown in Table 9:

[0179] Table 9

[0180] Here, "low mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being less than a first threshold; "medium mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; and "high mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than or equal to the second threshold. Optionally, "low mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being less than or equal to the first threshold; "medium mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; and "high mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than or equal to the second threshold. Optionally, "low mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being less than or equal to the first threshold; "medium mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; and "high mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than the second threshold. Optionally, "low mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being less than or equal to the first threshold; "medium mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than the first threshold and less than or equal to the second threshold, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; and "high mobility" can refer to a terminal's moving speed being greater than the second threshold. Terminals can select the appropriate SSB and preamble format based on their own mobility. For example, if a terminal has low mobility, it can send a random access request based on the preamble format A1 associated with the SSB with index 0.

[0181] In some possible implementations, the first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the first RO, with the random access request sent by the terminal being transmitted on the first RO. For example, the first information is SIB1, and the "ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB" field in SIB1 can indicate the association between the SSB and RO, including the association between the first SSB and the first RO. Furthermore, the "ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB" field can also indicate the number of ROs corresponding to the SSB, and the corresponding number of contention-based preambles. The association between the SSB and RO can be a one-to-many or many-to-one correspondence.

[0182] Optionally, as shown in Figure 6, the RO associated with the preamble format can be set to be the RO associated with the SSB corresponding to that preamble format, which can reduce crosstalk. For example, the first SSB is associated with the first RO, and the RO associated with the first preamble format is the first RO. Optionally, the association relationship between the preamble format and the RO can be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many.

[0183] In some examples, the association between a leading format and a Returning Item (RO) is one-to-one, meaning that one leading format is associated with one RO. Alternatively, a leading format can be associated with one or more Service Servings (SSBs), and when one or more SSBs are associated with one RO, a leading format is associated with one RO.

[0184] For example, the first SSB is associated with the first preamble, the second SSB is associated with the second preamble, and the first SSB is associated with the first RO, while the second SSB is associated with the second RO. Therefore, the first preamble is associated with the first RO, and the second preamble is associated with the second RO.

[0185] For example, as shown in Figure 7A, SSB group 1 includes SSB 0 and SSB 1, SSB group 2 includes SSB 2 and SSB 3, RO1 is associated with SSB group 1, SSB group 1 is associated with preamble format 1, and correspondingly, preamble format 1 is associated with RO1. RO2 is associated with SSB group 2, SSB group 2 is associated with preamble format 2, and correspondingly, preamble format 2 is associated with RO2.

[0186] In some examples, the relationship between a leading format and a Returning Item (RO) is one-to-many, meaning that one leading format is associated with multiple ROs. Alternatively, a leading format can be associated with one or more Service Serving Items (SSBs), and when those one or more SSBs are associated with multiple ROs, then one leading format is associated with multiple ROs.

[0187] For example, the first SSB is associated with the first preamble format, and the first SSB is associated with the first RO and the third RO. Therefore, the first preamble format is associated with the first RO and the third RO.

[0188] For example, as shown in Figure 7B, SSB group 1 includes SSB 0 and SSB 1, SSB group 2 includes SSB 2 and SSB 3, SSB group 3 includes SSB 4 and SSB 5, and SSB group 4 includes SSB 6 and SSB 7. RO1 is associated with SSB group 1, RO2 is associated with SSB group 2, and SSB group 1 and SSB group 2 are associated with preamble format 1. Therefore, preamble format 1 is associated with RO1 and RO2. RO3 is associated with SSB group 3, RO4 is associated with SSB group 4, and SSB group 3 and SSB group 4 are associated with preamble format 2. Therefore, preamble format 2 is associated with RO3 and RO4.

[0189] In some examples, the association between leading formats and ROs is many-to-one, meaning that multiple leading formats are associated with one RO. Alternatively, multiple leading formats can be associated with one or more SSBs, and when those one or more SSBs are associated with one RO, then the multiple leading formats are associated with one RO.

[0190] For example, if the first SSB is associated with the first preamble format, the second SSB is associated with the second preamble format, and the first SSB and the second SSB are associated with the first RO, then the first preamble format and the second preamble format are associated with the first RO.

[0191] For example, as shown in Figure 7C, SSB group 1 includes SSB 0 and SSB 1, SSB group 2 includes SSB 2 and SSB 3, RO1 is associated with SSB group 1 and SSB group 2, SSB group 1 is associated with preamble format 1, and SSB group 2 is associated with preamble format 2. Therefore, preamble format 1 and preamble format 2 are associated with RO1.

[0192] In some examples, the relationship between leading formats and ROs is many-to-many, meaning that multiple leading formats are associated with multiple ROs. Alternatively, multiple leading formats can be associated with one or more SSBs, and when those one or more SSBs are associated with multiple ROs, the multiple leading formats are associated with those multiple ROs.

