Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, used for reducing power consumption of terminal devices, and further capable of reducing network overhead. The method may comprise: receiving a second signal; and performing time synchronization and frequency synchronization on the basis of the second signal. The second signal does not comprise broadcast information; a time domain interval between the second signal and a first transmission opportunity is less than a first threshold; the first threshold is less than a transmission period of a first signal; the first signal comprises broadcast information; a time domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold; the first signal and the second signal are prior to the first transmission opportunity; and the first transmission opportunity is used for random access. In this way, when the transmission period of the first signal is relatively large, a terminal device can perform, at the first transmission opportunity by means of the second signal that does not comprise broadcast information, time synchronization and frequency synchronization required for random access, such that the terminal device does not need to be prematurely waken up in advance, thereby reducing power consumption of the terminal device, and further reducing network overhead.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411993899.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on December 30, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0004] Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems include readers and tags. When a tag is within the range of a reader, it receives radio frequency signals emitted by the reader and uses the energy obtained from the induced current to drive the tag itself. The reader reads the information from the tag or writes the information that the tag needs to store into the tag.

[0005] Given the low power consumption advantage of RFID technology, this paper proposes introducing RFID technology into cellular networks to realize the Internet of Things (IoT). This means that base stations can integrate reader / writer capabilities, and terminal devices are IoT devices that support RFID technology. Currently, how to further reduce the power consumption of terminal devices in IoT networks is a problem worthy of further research. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices and reduce network overhead.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a communication method applicable to a communication device, which may be a terminal device, or a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or functional module within the terminal device. The method may include: receiving a second signal; and performing time synchronization and frequency synchronization based on the second signal. The second signal does not include broadcast information, the time interval between the second signal and a first transmission opportunity is less than a first threshold, the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal, the first signal includes the broadcast information, the time interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal precede the first transmission opportunity, and the first transmission opportunity is used for random access.

[0008] Based on the above method, when the transmission period of the first signal is long, the terminal device can use the second signal, which does not contain broadcast information, to perform the time synchronization and frequency synchronization required for random access during the first transmission opportunity. This allows the terminal device to avoid being woken up too early, reducing the power consumption of the terminal device and also reducing network overhead.

[0009] In one possible design, the first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration. This way, the second signal contains less data than the first signal, saving some network overhead.

[0010] In one possible design, the first threshold is preset. This allows it to be preset based on the needs of the terminal device, thereby meeting those needs.

[0011] In one possible design, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal. This ensures that the receiving device successfully demodulates the second signal, achieving time and frequency synchronization.

[0012] In one possible design, the second signal is modulated using on-off keying (OOK) modulation. This allows the low-power receiver to successfully demodulate the second signal.

[0013] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a communication device, which can be an access network device, or a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, or functional module within the access network device. The method may include: determining a first signal and a second signal; and transmitting the first signal and the second signal. The first signal includes broadcast information, the second signal does not include the broadcast information, the time-domain interval between the first signal and a first transmission opportunity is greater than a first threshold, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal precede the first transmission opportunity, the first transmission opportunity is used for random access, and the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal.

[0014] Based on the above method, when the transmission period of the first signal is long, the terminal device can be made to perform the time synchronization and frequency synchronization required for random access during the first transmission opportunity by using a second signal that does not contain broadcast information. This can reduce the power consumption of the terminal device and also reduce network overhead.

[0015] In one possible design, the first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used for CFO calibration. This way, the second signal contains less data than the first signal, saving some network overhead.

[0016] In one possible design, the first threshold is preset. This allows it to be preset based on the needs of the terminal device, thereby meeting those needs.

[0017] In one possible design, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal. This ensures that the receiving device successfully demodulates the second signal, achieving time and frequency synchronization.

[0018] In one possible design, the modulation scheme for both the first and second signals includes OOK modulation. This allows the low-power receiver to successfully demodulate either the first or second signal.

[0019] Thirdly, this application also provides a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a component within a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). This communication device has the functionality to implement the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the described functionality.

[0020] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit, and optionally a transceiver unit, which may perform the functions of the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0021] In one possible design, the communication device includes one or more processors, and optionally also includes a memory and / or a transceiver. The transceiver is used to send and receive data, messages, or information, and to communicate with other devices in the system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect described above. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0022] Fourthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be an access network device or a component within an access network device (e.g., a processor, chip, chip system, circuit, component, module, or functional module). This communication device has the functionality to implement the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect. The functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the described functions.

