Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relates to the technical field of communications and relates to a communication method and apparatus. The method is applied to a network device. The method comprises: determining a first SSB and a second SSB, wherein the duration of the first SSB is different from the duration of the second SSB, and the periodicity of the first SSB is different from the periodicity of the second SSB; sending first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating the durations and periodicities of the first SSB and / or the second SSB; and sending the first SSB and / or the second SSB. In this way, a synchronization signal block (SSB) design of a future communication system can be performed.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411997095.9, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 31, 2024, entitled “A Communication Method and Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In future communication systems, network equipment and new radio (NR) network equipment may be co-located. The ambient internet of things (A-IoT) system within future communication systems may face wide-area communication scenarios and differs from NR systems in some ways. For example, A-IoT systems are designed for air interfaces at the device (C) level. However, the release-20 (R20) A-IoT system shares the same initial access concept as NR systems. How to design the synchronization signal block (SSB) for future communication systems is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that solves the problem of how to design a synchronization signal block (SSB) for a future communication system in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a network device, the method comprising: determining a first SSB and a second SSB; wherein the duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different; and the period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB are different. Sending first information, the first information indicating the duration and period of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. Sending the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the network device can acquire multiple SSBs, such as a first SSB and a second SSB. The duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different. The period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB are also different. The network device sends first information to indicate the duration and period of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. When the second SSB has a longer duration, the time domain resources carrying the second SSB are larger, which is beneficial for terminal devices with poor coverage to receive the second SSB. Furthermore, the period of the second SSB can be set to be larger, and the proportion of the time domain resources of the second SSB within the period will not be too high. On the one hand, terminal devices with poor coverage do not need to be frequently woken up to receive the second SSB; on the other hand, it will not affect the interaction of other data or signaling between the network device and the terminal devices with poor coverage. Therefore, the power consumption and complexity of terminal device communication can be reduced. When the first SSB has a shorter duration, the time domain resources carrying the target SSB are smaller. Since the number of SSBs that a terminal device with strong coverage needs to receive within one SSB transmission period is not large, the terminal device with strong coverage can receive the first SSB. Furthermore, the period of the first SSB can be set to be shorter, resulting in lower access latency for terminal devices with stronger coverage. Therefore, the overhead of the system's common signal can be reduced, improving transmission efficiency. In summary, this implementation can adaptively adjust the SSB transmission period and the time-domain resources used according to the needs of different terminal devices. Network devices can transmit either a first SSB or a second SSB that matches the terminal device. This ensures the transmission performance of the SSB, the network overhead of the system's SSB, and the access efficiency of terminal devices with different coverage levels.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first SSB and the second SSB have different time-frequency structures. These different time-frequency structures include at least one of the following: the first SSB and the second SSB occupy different numbers of Representation Blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain; and the first SSB and the second SSB occupy different numbers of OFDM symbols in the time domain. In the above possible implementations, the first SSB and the second SSB have different time-frequency structures. The first SSB and the second SSB can be configured with corresponding time-frequency structures according to the needs of the terminal device, and are not limited to having the same time-frequency structure. This can improve communication efficiency.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the time lengths of the first SSB and the second SSB differ, satisfying at least one of the following: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB is different from that of the second SSB; both the first and second SSBs include a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), and the number of repetitions of the PBCH in the first SSB differs from that in the second SSB, wherein the number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: block repetitions, bit repetitions, and chip repetitions; both the first and second SSBs include a Time Synchronization Signal (TSS), and the time length of the TSS in the first SSB differs from that in the second SSB, wherein the time length of the TSS includes at least one of the following: sequence repetitions, sequence length, and chip length; the TSS is used to determine the time start of the PBCH; both the first and second SSBs include a Frequency Synchronization Signal (FSS), and the time length of the FSS in the first SSB differs from that in the second SSB, wherein the time length of the FSS includes at least one of the following: the number of OFDM symbols occupied and chip length; the FSS is used for carrier frequency error (CFO) calibration. Among the possible implementations described above, SSBs of different time lengths can be achieved by setting a set of parameters for the first SSB and / or the second SSB, including channel coding rate, block repetition count of PBCH, bit repetition count, chip repetition count, sequence repetition count of TSS, sequence length, chip length, number of OFDM symbols occupied by FSS, or chip length. Network devices can modify these parameters to obtain the first SSB and / or the second SSB. Therefore, the method by which network devices determine the first SSB and / or the second SSB is relatively simple.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information indicating the duration of the first SSB and / or the first SSB further includes: the first information being carried in at least one of the following: the PBCH in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; the downlink control information (DCI) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; the synchronization signal (SS) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; and the corresponding system information block (SIB) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB. Optionally, the synchronization signal includes a cyclic shift value and / or a generator polynomial of the synchronization signal. In the above possible implementations, the first information may include the original SS and PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the original information may be reused to indicate at least one of the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the duration of time for the first SSB, and the duration of time for the second SSB. Thus, the structure of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is relatively simple. The first information may also include newly added DCI and MAC CE in the first SSB and / or the second SSB, indicating at least one of the following: the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the time length used for the first SSB, and the time length of the second SSB. Thus, the first SSB and / or the second SSB can perform multiple functions.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first SSB and the second SSB include a physical broadcast channel PBCH, a time synchronization signal TSS, and a frequency synchronization signal FSS; the first information is specifically used to indicate at least one of the following: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB; wherein, the number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: the number of block repetitions, the number of bit repetitions, and the number of chip repetitions; the duration of the TSS includes at least one of the following: the number of sequence repetitions, the sequence length, and the chip length; the duration of the FSS includes at least one of the following: the number of OFDM symbols occupied and the chip length. In the above possible implementations, the terminal device can obtain at least one of the following information through the first information: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, thereby obtaining the time-domain resources used to carry the first SSB and / or the second SSB. This can improve the communication efficiency between the network device and the terminal device.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB includes On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation; and / or, the encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB includes convolutional coding or polar coding. In the above possible implementations, the encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may include convolutional coding. The encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is not limited to the same or different encoding scheme as the NR SSB; it can be encoded according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency. The encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may be the same as the encoding scheme of the NR SSB, for example, including polar coding, but the first SSB and / or the second SSB may not have input bit interleaving or block interleaving. The encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB can be encoded according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency. The modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may include the OOK modulation scheme. The modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is not limited to the same or different modulation scheme as the NR SSB. It can be modulated according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the synchronization signal in the second SSB is equal to the number of RBs occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the physical broadcast channel in the second SSB. In the above possible implementation, the PBCH of the second SSB occupies fewer frequency domain resources, freeing up more frequency domain resources for other data or signaling.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the second SSB is less than the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the first SSB. In the above possible implementation, the PBCH of the second SSB occupies fewer frequency domain resources, freeing up more frequency domain resources for other data or signaling.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the number of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the second SSB is greater than the number of OFDM symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB. In the above possible implementation, the larger time-domain resources occupied by the second SSB are beneficial for terminal devices with poor coverage to detect the second SSB, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB and / or the second SSB occupy P time-domain units, where P is a positive integer. Optionally, the time-domain unit can be any of the following: a radio frame, a frame, a subframe, a half-frame, a time slot, a micro-time slot, or a symbol. In the above possible implementations, the time-domain resources of the first SSB and the second SSB can be configured in various ways, providing greater flexibility.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving second information, the second information indicating the size of time-domain resources that a terminal device served by the network device can use to receive an SSB; determining a first SSB and a second SSB, including: determining the first SSB or the second SSB based on the second information; and matching the size of the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB or the second SSB with the size of the time-domain resources that can be used to receive the SSB. In the above possible implementation, the network device determines the needs of the terminal device through the second information from the terminal device, thereby determining the first SSB or the second SSB. This can improve communication efficiency.

