Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. In the method, after acquiring a first COT, a first terminal device can send a request message to a network device, so that upon reception of first information from the network device, the first terminal device can use a resource corresponding to the first COT to directly send the first information to a second terminal device. In this way, a communication delay due to the fact that a first terminal device acquires a COT after receiving first information from a network device can be avoided. In addition, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device on the basis of a first COT, so that the problem of mismatch of the volume of information received from the network device and the volume that can be transmitted within a COT acquired by the first terminal device is avoided, thereby improving the resource utilization rate.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411998971.X, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on December 31, 2024, entitled "A Method and Device for Communication", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Tethering is a network sharing technology that refers to sharing the cellular network connected to a terminal device (referred to as terminal 1) wirelessly or via wired means with other terminal devices (referred to as terminal 2) that do not have a cellular module. Terminal 2 can communicate with the base station through terminal 1. Terminal 2 can be referred to as the tethered device of terminal 1.

[0004] In a tethering scenario, terminal 1 can forward data from the base station to terminal 2, or vice versa. When terminal 1 transmits data, it may cause a large transmission delay. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method that can reduce communication latency.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first terminal device. Specifically, it can be executed by the first terminal device or by a component of the first terminal device (such as a chip, circuit, or chip system).

[0007] The method includes: obtaining a first channel occupancy time (COT); sending a request message to a network device based on the first COT, the request message being used to request first information; receiving the first information from the network device; and sending the first information to a second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, wherein the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate with each other based on short-range communication technology.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, after the first terminal device obtains the first COT, it can send a request message to the network device, so that after the first terminal device receives the first information from the network device, it can directly send the first information to the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT. This can avoid the communication delay caused by the first terminal device obtaining the COT after receiving the first information from the network device.

[0009] On the other hand, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device based on the first COT, avoiding the problem of mismatch between the size of the information received from the network device and the size that the acquired COT can transmit, thus improving the utilization rate of resources.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the request message includes at least one of the following: time-domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT, and information about the amount of information in the first information. This allows the network device to determine the amount of information in the first information requested by the first terminal device based on the request message.

[0011] In some implementations, the request message includes time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, so that the network device can determine the appropriate time to send the first information to the first terminal device based on the time interval information, so that the first terminal device can send the first information on the resource corresponding to the first COT after receiving the first information.

[0012] In some implementations, the request message includes identification information of the second terminal device, so that the network device can determine the second terminal device corresponding to the first information based on the identification information, and thus the network device can send the first information related to the second terminal device.

[0013] For example, obtaining the first COT includes: competing to obtain the first COT through a listen-before-speak mechanism; or, receiving the first COT from a second terminal device.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, the COT resources acquired by the first terminal device can be used for downlink transmission to the second terminal device, or the COT resources of the second terminal device can be shared with the first terminal device for downlink transmission from the first terminal device to it. This enables resource sharing of unlicensed spectrum and helps to improve resource utilization.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, sending a request message to the network device based on the first COT includes: sending a request message to the network device when the duration of the first COT exceeds a first threshold.

[0016] This avoids the signaling overhead caused by frequently sending request messages, saves power consumption, and can also improve communication efficiency to some extent.

[0017] Secondly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a network device, specifically, it can be executed by the network device or by components of the network device (such as chips, circuits, or chip systems).

[0018] The method includes: receiving a request message from a first terminal device; sending first information to the first terminal device according to the request message, wherein the first information is information that the first terminal device needs to send to a second terminal device, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate with each other based on short-range communication technology.

[0019] For example, the request message includes at least one of the following: time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information about the amount of information of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, and identification information of the second terminal device, wherein the resources corresponding to the first COT are used by the first terminal device to send the first information to the second terminal device.

[0020] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of the second aspect and its implementation can be referenced from the first aspect.

[0021] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a first terminal device. Specifically, it can be executed by the first terminal device or by components of the first terminal device (such as chips, circuits, or chip systems).

[0022] The method includes: acquiring a first COT, the resources corresponding to the first COT being used for communication between a first terminal device and a second terminal device based on short-range communication technology; sending a request message to a network device according to the first COT, the request message being used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources being used for the first terminal device to send first information to the network device; and receiving uplink authorization information from the network device, the uplink authorization information including an indication to uplink the transmission resources.