[0023] In one possible design, the communication device may include a processing unit, and optionally a transceiver unit, which may perform the functions of the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0024] In one possible design, the communication device includes one or more processors, and optionally also includes memory and / or a transceiver. The transceiver is used to send and receive data, messages, or information, and to communicate with other devices in the system. The processor is configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect described above. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores the necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0025] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system that may include a terminal device and an access network device. The terminal device may be used to implement the methods described in the first aspect or various possible design examples of the first aspect; the access network device may be used to implement the methods described in the second aspect or various possible design examples of the second aspect.

[0026] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect and any possible design of the embodiments of this application, or in the second aspect and any possible design. Exemplarily, the computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium can include a non-transient computer-readable medium, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, to be performed.

[0028] Eighthly, this application also provides a chip or chip system including one or more processors, the processors being coupled to at least one memory for reading and executing program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip or chip system to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0029] For the various aspects of the third to eighth aspects mentioned above, and the technical effects that each aspect may achieve, please refer to the above description of the technical effects that can be achieved for the first aspect or the various possible solutions in the first aspect, or the second aspect or the various possible solutions in the second aspect, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0032] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in this application;

[0035] Figure 6 is a chip architecture diagram of an AIoT device provided in this application;

[0036] Figure 7 is a chip architecture diagram of another AIoT device provided in this application;

[0037] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0038] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a periodic transmission of a first signal provided in this application;

[0039] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of SSB and SS interval transmission provided in this application;

[0040] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a current first terminal device that needs to be woken up 90ms in advance to receive the first signal when it wants to access the network;

[0041] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of inserting a second signal according to this application;

[0042] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a first terminal device provided in this application that only needs to be woken up 10ms in advance;

[0043] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application;

[0044] Figure 15 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0045] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices and also reduce network overhead. The method and apparatus described in this application are based on the same technical concept. Since the principles by which the method and apparatus solve the problem are similar, the implementations of the apparatus and method can be mutually referred to, and repeated details will not be repeated.

[0046] In the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0047] In the description of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one 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, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0048] In the description of this application, "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. " / " means "or", for example, a / b means a or b.

[0049] To more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the communication methods and devices provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] For example, Figure 1 illustrates a possible architecture diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 may include a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include the Internet 300.

[0051] RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0052] RAN 100 can be a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) related cellular system, such as a 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system (e.g., Long Term Evolution, LTE), a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system (e.g., New Radio, NR), or a future-oriented communication system. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a WiFi system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0053] RAN node 110, sometimes referred to as RAN entity or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and assists terminal devices in achieving wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal device. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0054] RAN nodes can also be referred to in different ways, such as network devices. Unless otherwise specified in this application, network devices will be used as the term.

[0055] In one possible scenario, the network device can also be called an access network device. The access network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The access network device can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the access network device can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the access network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The access network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the access network device functions.

[0056] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with each access network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, the access network devices can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0057] 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 an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (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 and hardware modules.

[0058] Terminal devices can also be called user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. For example, terminal devices can be active terminal devices, also known as tags. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application can also be called ambient Internet of Things (IoT) terminal devices, IoT terminal devices, environmental IoT devices, or IoT devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal devices.

[0059] Core network equipment may include core network elements used to serve AIoT devices, such as ambient IoT management function (AIOTMF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, etc.

[0060] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system. It should be understood that the O-RAN system may also include components other than those shown in Figure 2, and this application does not limit this. As shown in Figure 2, access network equipment can communicate with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link and with terminal equipment via an air interface. For example, access network equipment may include a baseband unit (BBU) and a radio unit (RU). The BBU can communicate with the core network via the backhaul link, and the RU can communicate with the terminal equipment via an air interface. The BBU can communicate with the RU via a fronthaul link; the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU may include at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0061] Figure 3 illustrates the network element functional division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN device. In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as F1 interfaces. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, and in some examples, it defines the signaling procedures of F1. The F1 interface supports both the control plane (F1-C) and the user plane (F1-U).

[0062] In some examples, the CU can be split into CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management (AMF) network element in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices.