[0018] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a module for performing the method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0019] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising a processor and a transceiver. The processor and transceiver are used to perform the methods provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0020] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0021] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided that, when the computer program product is run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0022] It is understood that any of the communication devices, computer storage media or computer program products provided above are used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. "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 represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order.

[0035] In this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "information," "signal," "message," "channel," and "singaling" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Similarly, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Furthermore, the " / " mentioned in this application can be used to indicate an "or" relationship.

[0037] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the various embodiments can be arranged and combined to form a complete solution.

[0038] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a communication system will be used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. The communication system of the embodiments of this application may comply with the wireless communication standards of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or other wireless communication standards, such as the 802 series (e.g., 802.11, 802.15, or 802.20) wireless communication standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). As shown in FIG1, the communication system of the embodiments of this application includes devices that provide wireless network services (e.g., core network elements and access network devices) and devices that use wireless network services (e.g., terminal devices).

[0039] For example, the equipment providing wireless network services refers to the equipment that constitutes a wireless communication network, which can be simply referred to as network equipment or network element, and network element can be simply referred to as network element. Network equipment usually belongs to operators or infrastructure providers. Network equipment can also be further divided into radio access network (RAN) equipment and core network (CN) elements. In the embodiments of this application, radio access network equipment is simply referred to as access network equipment.

[0040] Access network equipment is used to implement access-related functions, providing network access functionality to authorized users in specific areas, and determining transmission links of different qualities to transmit user data based on user level, service requirements, etc. Access network equipment forwards control signals and user data between terminal equipment and core network elements. Access network equipment may include base stations (BS). Base stations are sometimes also referred to as access points (AP) or transmission reception points (TRP). Specifically, a base station can be a generation Node B (gNB) in a 5G new radio (NR) system, an evolutionary Node B (eNB) in a 4G long term evolution (LTE) system, or other base stations. Base stations can also be classified as macro base stations, micro base stations, pole stations, or small stations. Micro base stations are sometimes also referred to as small base stations or small cells. In future mobile communication systems, access network equipment may have other naming conventions, all of which are covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application, and this application does not impose any limitations on them.

[0041] Furthermore, core network elements are primarily responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network and providing terminals with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. Core network elements include user plane functions (UPF), authentication server functions (AUSF), access and mobility management functions (AMF), session management functions (SMF), network slice selection functions (NSSF), network exposure functions (NEF), network function repository functions (NRF), policy control functions (PCF), unified data management (UDM), unified data repository (UDR), and application functions (AF).

[0042] Furthermore, access network devices can connect to core network elements wirelessly or via wired means. Core network elements and access network devices can be set as independent and different physical devices. Alternatively, the functions of core network elements and the logical functions of access network devices can be integrated into the same physical device. Or, a single physical device can integrate some of the functions of core network elements and some of the functions of access network devices.

[0043] For example, devices using wireless network services are typically located at the network edge and can be simply referred to as terminal devices. Terminal devices can establish connections with network devices and provide wireless communication services to users based on the network devices' services. Because terminal devices have a closer relationship with users, they are sometimes also called user equipment (UE) or subscriber units (SU). Furthermore, unlike base stations which are typically located in fixed locations, terminal devices often move with users and are sometimes referred to as mobile stations (MS). Additionally, some network devices, such as relay nodes (RNs) or wireless routers, can sometimes be considered terminal devices because they possess UE identity or belong to users. When a terminal device is within the service range of an access network device, the access network device can connect the terminal device to the wireless communication network, and core network elements can manage the terminal device. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application embodiment can also be an on-board module, on-board unit, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit that is built into the vehicle as one or more components or units.

[0044] For example, the communication system shown in Figure 1 can be an NR system or a future communication system. The ambient internet of things (A-IoT) system in the future communication system may face wide-area communication scenarios and differs from the NR system in some ways. For example, the ambient IoT system is designed for the air interface of device C. The future communication system can be deployed separately from the NR system or co-located with it. This application embodiment uses the 20th release (R20) of the future communication system as an example for the ambient IoT system. In this application embodiment, the network devices of the R20 ambient IoT system will be referred to as R20 network devices, the terminal devices of the R20 ambient IoT system as R20 terminal devices, and the SSB of the R20 ambient IoT system as R20 SSB. Similarly, the network devices of the NR system will be referred to as NR network devices, the terminal devices of the NR system as NR terminal devices, and the SSB of the NR system as NR SSB. The R20 ambient IoT system can be referenced in Figure 1, where the terminal devices can be R20 terminal devices.

[0045] There are several ways to deploy R20 access network equipment. For example, R20 access network equipment (e.g., R20 base stations) can communicate directly with R20 terminal equipment. Communication with R20 terminal equipment includes transmitting data and / or signaling from the R20 terminal equipment. Alternatively, R20 access network equipment (e.g., R20 base stations) can communicate with R20 terminal equipment through intermediate nodes. For example, the R20 access network equipment communicates with an intermediate node, and the R20 access network equipment controls the intermediate node to communicate with the terminal equipment. The intermediate node can be a device with information forwarding capabilities. Furthermore, the R20 access network equipment that sends signals to the R20 terminal equipment and the R20 access network equipment that receives signals from the R20 terminal equipment can be different R20 access network equipment. The structure of the R20 access network equipment can refer to the structure of the NR access network equipment, and will not be elaborated further in this embodiment.