[0023] Based on the above scheme, after the first terminal device obtains the first COT, it can send a request message to the network device. This allows the first terminal device to send the first information to the network device directly through the requested uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information from the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT. This avoids the communication delay caused by the first terminal device obtaining uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information from the second terminal device.

[0024] On the other hand, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device according to the first COT, avoiding the problem that the size of the information received from the second terminal device is mismatched with the size that the acquired uplink resources can transmit, thus improving the utilization rate of resources.

[0025] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: sending COT indication information to the second terminal device, the COT indication information being used to indicate the first COT; receiving first information from the second terminal device using the resource corresponding to the first COT; and sending the first information to the network device on the uplink transmission resource.

[0026] Based on the above scheme, the first terminal device can obtain uplink transmission resources in advance. After receiving the first information from the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT, it can directly send the first information to the network device through the requested uplink transmission resources, which helps to reduce communication latency and improve communication performance.

[0027] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the request message includes at least one of the following: time-domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT, information about the size of the first information, and pre-emptive buffer status reporting (pre-emptive BSR) information. This allows the network device to determine the size of the uplink transmission resources requested by the first terminal device based on the request message.

[0028] In some implementations, the request message includes an uplink authorization request, which can be used to request the base station to allocate uplink transmission resources. Based on this request, the network device can learn that the first terminal device has an uplink transmission requirement.

[0029] In some implementations, the request message includes time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, so that the network device can determine the time domain information of the uplink transmission resources allocated to the first terminal device based on the time interval information, so that the first terminal device can send the first information on the uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information.

[0030] In some implementations, the request message includes identification information of the second terminal device, so that the network device can determine the second terminal device corresponding to the first information based on the identification information, and thus the network device can send the first information related to the second terminal device.

[0031] In conjunction with the third aspect, some implementation methods for obtaining the first COT include: competing to obtain the first COT through a "listen first, speak later" mechanism.

[0032] Based on the above scheme, the COT resources obtained by the first terminal device can be used for downlink transmission to the second terminal device, which enables resource sharing of unlicensed spectrum and helps to improve resource utilization.

[0033] For example, sending a request message to a network device according to a first COT includes: sending a request message to a network device if the duration of the first COT is greater than a first threshold.

[0034] This avoids the signaling overhead caused by frequently sending request messages, saves power consumption, and can also improve communication efficiency to some extent.

[0035] Fourthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a network device, specifically, it can be executed by the network device or by components of the network device (such as chips, circuits, or chip systems).

[0036] The method includes: receiving a request message from a first terminal device, the request message being used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources being used to receive first information from the first terminal device, the first information being information sent from a second terminal device to the first terminal device, the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicating based on short-range communication technology; and sending uplink authorization information to the first terminal device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

[0037] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the method further includes: receiving first information from the first terminal device on the uplink transmission resource.

[0038] For example, the request message includes at least one of the following: an uplink authorization request, time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information about the amount of information of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, identification information of the second terminal device, and pre-occupancy BSR information; wherein, the resources corresponding to the first COT are used by the second terminal device to send the first information to the first terminal device.

[0039] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of the fourth aspect and its implementation can be referenced from the third aspect.

[0040] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, which may be a first terminal device or a component of the first terminal device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). The device includes units or modules for performing the methods provided in the first aspect or its implementations.

[0041] Specifically, the device includes: a processing unit for acquiring a first COT; a transceiver unit for sending a request message to a network device according to the first COT, the request message being used to request first information; the transceiver unit is also used for: receiving the first information from the network device; the transceiver unit is also used for: sending the first information to a second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicating based on short-range communication technology.

[0042] For example, the processing unit is specifically used to: compete for a first COT through a listen-then-speak mechanism; or to receive a first COT from a second terminal device.

[0043] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: send a request message to the network device when the duration of the first COT exceeds the first threshold.

[0044] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which may be a network device or a component of a network device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). The apparatus includes units or modules for performing the methods provided in the second aspect or its implementations described above.

[0045] Specifically, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving a request message from a first terminal device; and a processing unit for sending first information to the first terminal device according to the request message, wherein the first information is information that the first terminal device needs to send to a second terminal device, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate with each other based on short-range communication technology.