[0063] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0064] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the RLC layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes a portion of the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0065] In some examples, the RU is a logical node carrying both lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP) or remote radio head (RRH) or other similar entities. In some examples, the Lower PHY includes PHY processing functions such as fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0066] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-ahead split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0067] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0068] The communication system described in this application is intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0069] In some embodiments, this application primarily addresses the air interface transmission between a tag (also referred to as a device) and a reader. The form of the reader is not limited; it can be a handheld or fixed device that reads (and sometimes writes) tag information, or it can be understood as a device that communicates with the tag. The reader can be an access network device, a terminal device, a relay node, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a device with read / write capabilities.

[0070] A tag can also be referred to as a terminal device. A tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a common name for RFID. In this application, the tag can be understood as an ambient IoT (AIoT) device. RFID technology can be divided into three types: active, passive, and semi-active. Tag types can also be divided into passive tags, semi-passive tags, and active tags. Passive tags and semi-passive tags use a backscatter-based communication method, while active tags use an actively generated carrier technology. Tag types can be classified based on whether they use a backscatter-based communication method, whether they have energy storage capabilities, or a combination of both. In the 3GPP R19 Ambient IoT project, two types of devices to be studied were proposed: 1) a 1-microwatt power consumption tag with energy storage, an initial sampling frequency deviation of 10^X (usually understood as X=4 or 5), without uplink or downlink amplifiers, and uplink transmission based on externally provided carrier reflection transmission. 2) It has a power consumption of hundreds of microwatts, energy storage, and an initial sampling frequency deviation of 10X (usually understood as X=4 or 5). It has uplink or downlink amplifiers or both uplink and downlink amplifiers. Uplink transmission can be initiated by the terminal device or can be transmitted via backscatter based on an external carrier.

[0071] The tag is located within the coverage area provided by the reader. When the reader is an access network device, the communication between it and the tag is via the AIoT uu interface, i.e., air interface communication. When the reader is a terminal device, the communication between the terminal device and the tag can also reuse the AIoT uu interface communication mechanism. Figures 4 and 5 below illustrate communication systems where the access network device and the AIoT device are connected via Uu, and the AIoT device and the intermediate node are connected via AIoT uu, with the intermediate node then connecting to the access network device via uu. Figure 4 can be understood as a direct connection architecture, and Figure 5 as a relay architecture. Here, the intermediate node can be either a network device or a terminal device.

[0072] In some embodiments, the chip system architecture and module functions of different types of AIoT devices may differ. For example, Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the chip system architecture and module functions of two AIoT devices.

[0073] Figure 6 shows a chip architecture diagram of an AIoT device with a peak power consumption of 1 microwatt (μW). The various modules included in the chip architecture diagram and their corresponding functions are as follows:

[0074] Antenna: for receiving radio frequency (RF) energy; it can be shared with or separated from the receiver or transmitter.

[0075] Matching network: Matches the impedance between the antenna and other components (including the RF energy harvester and receiver-related modules).

[0076] RF energy harvester: includes a rectifier that converts radio frequency signals (AC) into DC.

[0077] Energy storage (e.g., capacitors): storing energy collected from an RF energy receiver.

[0078] Energy Management Unit (Pressure Measuring Unit, PMU): Manages the energy stored from the RF energy harvester and provides energy to active modules that require energy supply.

[0079] Digital baseband logics include functional modules such as encoders, decoders, and controllers.

[0080] Memory includes two types: 1) Non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), which can permanently store the device's identifier (ID); 2) Registers that temporarily store information, which can only store information when there is sufficient energy in the energy storage.

[0081] Clock generator: Provides clock signals.

[0082] The receiver-related modules include: an RF bandpass filter (Berkeley packet filter, BPF): improves frequency selectivity; an RF envelope detector (ED): converts the RF signal to baseband; a baseband low-pass filter (LPF): filters out harmonics and high-frequency components, improving the signal quality input to the comparator; and a comparator: determines the high / low (level) of the input signal.

[0083] Transmission-related modules include a backscatter modulator, which switches the impedance to modulate the backscatter signal using the transmit signal from the baseband logic.

[0084] Figure 7 illustrates a chip architecture diagram for an AIoT device with a peak power consumption of less than or equal to several hundred μW. This AIoT device utilizes an intermediate frequency envelope detector receiver and actively transmits by generating a carrier internally. The various modules included in this chip architecture diagram and their corresponding functions are as follows:

[0085] Antenna: for receiving RF energy, which can be shared with or separated from the receiver or transmitter.