[0046] R20 terminal devices can be environmental IoT devices. R20 terminal devices can actively generate carrier signals and transmit them to R20 access network devices. The peak power consumption of these R20 terminal devices can be between 100 microwatts (μW) and 10 milliwatts (mW). R20 terminal devices can use intermediate frequency envelope detectors (IF receivers). As shown in Figure 2, R20 terminal devices can include antennas, matching networks, radio frequency energy harvesters (RF energy harvesters), other energy harvesters, power management units (PMUs), energy storage circuitry, baseband logic (BB logics), memory, clock generators, local oscillators (LOs), receive-related modules, and transmit-related modules.

[0047] The system includes an antenna for receiving or transmitting RF energy, and a receiver and transmitter that can be mounted on the same device or installed separately. A matching network can be included to match the impedance between the antenna and other components (e.g., modules associated with the RF energy harvester and receiver). The RF energy harvester can include a rectifier to convert RF AC signals to DC signals. Other energy harvesters can be used to harvest RF energy. An energy management unit can manage the energy received from the RF energy harvester and / or other energy harvesters, providing energy to active modules that require power. Energy storage circuitry can store the energy received from the RF energy harvester and / or other energy harvesters. The digital baseband logic can include functional modules such as encoders, decoders, and controllers. The memory can be non-volatile memory. This memory can be used to permanently store the device's identity document (ID). For example, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) can also be a register used to temporarily store information. This type of memory can only store data when there is sufficient energy in the energy storage. A clock generator can be used to provide a clock signal. A local oscillator can be used to generate a carrier frequency for the transmitter or a carrier frequency offset for the intermediate frequency receiver.

[0048] The receiver-related module may include a radio frequency bandpass filter (RF BPF), a low noise amplifier (LNA), mixer 1, an intermediate frequency amplifier (IF amp) and an intermediate frequency filter (IF filter), an intermediate frequency envelope demodulation (IF ED), a baseband amplifier (BB amp), a baseband low pass filter (BB LPF), and a comparator or analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The RF bandpass filter can be used to improve frequency selectivity. Mixer 1 in the receiver-related module can be used to convert the RF signal to an intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency amplifier can be used to amplify the intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency filter can be used to filter out unwanted RF and LO signals. The intermediate frequency envelope demodulation can be used to detect the envelope from the intermediate frequency signal. The receiver-related module may or may not include a baseband amplifier. Baseband low-pass filters can be used to filter out harmonics and high-frequency components, improving the signal quality input to a comparator or ADC. ADCs can convert analog signals into digital signals. ADCs can support multiple bits.

[0049] The transmit-related module may include a transmit modulation circuit (modulator), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a low-pass filter, a mixer 2, and a power amplifier (PA). The transmit modulation circuit is used to modulate baseband bits according to a modulation scheme. The transmit modulation circuit can be located within the digital baseband logic. The DAC is used to convert digital signals into analog signals. The low-pass filter in the transmit-related module filters out unwanted signals. The mixer 2 in the transmit-related module is used to convert the baseband signal frequency to the RF frequency range. The transmit-related module may or may not include a power amplifier; the power amplifier is used to amplify the transmitted signal.

[0050] The following describes the communication process between the terminal device and the network device. For a terminal device to communicate with a network device, it needs to perform an initial access. During this initial access phase, the terminal device needs to search for the network serving it and then access that network. This involves cell search and a random access procedure. These two procedures are fundamental to the interaction between the terminal device and the network device; without them, the terminal device cannot join the network and therefore cannot achieve wireless communication. During cell search, the network device can periodically send a synchronization signal block (SSB). The terminal device can receive this SSB and use it for downlink (time-frequency) synchronization with the network device. Afterward, the terminal device can select a suitable cell, such as the one with the best signal quality, to camp on. During random access, the terminal device will initiate a random access procedure in the camped cell to achieve uplink synchronization with the camped cell.

[0051] The following is a detailed description of these two processes. As shown in Figure 3, the initial access process may include the following steps:

[0052] Step S101: The network device sends an SSB to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the SSB from the network device.

[0053] Network devices can periodically send SSBs to terminal devices. SSBs can be used for downlink time-frequency synchronization. An SSB can include a synchronization signal (SS) and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). In NR, an SS can include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). PSS and SSS can carry information such as the cell identity document (ID). A PBCH can indicate common information, such as the cell ID, access control information, and frame number. A PBCH can carry a master information block (MIB). MIB information can include fields such as the system frame number, the subcarrier offset (kssb) of the SSB, access control information, cell selection information, or cell reselection information. MIB information can also be used to indicate information related to the time-frequency resources carrying system information blocks (SIBs) (such as SIB1), such as the common subcarrier spacing (SCS). The common SCS can be used to indicate the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for transmitting SIB1. For example, it can indicate the pre-pilot position for type A of the PDSCH for transmitting SIB1, and the scheduling information of the PDCCH for transmitting downlink control information (DCI) of SIB1.

[0054] Furthermore, network devices can configure SSB periods. For example, an SSB period can be 5 milliseconds (ms), 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, or 160 ms. The SSB period can be indicated in SIB1. Within each SSB period, SSBs can be transmitted multiple times within a certain duration. In the NR system, the SSB transmission period is 20 ms, and the transmission duration of an SSB within each SSB period is 5 ms, i.e., half a frame. SSB transmission does not necessarily occur only in the first half frame of an SSB period; it can also occur in the second half frame of an SSB period. This application embodiment does not impose such restrictions. As shown in Figure 4, each cell can periodically transmit SSBs at multiple time-domain locations, with the transmission duration of an SSB in each SSB period being half a frame. Within each SSB period, each SSB has a unique number, i.e., an SSB index. Each SSB beam can correspond to one SSB index. In the frequency domain, the SSBs of each cell are configured with the same frequency domain location. Typically, one SSB can refer to one SSB resource block or one SSB beam corresponding to one SSB index.

[0055] Furthermore, before detecting an SS (Synchronization Grid Service), the terminal device needs to know the synchronization raster (Sync-Raster) information of its current frequency band and perform a blind search for multiple frequency points corresponding to the synchronization raster. For example, the SSB period can be 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms, etc. However, during the initial cell search, the terminal device has not yet received SIB1, and will search for SSBs according to the default 20ms SSB period defined by the 3GPP protocol. If the terminal device stays on that frequency point for 20ms without finding an SS, it will conclude that the SS does not exist and then move to the next frequency point in the synchronization raster to search for an SS. This continues until the terminal device detects the SS at the frequency position of the synchronization raster corresponding to the SS. 5G defines that the SSB is aligned with the synchronization raster, and each synchronization raster frequency position has a corresponding number, namely the global synchronization channel number (GSCN). The GSCN defined by NR can be found in Table 1.