[0046] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a first terminal device or a component of the first terminal device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). The device includes units or modules for performing the methods provided in the third aspect or its implementations described above.

[0047] Specifically, the device includes: a processing unit, configured to acquire a first COT, the resources corresponding to the first COT being used for communication between a first terminal device and a second terminal device based on short-range communication technology; a transceiver unit, configured to send a request message to a network device according to the first COT, the request message being used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources being used by the first terminal device to send first information to the network device; the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive uplink authorization information from the network device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of uplinking the transmission resources.

[0048] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is further configured to: send COT indication information to the second terminal device, the COT indication information being used to indicate the first COT; the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive first information from the second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT; and the transceiver unit is further configured to: send the first information to the network device on the uplink transmission resource.

[0049] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in some implementations, this processing unit is specifically used to: compete for the first COT through a listen-then-speak mechanism.

[0050] For example, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to: send a request message to the network device when the duration of the first COT exceeds a first threshold.

[0051] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided, which may be a network device or a component of a network device (e.g., a chip, circuit, or chip system). The apparatus includes units or modules for performing the methods provided in the fourth aspect or its implementations described above.

[0052] Specifically, the device includes: a transceiver unit, configured to receive a request message from a first terminal device, the request message being used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources being used to receive first information from the first terminal device, the first information being information sent from a second terminal device to the first terminal device, the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicating based on short-range communication technology; the transceiver unit is further configured to: send uplink authorization information to the first terminal device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

[0053] In conjunction with the eighth aspect, in some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive first information from the first terminal device on the uplink transmission resource.

[0054] It should be understood that for any details not fully described in aspects five through eight, please refer to aspects one through four.

[0055] A ninth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor for executing a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to perform the method provided in any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations. Optionally, the device further comprises a memory for storing the program or instructions.

[0056] In one implementation, the device is a first terminal device or a network device.

[0057] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a first terminal device or network device.

[0058] When the method provided in this application is executed by a chip, this application does not limit the specific number of chips implementing the method. For example, it can be executed by one chip, or by two or more chips. Furthermore, when the number of chips implementing the method is two or more, the chip manufacturers are not limited; they can be from the same manufacturer or different manufacturers.

[0059] For example, the device includes a communication interface through which the at least one processor obtains a computer program or instructions stored in a memory. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0060] In a tenth aspect, a processor is provided for performing the methods provided in the foregoing aspects.

[0061] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0062] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores program code for execution by a node, the program code including methods for performing any of the above aspects or implementations thereof.

[0063] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided in any of the foregoing aspects or their implementations.

[0064] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least two of the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the network device described above.

[0065] It should be understood that the beneficial effects of aspects five through thirteen and any of their implementations can be referenced from aspects one through four and any of their implementations. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figures 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of the architecture of the communication system used in the embodiments of this application.

[0067] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a tethering scenario.

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0069] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 provided in this application.

[0070] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic block diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0071] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200 and an Internet 300.

[0072] RAN100 may include at least one RAN node (as shown in Figure 1, 110a and 110b, collectively referred to as 110), and at least one terminal (as shown in Figure 1, 120a-120j, collectively referred to as 120). RAN100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating some or all of the logical functions of the core network equipment and some or all of the logical functions of the RAN node.

[0073] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0074] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminals access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), relay nodes, or donor nodes.

[0075] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's radio resource control (RRC) protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) function. The DU performs the functions of the base station's radio link control (RLC) layer and medium access control (MAC) layer, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer (PHY) functions, as shown in Figure 2(a). For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception functions. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, for example, integrated into the baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU).

[0076] The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane (CU-CP) and CU-user plane (CU-UP). When the CU is divided into CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the functions of the RRC layer and the control plane (PDCP-control plane, PDCP-C) function of the PDCP layer. CU-UP is used to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane (PDCP-user plane, PDCP-U) function of the PDCP layer, as shown in Figure 2(b).

[0077] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the functions implemented by CU and DU in the O-RAN system. In Figure 2, E1 is the interface between CU-CP and CU-UP, F1 is the interface between CU and DU, F1-C is the interface between CU-CP and DU, and F1-U is the interface between CU-UP and DU.