[0193] For example, if the first SSB is associated with the first preamble format, the second SSB is associated with the second preamble format, and the first SSB and the second SSB are associated with the first RO and the second RO, then the first preamble format and the second preamble format are associated with the first RO and the second RO.

[0194] For example, as shown in Figure 7D, SSB group 1 includes SSB 0 and SSB 1, SSB group 2 includes SSB 2 and SSB 3, RO1 and RO2 are associated with SSB group 1 and SSB group 2, SSB group 1 is associated with preamble format 1, and SSB group 2 is associated with preamble format 2. Therefore, preamble format 1 and preamble format 2 are associated with RO1 and RO2.

[0195] The following describes the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0196] This application divides the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The communication device of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

[0197] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication device includes a processing module 801 and a communication module 802. The communication module 802 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 801 is used to implement corresponding processing functions. For example, the communication module 802 can also be an interface, a communication interface, etc.

[0198] In this embodiment, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal-side device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the terminal-side device can be the terminal-side device itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the terminal-side device. The communication module 802 is used to perform the transmit / receive related operations of the terminal-side device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 801 is used to perform the processing related operations of the terminal-side device in the above method embodiment.

[0199] In some embodiments, the communication module 802 is configured to receive a first SSB; the communication module 802 is also configured to receive first information indicating the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format; the communication module 802 is configured to send a random access request based on the first preamble format associated with the first SSB.

[0200] In this embodiment, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the network-side device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the network-side device can be the network-side device itself or a chip or functional module configurable within the network-side device. The communication module 802 is used to perform the transmit / receive related operations of the network-side device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 801 is used to perform the processing related operations of the network-side device in the above method embodiment.

[0201] In some embodiments, the communication module 802 is configured to send a first SSB; the communication module 802 is also configured to send first information, the first information indicating the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format.

[0202] Optionally, in the above embodiments, the communication device may further include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 801 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0203] The specific descriptions of the communication module and the processing module are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the communication module and the processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be detailed here.

[0204] The communication device of the present application embodiments has been described above. The following describes possible product forms of the communication device. Any product possessing the functions of the communication device described in FIG8 above falls within the protection scope of the present application embodiments. The following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product form of the communication device of the present application embodiments to this.

[0205] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG8, the processing module 801 can be one or more processing circuits, and the communication module 802 can be a transceiver circuit, or the communication module 802 can also be a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitting circuit, and the receiving module can be a receiving circuit, which are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver circuit. In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit and the transceiver circuit can be coupled, etc., and the connection method of the processing circuit and the transceiver circuit is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of performing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processing circuit outputs the above information to the transceiver circuit so that the transceiver circuit can transmit (or output). After the above information is output by the processing circuit, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver circuit. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of the processing circuit receiving the input above information. When the processing circuit receives the input information, the transceiver circuit receives the above information and inputs it into the processing circuit. Furthermore, after the transceiver circuit receives the aforementioned information, the information may need to undergo further processing before being input into the processing circuit.

[0206] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 90 includes one or more processing circuits 920 and communication circuits 910.

[0207] In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the terminal-side device described above. For example, the processing circuit 920 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown in FIG8, and the communication circuit 910 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the communication module 802 shown in FIG8. For a detailed description of the processing circuit 920 and the communication circuit 910, please refer to FIG8 or the method embodiments shown above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0208] In other embodiments of this application, the communication device is used to perform the steps, methods, or functions performed by the network-side device described above. For example, the processing circuit 920 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown in FIG. 8, and the communication circuit 910 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the communication module 802 shown in FIG. 8. Detailed descriptions of the processing circuit 920 and the communication circuit 910 can be found in FIG. 8 or the method embodiments shown above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0209] For example, the processing circuitry may be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry within one or more processors. The transceiver circuitry may be a transceiver, an input / output circuit, or an interface circuit, etc.

[0210] For example, in various implementations of the communication device shown in FIG9, the transceiver circuit may include a receiver for performing a receiving function (or operation) and a transmitter for performing a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver circuit is also used to communicate with other devices / communication devices via a transmission medium.

[0211] Optionally, the communication device 90 may further include one or more memories 930 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memories 930 are coupled to the processing circuitry 920. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between communication devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between the communication devices, units, or modules. The processing circuitry 920 may operate in conjunction with the memories 930. The processing circuitry 920 may execute the program instructions stored in the memories 930. Optionally, at least one of the aforementioned memories may be included in the processing circuitry.