[0056] Table 1 GSCN parameters of the global frequency grating

[0057] Here, M refers to the frequency, and the values ​​of N can be found in the table. Taking the frequency band within 3 gigahertz (GHz) as an example, it can be seen from the table that the minimum interval between the frequency positions corresponding to the NR synchronization grid is 100 kHz. This is because, with a fixed value for N, the frequencies corresponding to M values ​​of {1, 3, 5} are {50 kHz, 150 kHz, 250 kHz}.

[0058] After detecting the PSS and SSS, the terminal device determines the cell ID. The terminal device can determine the first cell ID via the PSS, which can have three possible values. The terminal device can determine the second cell ID via the SSS, which can have 336 possible values. There are a total of 1008 possible cell IDs. After determining the cell ID, the terminal device can parse the information carried by the PBCH, such as the MIB information.

[0059] Step S102: The network device sends SIB1 to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives SIB1 from the network device.

[0060] Similar to how network devices transmit SSBs, they use the beam corresponding to each SIB1 to transmit the corresponding SIB1, ensuring that terminal devices located at different points in the communication system can receive the SIB1. Each SSB carries a MIB, which indicates information about the time-frequency resources carrying the SIB1. Terminal devices can receive the SIB1 on the corresponding time-frequency resources based on the information in the SSB indicating the time-frequency resources carrying the SIB1. Network devices can adjust the transmission period of the SSB through the SIB1.

[0061] Step S103: The terminal device completes random access.

[0062] It is understood that the specific details of the initial access process can be found in existing technologies, and the embodiments in this application will not be repeated here.

[0063] The initial access process was described above using an NR system as an example. For future communication systems, such as the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) system in Release 20 (R20), the same initial access concept exists as with the NR system. Compared to NR system terminal devices, R20 IoT system terminal devices may have service scenarios requiring deeper coverage. Therefore, the SSB (Service Level Bus) of the R20 IoT system also needs improved coverage compared to the NR system's SSB. The minimum coupling loss (MCL) of the R20 IoT system's SSB may reach 154 dB to 164 dB. Therefore, the MCL of the R20 IoT system's SSB coverage will be enhanced compared to the NR system's SSB.

[0064] R20 terminal devices may have varying capabilities. Higher-capability (or better coverage) R20 terminal devices (typically with higher power consumption) can detect signals modulated according to the NR SSB modulation scheme. Therefore, these devices can detect NR SSB, or SSBs with the same time-frequency structure as NR SSB. Lower-capability (or poorer coverage) R20 terminal devices (typically with lower power consumption) cannot detect signals modulated according to the NR SSB modulation scheme. These devices can only detect signals modulated using low-power modulation schemes, such as SSBs modulated using on-off keying (OOK). When designing the R20 SSB transmission method, it is necessary to avoid the R20 SSB transmission process affecting the NR SSB transmission process, ensuring that the time-frequency positions of R20 SSB transmission and NR SSB transmission coexist.

[0065] In some possible implementations, as shown in Figure 5, in an NR system, the SSB may include the PSS, SSS, and PBCH. The SSB may occupy 20 resource blocks (RBs) in the frequency domain and 4 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain.

[0066] In this implementation, R20 terminal devices with poor coverage have difficulty detecting SSBs with the same time-frequency structure as NR SSBs.

[0067] In some possible implementations, the NR system and the R20 environment IoT system share the same SSB. To restore coverage of the SSB in narrowband, time-domain symbol overhead is added to the NR SSB. As shown in Figure 6, the SSB shared by the NR system and the R20 environment IoT system includes the PSS, SSS, and PBCH. For some narrowband systems requiring coverage restoration or enhancement, time-domain resources can be added to carry the SSB. For example, multiple OFDM symbols can be added to the time-domain resources of the SSB to carry the PBCH. The PBCH carried by the added OFDM symbols can be called an additional PBCH.

[0068] In this embodiment, for both R20 terminal devices with poor and strong coverage, the time-domain resources carrying the SSB shown in Figure 6 are greater than those carrying the SSB shown in Figure 5, for example, by several milliseconds. However, the transmission period of the SSB shown in Figure 6 is the same as that of the SSB shown in Figure 5.

[0069] For R20 terminal devices with poor coverage, the time-domain resources carrying SSBs are increased, but the initial SSB transmission period remains fixed at 20ms. This causes R20 terminal devices with poor coverage to be in a state of frequent wake-up to receive SSBs. Within an SSB transmission period, the time-domain resources carrying the SSB account for too large a proportion, affecting the interaction of other data or signaling. Therefore, the power consumption and complexity of communication for R20 terminal devices with poor coverage are relatively high. Moreover, for R20 terminal devices with poor coverage, there is no requirement to achieve a certain access latency. Therefore, for R20 terminal devices with poor coverage, the SSB transmission period can be increased based on the time-frequency resources of the SSBs shown in Figure 6.

[0070] For R20 terminal devices with strong coverage, the number of SSBs (or PBCHs) that need to be received within a single SSB transmission cycle is not large, eliminating the need for frequent wake-ups to receive multiple SSBs. Therefore, for R20 terminal devices with strong coverage, the initial access SSB time domain length does not need to be set very large. Increasing the time domain resources and transmission cycle of SSBs for R20 terminal devices with strong coverage will lead to excessive overhead in the system's common signal, resulting in low transmission efficiency.

[0071] Based on this, this application provides a communication method. This communication method can be applied to a network device (e.g., an access network device) in the communication system shown in FIG1, or to a chip or device of the network device. This application will now describe the communication method applied to a network device as an example. As shown in FIG7, the communication method may include at least the following steps:

[0072] Step S210: The network device determines the first SSB and the second SSB. The duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different. The period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB are also different.

[0073] In some examples, both the first SSB and the second SSB are used for terminal devices to access network devices. The network device determining the first SSB can mean that the first SSB is generated internally within the network device. Similarly, the network device determining the second SSB can mean that the second SSB is generated internally within the network device. The timing of the network device determining the first SSB and the timing of the network device determining the second SSB can be different.

[0074] For example, the communication system can be a system where a future communication system and an NR system are co-located. For instance, the first SSB can be an NR SSB, and the second SSB can be an R20 SSB. The NR SSB can be used for NR terminal devices to access NR network devices. The R20 SSB can be used for R20 terminal devices to access R20 network devices. The terminal device can be an NR terminal device or an R20 terminal device.