[0078] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the O-RAN system. As shown in Figure 3, the O-RAN node can include CU, DU and RU. The CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, the DU connects the CU and RU, and the RU is used to communicate directly with the terminal.

[0079] In different systems, RAN nodes can have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU), a CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), and a CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-UP). In this application, the RAN node can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN node.

[0080] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals 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. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

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

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

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

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

[0085] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection with a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell.

[0086] It should be understood that the above network architecture is only an example, and the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other network architectures.

[0087] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a brief explanation of several basic terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be provided.

[0088] 1. Tethering

[0089] Tethering, meaning to connect, tether, or bind, refers to a network sharing technology in the field of communications. Specifically, assuming terminal 1 has a cellular module and can access a cellular network, tethering technology allows terminal 1 to share its connected cellular network wirelessly or via wired connection with other terminal devices (terminal 2) that do not have cellular modules. Terminal 2 can then communicate with the base station through terminal 1, meaning it can use terminal 1's cellular network for packet data transmission. Terminal 1, providing tethering functionality, can be called a tethering device, and terminal 2, using tethering functionality, can be called a tethered device. Furthermore, users can enable tethering functionality on terminal 1 via commands; users of devices with tethering functionality can be called tethering users. The communication scenario consisting of terminal 1, terminal 2, and the base station can be called a tethering scenario. The cellular module can be a module that supports cellular networks, and the cellular network can be a third-generation mobile communication system (3G). thThe network provided by 3G, the network provided by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, and the fifth-generation communication system (5G) th Networks provided by generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, networks provided by future communication systems, etc.

[0090] For future mobile communication systems, tethering functionality has broad and deterministic business needs in areas such as autonomous driving and connected vehicles (e.g., real-time perception services), extended reality (XR) (e.g., interactive cloud gaming, video calls, short videos, movie watching), and artificial intelligence (e.g., chatGPT).

[0091] For example, Figure 4 illustrates a tethering scenario using XR services as an example. As shown in Figure 4, since current mainstream XR devices typically do not have cellular modules but have modules such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) or Bluetooth, and 5G devices (such as mobile phones) also come standard with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth modules, the XR device can connect to the 5G device via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The 5G device can act as an access point, accessing the core network through a base station. During its own data communication, the 5G device can provide cellular network services to the XR device. In this case, the XR device can be referred to as a tethered device of the 5G device.

[0092] For example, the XR device in this application refers to a device that integrates one or more technologies of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). The XR device can be a smart wearable device, such as a head-mounted display or AR glasses, or it can be a non-wearable device, such as an AR tablet or a desktop VR headset.

[0093] 2. Licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum

[0094] Wireless communication systems use two types of spectrum: licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum. In the tethering scenario described above, terminal 2 and terminal 1 can communicate using short-range communication technology, which uses the unlicensed spectrum. Terminal 1 and the base station can communicate using a cellular network, which uses the licensed spectrum.

[0095] Specifically, within the licensed spectrum, terminals utilize spectrum resources based on base station scheduling, and base stations, through contention-free scheduling, ensure controllable network demand guarantees. For instance, base stations can obtain Quality of Service (QoS) parameters from the core network and perform air interface transmission / scheduling based on these QoS parameters to guarantee communication quality.

[0096] In unlicensed spectrum, communication devices can use spectrum resources in a contention-based manner. One possible approach is for communication devices to compete for channels using a listen-before-talk (LBT) mechanism, thereby gaining access to unlicensed spectrum resources. For example, in Wi-Fi networks, regulations require contention-based scheduling, which is a mechanism for preempting resources based on channel access. Because channel access outcomes are random, demand guarantees in Wi-Fi networks are uncontrollable. Table 1 presents some performance test results for Wi-Fi 6.

[0097] Table 1

[0098] As can be seen from the above, the latency and latency jitter in WIFI networks fluctuate greatly, indicating instability.

[0099] 3. LBT

[0100] LBT (Low-Temperature Backoff) is a channel access rule based on random backoff. Before accessing the channel and starting to transmit data, a communication device (e.g., a terminal) senses whether the channel is idle. If the channel has been idle for a certain period, it can be used; otherwise, it must wait for the channel to become idle before it can be used. One possible implementation is that the terminal uses energy-based detection and signal type detection to determine if the channel is idle. For example, regarding energy detection, if the detected energy exceeds a detection threshold, the channel is considered busy, and access is not allowed. If the detected energy is below the detection threshold and remains below it for a certain period, the channel is considered idle, and access is allowed.