[0086] Matching network: Matches the impedance between the antenna and other components (including modules related to the RF energy harvester and receiver).

[0087] RF energy harvester: includes a rectifier that converts radio frequency signals (AC) into DC.

[0088] Energy Management Unit (PMU): Manages the energy stored from the RF energy harvester and provides energy to active modules that require energy supply.

[0089] Digital baseband logic includes functional modules such as encoders, decoders, and controllers.

[0090] Memory includes two types: 1) non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, which can permanently store device IDs; 2) registers that temporarily store information, which can only store information when there is enough energy in the energy storage.

[0091] Clock generator: Provides clock signals.

[0092] Local oscillator (LO): Generates the carrier frequency for the transmitter or the carrier frequency offset for the intermediate frequency (IF) receiver.

[0093] The receiving modules include: RF BPF: improves frequency selectivity. Frequency mixer: converts the RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. Intermediate-frequency (IF) amplifier: amplifies the IF signal. Intermediate-frequency filter: filters out unwanted RF and LO signals. Intermediate-frequency envelope detector (IF ED): detects the envelope from the IF signal. Baseband (BB) amplifier: may or may not be present depending on the implementation. BB LPF: filters out harmonics and high-frequency components, improving the signal quality input to the comparator or analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Comparator or N-bit ADC.

[0094] The transmission-related modules include: Transmit modulation: modulates baseband bits according to the modulation scheme; this part can also be part of the baseband logic module. Digital-to-analog converter (DAC): converts digital signals into analog signals. Low-pass filter (LPF): filters out unwanted signals. Mixer: up-converts the baseband signal to the RF frequency range. Power amplifier (PA): amplifies the transmitted signal, if present.

[0095] Currently, research on power saving in terminal devices is becoming increasingly common, and detailed optimization schemes to reduce power consumption have become a research focus in the industry. This application provides a communication method that can reduce the power consumption of terminal devices while simultaneously reducing network overhead.

[0096] In the following embodiments, the communication method provided in this application is described in detail using a terminal device (e.g., a first terminal device) and an access network device as examples. It should be understood that the operations performed by the terminal device can also be implemented by a processor, chip, chip system, or functional module in the terminal device. The operations performed by the access network device can also be implemented by a processor, chip, chip system, or functional module in the access network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0097] In this application, the terminal device can be a terminal device equipped with both a conventional receiver and a low-power receiver, but currently only the low-power receiver is in the on state while the conventional receiver is in the off state; or the terminal device can be a terminal device equipped only with a low-power receiver. To meet the requirement of extremely low power consumption, the low-power receiver can use a low-precision, low-power mid-to-low frequency ring oscillator or a receiver that receives downlink signals without a local oscillator. This receiving method can further reduce the power consumption of downlink reception in the terminal device. However, for this type of low-power receiving method, only amplitude detection, such as envelope detection, can be performed, and an oscillator that can provide a precise local oscillator signal is not available.

[0098] Based on the above description, an embodiment of this application provides a communication method, as shown in Figure 8. The process of this method may include:

[0099] Step 801: The access network device determines the first signal and the second signal. The first signal includes broadcast information, the second signal does not include broadcast information, the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than a first threshold, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal occur before the first transmission opportunity, the first transmission opportunity is used for random access, and the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal.

[0100] Broadcast information can also be understood as public information.

[0101] In this application, a transmission opportunity can be understood as a periodic time-domain, frequency-domain, or code-domain resource used for uplink access between terminal equipment and access network equipment, or it can be understood as used for random access. In this application, a transmission opportunity can be understood as a random access channel (RACH) occasion (RO).

[0102] The time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold. This can be understood as the time-domain interval between the start position of the first signal in the time domain and the start position of the first transmission opportunity in the time domain being greater than the first threshold, or the time-domain interval between the end position of the first signal in the time domain and the start position of the first transmission opportunity in the time domain being greater than the first threshold.

[0103] Similarly, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity being less than the first threshold can be understood as the time-domain interval between the start position of the second signal and the start position of the first transmission opportunity being less than the first threshold, or the time-domain interval between the end position of the second signal and the start position of the first transmission opportunity being less than the first threshold.

[0104] Optionally, the condition "equal to the first threshold" can refer to either the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity, or the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity. That is, it can be that the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than the first threshold; or, it can be that the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold, and the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than or equal to the first threshold. This application does not limit the condition "equal to the first threshold".