[0075] For example, the communication system can be a future communication system. For instance, the communication system can be an R20 environment IoT system. The NR system and the R20 IoT system may no longer share an SSB; the first SSB and the second SSB are different from the NR SSB. Both the first SSB and the second SSB can be R20 SSBs. The terminal device can be an R20 terminal device, and the network device can be an R20 access network device within the R20 network equipment.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8, the R20 SSB may include an SS and a PBCH. The SS of the R20 SSB may include a time synchronization signal (TSS) and a frequency synchronization signal (FSS). The TSS can be used to determine the timing start of the PBCH. The FSS can be used by the terminal equipment to perform carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration; the FSS can be an optional signal. The R20 SSB may also include a PBCH, which is used to indicate the frame number and / or other timing information such as the frame number.

[0077] In other examples, the duration of the first SSB can refer to the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB. The duration of the second SSB can refer to the time-domain resources carrying the second SSB. The difference between the period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB can mean that the period at which the network device sends the first SSB and the period at which the network device sends the second SSB are different.

[0078] Step S220: The network device sends first information, which is used to indicate the duration and period of the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0079] In some examples, the first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: the duration and period of a first SSB, and the duration and period of a second SSB. That is, the first information is used to indicate the duration and period of the first SSB; or, the first information is used to indicate the duration and period of the second SSB; or, the first information is used to indicate both the duration and period of the first SSB and the duration and period of the second SSB. The first information is used by the terminal device to determine the duration and period of the SSB. Thus, the terminal device can receive the SSB based on the period and duration indicated by the first information.

[0080] Step S230: The network device sends the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0081] In some examples, when a network device sends a first SSB, it can mean that the network device sends the first SSB according to its period and duration. Similarly, when a network device sends a second SSB, it can mean that the network device sends the second SSB according to its period and duration. The time at which the network device sends the first SSB and the time at which the network device sends the second SSB can be different.

[0082] In this embodiment, the network device can acquire multiple SSBs, such as a first SSB and a second SSB. The duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different. The period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB are also different. The network device sends first information to indicate the duration and period of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. When the second SSB has a longer duration, the time domain resources carrying the second SSB are larger, which is beneficial for terminal devices with poor coverage to receive the second SSB. Furthermore, the period of the second SSB can be set to be larger, so that the proportion of the time domain resources of the second SSB within the period is not too high. On the one hand, terminal devices with poor coverage do not need to be frequently woken up to receive the second SSB; on the other hand, it will not affect the interaction of other data or signaling between the network device and the terminal devices with poor coverage. Therefore, the power consumption and complexity of terminal device communication can be reduced. When the first SSB has a shorter duration, the time domain resources carrying the target SSB are smaller. Since the number of SSBs that a terminal device with strong coverage needs to receive within one SSB transmission period is not large, the terminal device with strong coverage can receive the first SSB. Furthermore, the period of the first SSB can be set to be shorter, resulting in lower access latency for terminal devices with stronger coverage. Therefore, the overhead of the system's common signal can be reduced, improving transmission efficiency. In summary, this implementation can adaptively adjust the SSB transmission period and the time-domain resources used according to the needs of different terminal devices. Network devices can transmit either a first SSB or a second SSB that matches the terminal device. This ensures the transmission performance of the SSB, the network overhead of the system's SSB, and the access efficiency of terminal devices with different coverage levels.

[0083] In some possible implementations, the time-frequency structures of the first SSB and the second SSB are different. The difference in time-frequency structure includes at least one of the following: the number of RBs occupied in the frequency domain of the first SSB and the second SSB are different; the number of OFDM symbols occupied in the time domain of the first SSB and the second SSB are different.

[0084] In some examples, the first SSB and the second SSB can be SSBs from different communication systems. The first SSB and the second SSB may contain different types of information. In other words, the cell structures of the first SSB and the second SSB may be different. Alternatively, the first SSB and the second SSB may be constructed differently. For example, the first SSB may be an NR SSB, and the second SSB may be an R20 SSB.

[0085] For example, the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the second SSB is less than the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the first SSB. For instance, the first SSB occupies 20 RBs, and the second SSB occupies 3 RBs. In this embodiment, the second SSB's PBCH occupies fewer frequency domain resources, freeing up more frequency domain resources for other data or signaling.

[0086] For example, the number of RBs occupied by the PBCH carrying the first SSB is greater than the number of RBs occupied by the PBCH carrying the second SSB. For instance, the PBCH of the first SSB occupies 20 RBs, and the PBCH of the second SSB occupies 3 RBs.

[0087] For example, the number of RBs occupied by the SS carrying the first SSB is greater than the number of RBs occupied by the SS carrying the second SSB. For instance, the SS of the first SSB occupies 12 RBs, and the SS of the second SSB occupies 3 RBs.

[0088] For example, the number of frequency domain resources occupied by the SS carrying the second SSB is equal to the number of frequency domain resources occupied by the PBCH carrying the second SSB. In this embodiment, the PBCH of the second SSB occupies fewer frequency domain resources, freeing up more frequency domain resources for other data or signaling.

[0089] For example, the number of OFDM symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the second SSB is greater than the number of OFDM symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB. In this embodiment, the second SSB occupies more time-domain resources, which is beneficial for terminal devices with poor coverage to detect the second SSB and improve communication efficiency.

[0090] Optionally, the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB occupy Q time-domain units, and the time-domain resources of the second SSB occupy P time-domain units, where P is a positive integer, Q is a positive integer, and Q < P. Optionally, the time-domain unit can be any of the following: radio frame, frame, subframe, half-frame, slot, micro-slot, or symbol. For example, the first SSB occupies 4 OFDM symbols. The second SSB occupies P OFDM symbols, where P > 4. Another example is that the second SSB occupies P half-frame durations in the time domain, where P = 1 or P = 2. Yet another example is that the second SSB and the first SSB are located within the same half-frame. The second SSB occupies P slot durations in the time domain, where P ≤ 3, and the second SSB occupies 2 slot durations in the time domain. Yet another example is that the second SSB occupies P*14 or P*5*14 OFDM symbols. In this embodiment, the time-domain resources of the first and second SSBs can be configured in various ways, providing greater flexibility.

[0091] In some examples, the first SSB and the second SSB can be SSBs of the same communication system. The first SSB and the second SSB include the same type of information. In other words, the first SSB and the second SSB have the same cell structure. Or, the first SSB and the second SSB have the same construction. For example, both the first SSB and the second SSB are R20 SSBs. The first SSB and the second SSB occupy different numbers of time-domain units. The time-frequency structure of the first SSB and the second SSB can refer to the aforementioned time-frequency structure, which will not be repeated here in the embodiments of this application.