[0101] Channel access procedures include Type 1 LBT and Type 2 LBT. Type 1 LBT is a backoff-based LBT; the backoff time is related to the channel access priority class (CAPC), requiring a relatively long channel idle time before the terminal can access the channel. Type 2 LBT only requires a short channel idle time (e.g., 16µs or 25µs) for the terminal to access the channel, primarily used when channel occupancy time (COT) is shared.

[0102] 4. COT

[0103] Channel occupancy (CO) refers to the transmission of a terminal on one or more channels after performing a channel access procedure. If a terminal obtains channel usage rights through LBT (Local Broadcasting Bit), it can occupy that channel for a period of time, which is called COT (Channel Occupancy Time). COT can be a time concept, that is, the time during which the terminal transmits, or the time-domain resources occupied by the terminal's transmission; it can also be a resource concept, that is, the time-frequency resources (i.e., time-domain resources and frequency-domain resources) occupied by the terminal's transmission. Regardless of whether COT is a time concept or a resource concept, COT refers to the resources of unlicensed spectrum.

[0104] Terminals can share Channel Access Points (COTs). For example, if a terminal obtains channel usage rights through a Local Blockchain Access Point (LBT), it can share that channel with other devices; this process is called COT sharing. Specifically, the terminal can share its COT channel usage rights with other devices, meaning it can share the resources corresponding to the COT, including time-domain and frequency-domain resources, with other devices; other devices can then send data through the shared resources.

[0105] In a tethering scenario, terminal 1 can forward data from the base station to terminal 2, or vice versa. However, data transmission from terminal 1 may result in significant latency. Specifically:

[0106] On the one hand, when terminal 1 transmits data to terminal 2, it needs to receive downlink data from the base station first, then perform LBT to obtain COT, and then use the resources corresponding to COT for transmission. This will result in a large data transmission delay.

[0107] On the other hand, after receiving data from terminal 2, terminal 1 needs to obtain transmission resources from the base station before it can perform uplink transmission, which will also lead to a large data transmission delay.

[0108] In view of this, this application provides a communication method and communication apparatus that can reduce communication latency.

[0109] It should be understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to systems that communicate using multi-antenna technology, such as the communication system 1000 shown in FIG1. ​​This communication system may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. The network device and the terminal device can communicate with each other using multi-antenna technology.

[0110] It should also be understood that the embodiments shown below do not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of this application, as long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiments of this application. For example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of this application may be a first terminal device, a second terminal device, and a network device, or it may be a functional module in the first terminal device, the second terminal device, and the network device that can call and execute a program, such as a chip or circuit.

[0111] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 5, the method 500 includes the following steps.

[0112] S510, the first terminal device obtains the first COT.

[0113] The first terminal device acquires the first COT, or in other words, the first terminal device accesses the channel, and can then transmit data within the first COT. There are no restrictions on the method by which the first terminal device acquires the COT.

[0114] In one implementation, the first terminal device can compete for and obtain the first COT through the LBT mechanism. The first COT can be all the COTs obtained through competition, or it can be a portion of the obtained COTs. For example, the first terminal device may obtain the second COT through the LBT mechanism and use a portion of the COTs for data transmission, with the remaining portion being the first COT.

[0115] In another implementation, the first terminal device receives a first COT from another terminal device (such as a second terminal device). For example, the second terminal device can compete for the first COT through the LBT mechanism and share the first COT with the first terminal device. Alternatively, the second terminal device can compete for the third COT through the LBT mechanism, use part of the COT for data transmission, and then share the remaining part (i.e., the first COT) with the first terminal device.

[0116] Optionally, in any of the above implementations, when the first COT is the remaining portion, it means that the first terminal device does not have any data that can be transmitted using the first COT, that is, the first COT is an idle resource.

[0117] For example, the resources corresponding to the first COT can be used for communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on short-range communication technology.