[0105] The first signal and the second signal are before the first transmission opportunity. This can be understood as the time domain end position of the first signal and the time domain end position of the second signal being before the time domain start position of the first transmission opportunity.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first signal may be an ambient synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block (SSB), or it may be referred to as an AIoT SSB. In the examples below, the first signal may be referred to as SSB. The second signal may be an additional SSB. In the examples below, the second signal may be referred to as a synchronization signal (SS).

[0107] The first signal may include a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a physical broadcast channel block (PBCH) signal. The first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal. The first frequency signal is used by the device receiving the first signal (this application uses a second terminal device as an example) to perform carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration. The PBCH signal is a physical layer channel used to transmit basic cell information, providing necessary basic information for the terminal device to access the network and decode other channels.

[0108] It is understandable that the PBCH signal is the broadcast information included in the first signal.

[0109] The second signal may include a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal, wherein the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time domain start position of the second signal, and the second frequency signal is used for the device receiving the second signal (this application uses the first terminal device as an example) to perform CFO calibration.

[0110] Optionally, the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency synchronization signal may be the same or different, and this application does not limit this.

[0111] Since the first signal includes the PBCH signal while the second signal does not, it can be understood that the length of the second signal is shorter than the length of the first signal, or that the second signal contains less data than the first signal. Therefore, for access network devices, the overhead of sending the first signal may be greater than the overhead of sending the second signal; thus, sending the second signal can save network overhead.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first signal is transmitted periodically. For example, as shown in Figure 9, taking SSB as an example, the transmission period of the first signal can be 160 milliseconds (ms), which can also be understood as the time interval between every two first signals being 160 ms.

[0113] This application uses ms as the time-domain unit of the transmission period as an example. Optionally, the time-domain unit of the transmission period can also be a time slot, frame, half-frame, second (s), etc., and this application does not limit it. For example, in Figure 9, if a frame is 20ms, the transmission period of the first signal can also be understood as 8 frames.

[0114] During the periodic transmission of the first signal, if the transmission interval between a transmission opportunity and the nearest preceding first signal exceeds a first threshold, the transmission of a second signal can be inserted. This ensures that the terminal devices corresponding to each transmission opportunity wake up as late as possible, thereby saving power consumption. Furthermore, the inserted second signal is shorter than the first signal, which also saves on the overhead of the access network equipment. For example, taking the first signal as SSB, the second signal as SS, and the first threshold as N, Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of the interval transmission of SSB and SS. It should be understood that the first transmission opportunity can be any of the transmission opportunities shown in Figure 10. Figure 10 is merely an example and is not intended to limit this application.

[0115] For example, as shown in Figure 11, assuming that the time interval between the first signal (such as SSB) and the first transmission opportunity is 90ms, when the first terminal device performs time synchronization and frequency synchronization based on the first signal, the first terminal device needs to wake up 90ms in advance to receive the first signal in order to perform time synchronization and frequency synchronization when it wants to access the network.

[0116] As shown in Figure 11, when the transmission period of the first signal is relatively long, a large time interval between some transmission opportunities and the first signal can cause terminal devices that randomly access the system using that transmission opportunity to wake up prematurely, which is detrimental to energy saving. Therefore, in this application, when the time interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than a first threshold, a second signal can be inserted so that the first terminal device only receives the second signal for time and frequency synchronization. For example, as shown in Figure 12, assuming the time interval between the first signal (such as SSB) and the first transmission opportunity is 90ms and the first threshold is 80ms, that is, the time interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold, a second signal (such as SS) can be inserted at 80ms.

[0117] Based on Figure 12, the first and second signals can be understood as being transmitted alternately. Thus, the first terminal device only needs to be woken up before the second signal is sent, instead of before the first signal is sent. Continuing with the previous example, as shown in Figure 13, the first terminal device only needs to be woken up 10ms in advance. Compared to the scenario shown in Figure 11, the wake-up time for the first terminal device is shorter, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0118] It should be understood that the foregoing examples and illustrations are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. For example, the positions where the second signal is inserted in Figures 12 and 13 are merely examples. Optionally, the second signal may also be placed at other positions where the time interval between it and the first transmission opportunity is less than 80 ms, and this application does not limit this to such positions.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first threshold can be preset. For example, the first threshold can be preset based on a service, or based on other rules or conditions, which is not limited in this application. For example, different services have different tolerances for latency, so different first thresholds can be preset for different services.