[0092] In this embodiment, the time-frequency structures of the first SSB and the second SSB are different. The first SSB and the second SSB can be configured with corresponding time-frequency structures according to the needs of the terminal device, and are not limited to having the same time-frequency structure. This can improve communication efficiency.

[0093] In some possible implementations, the duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different, which can be achieved in a variety of ways.

[0094] In the first approach, the difference in the duration of the first SSB and the second SSB can refer to the difference in the channel coding rate of the first SSB and the channel coding rate of the second SSB.

[0095] For example, the encoding method of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may include convolutional coding. Specifically, the network device may use convolutional coding to encode the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. The network device can configure multiple coding rates. The configuration set of channel coding rates can be {2 / 3, 1 / 3, 1 / 6}. The network device can select parameters from multiple channel coding rate configuration sets as the channel coding rates of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the channel coding rate of the second SSB can be 1 / 3, and the channel coding rate of the first SSB can be 2 / 3. In this example, the encoding method of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may include convolutional coding. The encoding method of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is not limited to the same or different encoding method as the NR SSB; it can be encoded according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0096] For example, the encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may include polar coding. Specifically, the network device may use polar coding to encode the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. The network device can configure multiple coding rates. The configuration set of channel coding rates can be {1 / 2, 1 / 4, 1 / 8}. The network device can select parameters from multiple channel coding rate configuration sets as the channel coding rates of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the channel coding rate of the second SSB can be 1 / 4, and the channel coding rate of the first SSB can be 1 / 2. In this example, the first SSB and / or the second SSB may be encoded without input bit interleaving or block interleaving, and one or more rate matching methods. In this example, the encoding scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB may be the same as that of the NR SSB, such as including polar coding, but the first SSB and / or the second SSB may not have input bit interleaving or block interleaving. The encoding method of the first SSB and / or the second SSB can be customized according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0097] In the second approach, the time lengths of the first SSB and the second SSB differ, which can mean that the number of repetitions of the PBCH in the first SSB is different from the number of repetitions of the PBCH in the second SSB. The number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: the number of block repetitions, the number of bit repetitions, and the number of chip repetitions.

[0098] For example, the first SSB and / or the second SSB can employ a block repetition transmission method. The network device can configure multiple block repetition counts. The configuration set for the block repetition count can be {1, 2, 4, 8, 16}. The network device can select parameters from multiple block repetition count configuration sets as the block repetition count for the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the block repetition count for the second SSB can be 2, and the block repetition count for the first SSB can be 1. The bit repetition transmission method can be referenced from the block repetition transmission method, and will not be elaborated further in this embodiment.

[0099] For example, the network device can configure multiple PBCH chip lengths for the first SSB and / or the second SSB. The configuration set of PBCH chip lengths can be {1, 2, 4, 8}. The network device can select parameters from multiple chip length configuration sets as the PBCH chip lengths of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the PBCH chip length of the second SSB can be 2, and the PBCH chip length of the first SSB can be 1. Optionally, the modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB can include OOK modulation. The PBCH chip length can be the number of OOK chips included in one OFDM symbol. In this example, the modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB can include OOK modulation. The modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is not limited to the same or different modulation scheme as the NR SSB, and can be modulated according to the needs of the terminal device, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0100] In the third approach, both the first SSB and the second SSB include a TSS. The time length of the first SSB differs from that of the second SSB, meaning the time length of the TSS in the first SSB differs from that in the second SSB. The time length includes at least one of the following: sequence repetition count, sequence length, and chip length.

[0101] For example, the network device can configure multiple sequence repetition counts for the TSS. The configuration set for the TSS sequence repetition count can be {1, 2, 4, 8}. The network device can select parameters from multiple sequence repetition count configuration sets as the sequence repetition count for the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the sequence repetition count for the TSS of the second SSB can be 2, and the sequence repetition count for the TSS of the first SSB can be 1.

[0102] As another example, the network device can configure multiple sequence lengths for the TSS. The configuration set of TSS sequence lengths can be {{4 or 6 or 8, 8 or 12 or 16, 16 or 24 or 32, 64 or 128}. The network device can select parameters from multiple sequence length configuration sets as the sequence length of the TSS for the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0103] As another example, the network device can configure multiple chip lengths for the TSS. The configuration set of chip lengths can be {1, 2, 4, 8}. The network device can select parameters from multiple chip length configuration sets as the chip length of the TSS for the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the chip length of the TSS for the second SSB can be 2, and the chip length of the TSS for the first SSB can be 1. Optionally, the modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB can include OOK modulation. The chip length of the TSS can be the number of OOK chips included in one OFDM symbol.

[0104] In the fourth approach, both the first SSB and the second SSB include an FSS (Fragment Subsidiary Symbol). The time length of the first SSB differs from that of the second SSB, meaning the time length of the FSS in the first SSB differs from that in the second SSB. The time length includes at least one of the following: the number of OFDM symbols occupied and the chip length.

[0105] For example, a network device can configure multiple durations for the FSS (Freezing Service). The configuration set for the FSS duration can be {1ms, 2ms, 4ms}. The network device can select parameters from these multiple duration configuration sets as the FSS duration for the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, the FSS duration for the second SSB can be 2ms, and the FSS duration for the first SSB can be 1ms.

[0106] For example, the network device can configure the number of OFDM symbols for multiple FSSs. The configuration set of OFDM symbol numbers for the FSS of an R20 SSB can be {14, 28, 42} or {12, 24, 48}. The network device can select parameters from multiple OFDM symbol number configuration sets as the number of OFDM symbols for the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0107] The numbers listed above for the different time lengths of the first SSB and the second SSB are only used to indicate the different methods and not to indicate the priority among multiple methods.

[0108] In this example, SSBs of different durations can be implemented by setting a set of parameters for the first SSB and / or the second SSB, including the channel coding rate, block repetition count of the PBCH, bit repetition count, chip repetition count, sequence repetition count of the TSS, sequence length, chip length, and the number of OFDM symbols or chip length occupied by the FSS. Network devices can modify these parameters to obtain the first and / or second SSBs. Therefore, the method by which network devices determine the first and / or second SSBs is relatively simple.

[0109] In some examples, the transmission period of the second SSB can be longer than that of the first SSB. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the transmission period of the second SSB can be 160ms, and the transmission period of the first SSB can be 40ms. The network device can first transmit the second SSB according to the transmission period of the second SSB. After several transmission periods of the second SSB, the network device can transmit the first SSB according to the transmission period of the first SSB. Optionally, the number of second SSBs in one transmission period of the second SSB is greater than the number of first SSBs in one transmission period of the first SSB. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the number of second SSBs in each transmission period of the second SSB can be 8. The number of first SSBs in each transmission period of the first SSB can be 2.