[0118] In this application, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can communicate based on short-range communication technology, or in other words, the first terminal device and the second terminal device can communicate based on non-3GPP access technology. For example, short-range communication technology can be Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sparklink Basic (SLB), Sparklink Low Energy (SLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc. Short-range communication technology can be wireless or wired communication technology, and is not limited thereto.

[0119] S520, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device according to the first COT, and the network device receives the request message accordingly.

[0120] Specifically, this request message is used to request first information. Alternatively, it can be described as a request for information of substantially the same size as the amount of information that the first COT can transmit.

[0121] It should be understood that in method 500, the first information can be either control signaling or data, without restriction. Specifically, when the network device sends the first information to the first terminal device, the network device may not be aware of the existence of the second terminal device. The first information can be understood as downlink information that the network side (such as a base station or core network) needs to send to the first terminal device, meaning its destination is the first terminal device. Optionally, the network device may also be aware of the existence of the second terminal device, or, when the first terminal device sends the first information to the second terminal device, the first information can also be understood as downlink information that the network side (such as a base station or core network) needs to send to the second terminal device, meaning its destination is the second terminal device.

[0122] In this application, the second terminal device may refer to a terminal device without a cellular module, which cannot directly access the network side (such as a base station or core network), such as a smart wearable device, a smart home device, or an XR device. Correspondingly, the first terminal device may refer to a terminal device with a cellular module, which can directly access the network side without the assistance of other terminal devices.

[0123] For example, the first terminal device sending a request message to the network device based on the first COT can mean that the first terminal device sends the request information to the network device when it determines that the first COT is used to transmit information to the second terminal device; or that the request message carries information about the first COT; or that the first terminal device sends the request information to the network device when it obtains the first COT, which can be understood as obtaining the first COT to trigger the sending of the request message.

[0124] For example, the request message includes at least one of the following: time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information about the amount of information of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, and identification information of the second terminal device.

[0125] The time-domain information can be one or more time units in the time domain, such as symbols, slots, subframes, half-frames, frames, microseconds (μs), milliseconds (ms), or seconds (s). The time-domain information corresponding to the first COT refers to the duration of the first COT, as well as its start and / or end times. The frequency-domain information can be one or more frequency-domain units in the frequency domain, such as recourse elements (REs), recourse blocks (RBs), or recourse block groups (RBGs). The frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT refers to the frequency-domain bandwidth corresponding to the first COT, as well as its start and / or end positions. The information size information can be one or more bits or one or more bytes. The time-domain information corresponding to the first COT, the frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT, and the information size information of the first information can all be used by the network device to determine the size of the first information requested by the first terminal device.

[0126] The time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information is used to indicate the time interval between the first terminal device receiving the first information from the network device and the first terminal device sending the first information to the second terminal device. This interval can be simply referred to as the first time interval, which can be one or more time units in the time domain, and can be any of the aforementioned types. This time interval information can be used to represent the data processing capability of the first terminal device, that is, how much time is required for the first terminal device to send out the information after receiving it from the network device. The network device can determine the appropriate time to send the first information to the first terminal device based on this time interval information, so that the first terminal device can send the first information on the resource corresponding to the first COT after receiving the first information.

[0127] For example, a network device may send first information at a first moment, which is before the start time of the first COT and the interval between the first COT start time and the first COT start time is greater than or equal to a first time interval. That is, the network device may send the first information at least one time interval earlier than the start time of the first COT. As another example, the interval between the time when the first terminal device sends the first information to the second terminal device and the time when the first terminal device receives the first information from the network device is greater than or equal to a first time interval.

[0128] The identification information of the second terminal device can be used to identify the second terminal device. For example, the identification information can be an index of the second terminal device. The first terminal device or the network side (such as a base station or core network) can assign a unique index to one or more second terminal devices communicating with it and carry the index in the request message. In this way, the network device can determine the destination device corresponding to the first information based on the index, so that the network device can send the first information related to the second terminal device. Optionally, the identification information can also be the MAC address of the second terminal device, etc.

[0129] In one implementation, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device based on a first COT, including: if the duration of the first COT is greater than a first threshold, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device.

[0130] In this application, the duration of the first COT refers to the length of time the first COT occupies in the time domain, that is, one or more time units in the time domain, which can be any of the types mentioned above. When COT is a time concept, the duration of the first COT is the first COT itself; when COT is a resource concept, the duration of the first COT is the time domain information corresponding to the first COT.