[0120] In the foregoing example, the time-domain unit of the first threshold is ms. Optionally, the time-domain unit of the first threshold can also be a time slot, frame, half-frame, second (s), etc., and this application does not limit this. For example, when the first threshold in the foregoing example is 80ms, if a frame is 20ms, the first threshold can also be understood as 4 frames.

[0121] In one optional implementation, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device (i.e., the first terminal device in this application) receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal. This can also be understood as the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity being greater than or equal to the minimum time interval between the first terminal device receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal. This ensures that the first terminal device can successfully demodulate the second signal and complete time and frequency synchronization.

[0122] In some possible embodiments, the modulation scheme of the first signal may include on-off keying (OOK) modulation. Optionally, the modulation scheme of the first signal may also be other modulation schemes that support incoherent reception, and this application does not limit this to any particular scheme.

[0123] The modulation method of the second signal may also include OOK modulation, or other modulation methods that support non-coherent reception, and this application does not limit this.

[0124] Step 802: The access network device sends a first signal and a second signal. Correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the second signal, as shown in step 802a of Figure 8, and the second terminal device receives the first signal, as shown in step 802b of Figure 8.

[0125] Optionally, the second terminal device may randomly access the second transmission opportunity, and the time interval between the second transmission opportunity and the first signal is less than the first threshold.

[0126] The first terminal device and the second terminal device can be of the same type.

[0127] Step 803: The first terminal device performs time synchronization and frequency synchronization based on the second signal.

[0128] The second terminal device can perform one or more of the following operations based on the first signal: cell search, time synchronization, frequency synchronization, or measurement, etc. This application only describes the first terminal device; the relevant operations of the second terminal device can reuse the operation methods of current AIoT devices, and this application will not provide detailed descriptions.

[0129] Based on the above method, when the transmission period of the first signal is long, the terminal device can use the second signal, which does not contain broadcast information, to perform the time synchronization and frequency synchronization required for random access during the first transmission opportunity. This allows the terminal device to avoid being woken up too early, reducing the power consumption of the terminal device and also reducing network overhead.

[0130] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device. Referring to FIG14, the communication device 1400 may include a transceiver unit 1401 and a processing unit 1402. The transceiver unit 1401 is used for communication by the communication device 1400, such as receiving or sending information (signals or data). The processing unit 1402 is used for controlling and managing the operation of the communication device 1400. The processing unit 1402 can also control the steps performed by the transceiver unit 1401.

[0131] For example, the communication device 1400 may specifically be a terminal device (such as a first terminal device or a second terminal device) in the above embodiments, a processor, chip, or chip system of the terminal device, or a component, module, or functional module, etc. Alternatively, the communication device 1400 may specifically be an access network device in the above embodiments, a processor, chip, or chip system of the access network device, or a component, module, or functional module, etc.

[0132] In one embodiment, when the communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the first terminal device in the embodiment shown in FIG8, the transceiver unit 1401 can be used to receive a second signal; wherein, the second signal does not include broadcast information, the time domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than a first threshold, the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal, the first signal includes the broadcast information, the time domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal are before the first transmission opportunity, and the first transmission opportunity is used for random access; the processing unit 1402 can be used to perform time synchronization and frequency synchronization according to the second signal.

[0133] In one optional implementation, the first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a PBCH signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used for CFO calibration.

[0134] Optionally, the first threshold is preset.

[0135] In some embodiments, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the second signal and transmitting the uplink signal.

[0136] In one example, the modulation method of the second signal includes OOK modulation.

[0137] In another embodiment, when the communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the access network device in the embodiment shown in FIG8 above, the processing unit 1402 can be used to determine a first signal and a second signal; wherein, the first signal includes broadcast information, the second signal does not include the broadcast information, the time domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than a first threshold, the time domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal precede the first transmission opportunity, the first transmission opportunity is used for random access, and the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal; the transceiver unit 1401 can be used to transmit the first signal and the second signal.

[0138] For example, the first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a PBCH signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein, the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used to perform CFO calibration.

[0139] Optionally, the first threshold is preset.

[0140] In some embodiments, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the second signal and transmitting the downlink signal.