[0110] In some possible implementations, the first information may be different from the first SSB and the second SSB. The network device may send the first information first, and then send the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0111] In other possible implementations, the first information may be carried in the first SSB and / or the second SSB. The network device may transmit the first information to the terminal device when sending the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0112] In some examples, network devices can configure multiple transmission periods for a target SSB based on the capabilities of the terminal device, and / or configure multiple time-domain resources carrying the SSB based on the capabilities of the terminal device. Capabilities may include coverage capabilities or other performance characteristics. For example, terminal devices are divided into different coverage levels, each coverage level matching the transmission period of an SSB, and each coverage level matching a time-domain resource used to carry the SSB. For example, the transmission period of the SSB could be 20ms, 80ms, 160ms, or 320ms, etc. As another example, the time-domain resources carrying the SSB could be 5ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, etc. The first SSB and / or the second SSB can be selected from the configured options.

[0113] In some examples, when the terminal device searches for an SSB for the first time, it can perform the search according to a preset period (or without a preset period). After receiving the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the terminal device can search for SSBs again according to the transmission period and duration of the first SSB and / or the second SSB indicated by the first information.

[0114] In some examples, the first information indicating the duration of the first SSB and / or the first SSB further includes: the first information being carried in at least one of the following: the PBCH in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; downlink control information (DCI) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; the SS in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; the corresponding SIB in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; and the control element (CE) of the media access control (MAC) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0115] In some examples, in NR systems, SS can be used to indicate the cell ID. In R20 IoT systems, SS can be used to indicate the cell ID, and can also be used to indicate at least one of the following: the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the duration of the first SSB, and the duration of the second SSB.

[0116] For example, SS may specifically include the cyclic shift values ​​of SS, and / or the generator polynomial of SS. The cyclic shift values ​​may also be represented as a set of cyclic shifts.

[0117] For example, an SS can carry multiple cyclic shift values. One cyclic shift value corresponds to one transmission period of an SSB, or a cyclic shift value is used to indicate a time-domain resource carrying an SSB. In an NR system, the relationship between the cyclic shift value of an SS and the cell ID is: d PSS (n) = 1 - 2x(m). Where m is the cyclic shift value and n is the sequence number. In the R20 IoT system, the cyclic shift value m of the SS can represent the period: m = (n + 11 * Y) mod 31. Here, Y can be a constant, and mod 31 indicates that the SS sequence is 31 units long. Different values ​​of Y can yield different periods. For example, the transmission period of the first or second SSB can be 20ms, 80ms, 160ms, or 320ms, etc., and the number of bit repetitions or block repetitions of the first or second SSB can be 1, 2, 4, or 8, etc.

[0118] For example, an SS can have multiple SS sequences. One SS sequence corresponds to the transmission period of one SSB, or an SS sequence is used to indicate a time-domain resource carrying an SSB.

[0119] In other examples, in an NR system, the PBCH can be used to indicate information related to the time-frequency resources of SIB1. In an R20 environment IoT system, the PBCH can be used to indicate information related to the time-frequency resources of SIB1, and can also be used to indicate at least one of the transmission period of the SSB and the time-domain resources used to carry the SSB. Exemplarily, some fields in the PBCH can be used to indicate at least one of the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the time length used for the first SSB, and the time length of the second SSB.

[0120] In some other examples, in NR systems, the SSB does not include DCI and MAC CE. In R20 environment IoT systems, DCI and / or MAC CE are added to the first SSB and / or the second SSB to indicate at least one of the following: the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the time length used for the first SSB, and the time length of the second SSB.

[0121] In some examples, the first information may indicate multiple pieces of information, such as the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. These multiple pieces of information may reside in the same message of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, or they may reside in different messages of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. For example, all of these multiple pieces of information may be located in the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. Alternatively, some of these multiple pieces of information may be located in the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and another portion may be located in the SS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0122] In this embodiment, the first information may include the original SS and PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, reusing the original information to indicate at least one of the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the time length used for the first SSB, and the time length of the second SSB. Thus, the structure of the first SSB and / or the second SSB is relatively simple. The first information may also include newly added DCI and MAC CE in the first SSB and / or the second SSB, using the added information to indicate at least one of the transmission period of the first SSB, the transmission period of the second SSB, the time length used for the first SSB, and the time length of the second SSB. Thus, the first SSB and / or the second SSB can implement multiple functions.

[0123] In some possible implementations, the first information is specifically used to indicate at least one of the following: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

[0124] The number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: block repetitions, bit repetitions, and chip repetitions; the time length of the TSS includes at least one of the following: sequence repetitions, sequence length, and chip length; the time length of the FSS includes at least one of the following: number of OFDM symbols occupied and chip length.

[0125] In some examples, when the first information is used to indicate the number of times the first SSB and / or the second SSB is repeated, the first information is also used to indicate the index of the field position of the number of times the first SSB and / or the second SSB is repeated.

[0126] In this embodiment, the terminal device can obtain at least one of the following pieces of information through the first information: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, thereby obtaining the time-domain resources used to carry the first SSB and / or the second SSB. This can improve the communication efficiency between the network device and the terminal device.

[0127] In some possible implementations, the network device may send an SSB that matches the terminal device, based on the instructions of the terminal device.

[0128] In some examples, the communication method may further include step S201: receiving second information. Exemplarily, the second information is used to indicate the size of the time-domain resources that a terminal device served by the network device can use to receive the SSB. For example, the second information may be information from the terminal device. The second information may be coverage level information of the terminal device.

[0129] Step S210 may include: determining a first SSB or a second SSB based on the second information; and matching the size of the time-domain resource carrying the first SSB or the second SSB with the size of the time-domain resource that can be used to receive the SSB.

[0130] In this implementation, the network device determines the terminal device's needs using second information from the terminal device, thereby determining either the first SSB or the second SSB. This can improve communication efficiency.

[0131] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described above with reference to Figures 7 to 9. A communication device for executing the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to Figure 10. The communication device 100 is applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1. The communication device 100 may include an acquisition module 110 and a transmission module 120.

[0132] In some possible implementations, the acquisition module 110 can be used to determine a first SSB and a second SSB. The descriptions of the first SSB and the second SSB can be found in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. The sending module 120 can be used to send first information. The sending module 120 can also be used to send the first SSB and / or the second SSB determined by the acquisition module 110.