[0212] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication circuit 910, processing circuit 920, and memory 930. In this application embodiment, the memory 930, processing circuit 920, and communication circuit 910 are connected via a bus 940 in Figure 9. The bus is represented by a thick line in Figure 9. The connection methods between other components are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 9, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0213] In the embodiments of this application, the processing circuit may be a general-purpose processing circuit, a digital signal processing circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., and can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processing circuit may be a microprocessor circuit or any conventional processing circuit, etc. The steps of the methods in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as the execution of the hardware processing circuit, or the execution of the steps by combining hardware and software modules in the processing circuit, etc.

[0214] In this application embodiment, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. Memory is any storage medium capable of carrying or storing program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and capable of being read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in this application), but is not limited to these. The memory in this application embodiment may also be a circuit or any other communication device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0215] For example, the processing circuit 920 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory 930 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The communication circuit 910 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output communication devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0216] When the communication device is powered on, the processing circuit 920 can read the software program in the memory 930, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processing circuit 920 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processing circuit 920. The processing circuit 920 converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0217] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be set up independently of the processing circuit that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and antenna can be arranged in a remote manner, independent of the communication device.

[0218] The communication device shown in this application embodiment may also have more components than those in Figure 9, and this application embodiment does not limit this. The methods performed by the processing circuit and transceiver circuit shown above are only examples, and the specific steps performed by the processing circuit and transceiver circuit can be referred to the methods described above.

[0219] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG8, the processing module 801 can be one or more logic circuits, and the communication module 802 can be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the communication module 802 may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module may include an output interface, and the receiving module may include an input interface. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface.

[0220] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device includes a logic circuit 1001 and an interface circuit 1002. That is, the processing module 801 can be implemented using the logic circuit 1001, and the communication module 802 can be implemented using the interface circuit 1002. The logic circuit 1001 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface circuit 1002 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, pins, etc. For example, the communication device in Figure 10 can be a chip, which includes the logic circuit 1001 and the interface circuit 1002.

[0221] In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method of the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment. For example, the logic circuit 1001 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 801 shown in FIG8, and the interface circuit 1002 can be used to execute the functions or steps implemented by the communication module 802 shown in FIG8. For a detailed description of the logic circuit 1001 and the interface circuit 1002, please refer to FIG8 or the method embodiment shown above, which will not be detailed here.

[0222] The communication device shown in the embodiments of this application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in hardware form, or it can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this application in software form, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it in this way.

[0223] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a terminal-side device and a network-side device, which can be used to execute the methods in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0224] In addition, this application also provides a computer program for implementing the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices in the method provided in this application.

[0225] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations and / or processes performed by various communication devices in the methods provided in this application.

[0226] This application also provides a computer program product comprising computer code or a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the operations and / or processes performed by various entities in the method provided in this application to be executed.

[0227] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, communication devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the communication device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, communication devices, or modules, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.

[0228] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0229] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0230] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0231] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first synchronization signal block (SSB); Receive first information, the first information indicating the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format; A random access request is sent based on the first preamble format associated with the first SSB.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the association between the second SSB and the second preamble format, which is different from the first preamble format.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access configuration index, and the first random access configuration index is associated with the first preamble format.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first parameter of the second SSB is different from the first parameter of the first SSB. The first parameter includes one or more of the following: SSB transmit power, SSB target receive power, or SSB beamforming gain.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first information indicates a first association group, which includes the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format group, and the first preamble format group includes the first preamble format and the third preamble format.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first information indicates a second association group, which includes the association between the first preamble format and the first SSB group, and the first SSB group includes the first SSB and the third SSB.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access channel timing RO, wherein the random access request is transmitted on the first RO.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first information is carried in system information block 1.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send the first synchronization signal block (SSB); Send a first message, which indicates the association between the first SSB and the first preamble format.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the association between the second SSB and the second preamble format, which is different from the first preamble format.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The first information also indicates the association between the first SSB and the third preamble format.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The first information indicates the association between the first SSB and the first random access configuration index, and the first random access configuration index is associated with the first preamble format.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first parameter of the second SSB is different from the first parameter of the first SSB. The first parameter includes one or more of the following: SSB transmit power, SSB target receive power, or SSB beamforming gain.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, The first information indicates a first association group, which includes the association between the first SSB and a first preamble format group, and the first preamble format group includes the first preamble format and the third preamble format.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, The first information indicates a second association group, which includes the association between the first preamble format and the first SSB group, and the first SSB group includes the first SSB and the third SSB.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that, The first information is carried in system information block 1.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a module or unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or the apparatus includes a module or unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or the at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 10 to 17.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for executing computer programs or instructions to enable the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 17.

21. The communication device according to claim 20, characterized in that, It also includes a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 17.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, When it is run on a computer, it causes the method of any one of claims 1 to 17 to be performed.

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