[0141] As an example, the modulation scheme of the first signal and the second signal includes OOK modulation.

[0142] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0143] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit 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 storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0144] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device. Referring to FIG15, the communication device 1500 may include one or more processors 1502. Optionally, the communication device 1500 may further include one or more transceivers 1501. Optionally, the communication device 1500 may further include at least one memory 1503. The memory 1503 may be located inside the communication device 1500 or outside the communication device 1500. The processor 1502 can control the transceiver 1501 to receive and send information, messages, or data.

[0145] Specifically, the processor 1502 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor 1502 may further include a hardware chip. This hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0146] The transceiver 1501, processor 1502, and memory 1503 are interconnected. Optionally, the transceiver 1501, processor 1502, and memory 1503 are interconnected via a bus 1504; the bus 1504 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 15, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0147] In one optional embodiment, the memory 1503 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. The memory 1503 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices. The processor 1502 executes the application program stored in the memory 1503 to implement the above-mentioned functions, thereby realizing the functions of the communication device 1500.

[0148] For example, the communication device 1500 can specifically implement the functions of the terminal device (such as the first terminal device or the second terminal device) and the access network device in the above embodiments.

[0149] In one embodiment, when the communication device 1500 implements the functions of the first terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment, the transceiver 1501 can perform the transmit and receive operations executed by the first terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment; the processor 1502 can perform other operations besides the transmit and receive operations executed by the first terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0150] In another embodiment, when the communication device 1500 implements the functions of the first terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment, the processor 1502 can implement the operations performed by the first terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment. For specific details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0151] In another embodiment, when the communication device 1500 implements the functions of the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments, the transceiver 1501 can perform the transmit / receive operations executed by the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments; the processor 1502 can perform other operations besides the transmit / receive operations executed by the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0152] In yet another embodiment, when the communication device 1500 implements the functions of the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments, the processor 1502 can implement the operations performed by the access network device in the aforementioned method embodiments. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0153] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a communication system that may include the terminal devices (such as the first terminal device and the second terminal device) and access network devices involved in the above embodiments.

[0154] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication methods provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0155] This application also provides a computer program product for storing computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a computer, the computer can implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0156] This application also provides a chip or chip system, including logic circuitry, which is used to execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0157] This application also provides a chip or chip system, including one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are coupled to at least one memory, for calling a program in the memory to enable the chip or chip system to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0158] This application also provides a chip or chip system coupled to at least one memory, which is used to implement the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0159] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0160] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0161] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0162] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0163] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive a second signal; wherein the second signal does not include broadcast information, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than a first threshold, the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal, the first signal includes the broadcast information, the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal precede the first transmission opportunity, and the first transmission opportunity is used for random access; Time and frequency synchronization are performed based on the second signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein, the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used to perform carrier frequency error (CFO) calibration.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first threshold is preset.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The modulation method of the second signal includes on / off keying (OOK) modulation.

6. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: A first signal and a second signal are determined; wherein the first signal includes broadcast information, the second signal does not include the broadcast information, the time-domain interval between the first signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than a first threshold, the time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is less than the first threshold, the first signal and the second signal precede the first transmission opportunity, the first transmission opportunity is used for random access, and the first threshold is less than the transmission period of the first signal. Send the first signal and the second signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first signal includes a first timing synchronization signal, a first frequency synchronization signal, and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal; the second signal includes a second timing synchronization signal and a second frequency synchronization signal; wherein, the first timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the first signal, the second timing synchronization signal is used to determine the time-domain start position of the second signal, and the first frequency synchronization signal and the second frequency signal are used to perform carrier frequency error (CFO) calibration.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein, The first threshold is preset.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, The time-domain interval between the second signal and the first transmission opportunity is greater than or equal to the minimum processing delay between the receiving device receiving the downlink signal and transmitting the uplink signal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The modulation methods of the first signal and the second signal include on-off keying (OOK) modulation.

11. A communications device, characterized by It includes a module or unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-5, or includes a module or unit for performing the method according to any one of claims 6-10.

12. A communications device, characterized by Includes a processor configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, or to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 6-10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium has stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when invoked by the computer, perform the method of any of claims 1-5, or the method of any of claims 6-10.

14. A computer program product, characterised in that, comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any of claims 1-5, or the method of any of claims 6-10, to be performed.

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