[0133] In some possible implementations, the communication device 100 may further include a receiving module. The receiving module may be used to receive second information, which indicates the size of the time-domain resources that a terminal device served by the network device can use to receive an SSB. Specifically, the acquisition module 110 may be used to determine a first SSB or a second SSB based on the second information; the size of the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB or the second SSB matches the size of the time-domain resources that can be used to receive the SSB.

[0134] It is understood that the communication device 100 may be a network device, such as an access network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in the network device, or a device that includes the network device. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0135] It is understood that each component of the communication device 100 can be used to implement the corresponding steps in the aforementioned method embodiments. Since each step has been described in detail in the aforementioned method embodiments, it will not be repeated here.

[0136] The following description, in conjunction with FIG11, describes another communication apparatus for performing the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication apparatus 200 is applied to the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​The communication apparatus 200 may include a processor 210 and a transceiver 220. Optionally, the communication apparatus 200 may further include a memory 230. The processor 210 is coupled to the memory 230 and the transceiver 220, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus. The processor 210 and the transceiver 220 are used to perform the above-described communication method.

[0137] The processor 210 is the control center of the communication device 200. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 210 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0138] Optionally, the processor 210 can perform various functions of the communication device 200, such as performing the communication method described above, by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 230 and calling data stored in the memory 230.

[0139] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 200 may also include multiple processors 210. Each of these processors 210 may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, processor 210 may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0140] For example, processor 210 may include communication and processing circuitry. This communication and processing circuitry may include one or more hardware components that provide a physical structure that performs various processes related to wireless communication (e.g., signal reception and / or signal transmission). The communication and processing circuitry may include two or more transmit / receive chains. The functions implemented by the communication and processing circuitry may also be processed on a computer-readable medium.

[0141] The memory 230 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 210 and the transceiver 220. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0142] Optionally, the memory 230 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), 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, but not limited thereto. The memory 230 may be integrated with the processor 210 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 210 through the interface circuit of the communication device 200 (not shown in FIG. 11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0143] Transceiver 220 is used for communication with other communication devices 200. For example, if communication device 200 is a terminal device, transceiver 220 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 200 is a network device, transceiver 220 can be used to communicate with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0144] Optionally, transceiver 220 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 11). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0145] Optionally, the transceiver 220 can be integrated with the processor 210 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 210 through the interface circuit of the communication device 200 (not shown in FIG11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0146] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 200 shown in Figure 11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device 200. The actual communication device 200 may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0147] It is understood that the communication device 200 may be a network device, such as an access network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in the network device, or a device that includes the network device. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0148] It is understood that each component of the communication device 200 can be used to implement the corresponding steps in the aforementioned method embodiments. Since each step has been described in detail in the aforementioned method embodiments, it will not be repeated here.

[0149] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. When the medium is run on a device (e.g., a microcontroller, chip, computer, or processor), the program code can be invoked by the processor to execute one or more steps in the above method embodiments.

[0150] Based on this understanding, this application also provides a computer program product containing instructions. 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. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or its processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0152] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of 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 device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or modules, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0153] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one device, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one device.

[0154] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: The first SSB and the second SSB are determined; the duration of the first SSB and the duration of the second SSB are different; the period of the first SSB and the period of the second SSB are different. Send a first message, which indicates the duration and period of the first SSB and / or the second SSB; Send the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first SSB and the second SSB have different time-frequency structures; the different time-frequency structures include at least one of the following: The first SSB and the second SSB occupy different numbers of RBs in the frequency domain; The first SSB and the second SSB occupy different numbers of OFDM symbols in the time domain.

3. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The time lengths of the first SSB and the second SSB are different, satisfying at least one of the following: The channel coding code rate of the first SSB is different from that of the second SSB; Both the first SSB and the second SSB include a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). The number of repetitions of the PBCH in the first SSB and the number of repetitions of the PBCH in the second SSB are different. The number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: block repetitions, bit repetitions, and chip repetitions. Both the first SSB and the second SSB include a time synchronization signal (TSS). The duration of the TSS in the first SSB and the duration of the TSS in the second SSB are different. The duration of the TSS includes at least one of the following: sequence repetition count, sequence length, and chip length. The TSS is used to determine the timing start of the PBCH. Both the first SSB and the second SSB include a frequency synchronization signal FSS. The duration of the FSS in the first SSB is different from that in the second SSB. The duration of the FSS includes at least one of the following: the number of OFDM symbols occupied and the chip length. The FSS is used for carrier frequency error (CFO) calibration.

4. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first information indicating the duration of the first SSB and / or the first SSB further includes: the first information being carried in at least one of the following: PBCH in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; Downlink control information (DCI) in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; Synchronization signal SS in the first SSB and / or the second SSB; The System Information Block (SIB) corresponding to the first SSB and / or the second SSB.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first SSB and the second SSB include a physical broadcast channel PBCH, a time synchronization signal TSS, and a frequency synchronization signal FSS; The first information is specifically used to indicate at least one of the following: the channel coding code rate of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the number of repetitions of the PBCH of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, the duration of the TSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB, and the duration of the FSS of the first SSB and / or the second SSB. The number of repetitions includes at least one of the following: block repetitions, bit repetitions, and chip repetitions; the time length of the TSS includes at least one of the following: sequence repetitions, sequence length, and chip length; the time length of the FSS includes at least one of the following: number of OFDM symbols occupied and chip length.

6. The communication method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The synchronization signal includes the cyclic shift value and / or generator polynomial of the synchronization signal.

7. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The modulation scheme of the first SSB and / or the second SSB includes on-off keying (OOK) modulation; and / or, The encoding methods of the first SSB and / or the second SSB include convolutional coding or polar coding.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the synchronization signal in the second SSB is equal to the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the physical broadcast channel in the second SSB.

9. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the second SSB is less than the number of resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the frequency domain resources carrying the first SSB.

10. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The number of OFDM symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the second SSB is greater than the number of OFDM symbols occupied by the time-domain resources carrying the first SSB.

11. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The time-domain resources carrying the first SSB and / or the second SSB occupy P time-domain units, where P is a positive integer.

12. The communication method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The time-domain unit is any of the following: a radio frame, a frame, a subframe, a half-frame, a time slot, a micro-time slot, or a symbol.

13. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information, the second information being used to indicate the size of the time domain resources that the terminal device served by the network device can use to receive SSB; The determination of the first SSB and the second SSB includes: Based on the second information, the first SSB or the second SSB is determined; the size of the time-domain resource carrying the first SSB or the second SSB is matched with the size of the time-domain resource that can be used to receive the SSB.

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

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver; the processor and the transceiver are configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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