[0131] Specifically, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device when the first COT exists, or it can send a request message to the network device only when the duration of the first COT exceeds a certain threshold. This can avoid the signaling overhead caused by frequently sending request messages, save power consumption, and improve communication efficiency to a certain extent.

[0132] For example, the first threshold may be predefined by the protocol or indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal device, without limitation.

[0133] S530, the network device sends first information to the first terminal device, and the first terminal device receives the first information accordingly.

[0134] Specifically, based on the request message in S520, the network device can send the corresponding first information to the first terminal device.

[0135] Optionally, when sending the first information to the first terminal device, the network device may also simultaneously send other information related to the first terminal device.

[0136] Optionally, when the amount of information cached by the network device is greater than or equal to the amount of information of the first information, the network device can directly send the first information to the first terminal device according to the request message. When the amount of information cached by the network device is less than the amount of information of the first information, the network device can first request the corresponding information from the core network according to the request message, and then send the first information to the first terminal device.

[0137] S540, the first terminal device sends first information to the second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, and the second terminal device receives the first information accordingly.

[0138] The resource corresponding to the first COT can refer to the time-frequency resource corresponding to the first COT.

[0139] Specifically, after receiving the first information, the first terminal device can use the resources corresponding to the first COT to send the first information to the second terminal device.

[0140] It should be understood that the first information sent by the network device to the first terminal device and the first information sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device are essentially the same in content, but the form may be different. For example, the first information sent by the network device to the first terminal device may include the control information or message header necessary for the first terminal device to parse, and the first information sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device may include the control information or message header necessary for the second terminal device to parse.

[0141] Based on the above scheme, after the first terminal device obtains the first COT, it can send a request message to the network device, so that after the first terminal device receives the first information from the network device, it can directly send the first information to the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT. This can avoid the communication delay caused by the first terminal device obtaining the COT after receiving the first information from the network device.

[0142] On the other hand, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device based on the first COT, avoiding the problem of mismatch between the size of the information received from the network device and the size that the acquired COT can transmit, thus improving the utilization rate of resources.

[0143] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 600 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 6, the method 600 includes the following steps.

[0144] S610, the first terminal device obtains the first COT.

[0145] The first terminal device acquires the first COT, or in other words, the first terminal device accesses the channel, and can then transmit data within the first COT. There are no restrictions on the method by which the first terminal device acquires the COT.

[0146] In one implementation, the first terminal device can compete for and obtain the first COT through the LBT mechanism. The first COT can be all the COTs obtained through competition, or it can be a portion of the obtained COTs. For example, the first terminal device may obtain the second COT through the LBT mechanism and use a portion of the COTs for data transmission, with the remaining portion being the first COT.

[0147] Optionally, in the above implementation, when the first COT is the remaining part, it means that the first terminal device does not have any data that can be transmitted using the first COT, that is, the first COT is an idle resource.

[0148] For example, the resources corresponding to the first COT can be used for communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on short-range communication technology. For an introduction to short-range communication technology and the first and second terminal devices, please refer to method 500, which will not be repeated here.

[0149] S620, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device according to the first COT, and the network device receives the request message accordingly.

[0150] Specifically, the request message requests uplink transmission resources, which are used by the first terminal device to send first information to the network device. Alternatively, the request message requests resources capable of carrying information of substantially the same size as the resources corresponding to the first COT; that is, the requested uplink transmission resources can carry information of substantially the same size as the resources corresponding to the first COT.

[0151] It should be understood that the transmission technology between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is different from the transmission technology between the first terminal device and the network device. Therefore, the size of the resource corresponding to the first COT and the size of the uplink transmission resource requested by the request message may be the same or different.

[0152] It should be understood that in method 600, the first information can be either control signaling or data, without restriction. Specifically, when the second terminal device sends the first information to the first terminal device, or when the network device senses the presence of the second terminal device, the first information can be understood as uplink information that the second terminal device needs to send to the network side (such as a base station or core network), meaning its source is the second terminal device. Alternatively, the first information is information generated by the second terminal device. Optionally, when the first terminal device sends the first information to the network device, or when the network device does not sense the presence of the second terminal device, the first information can be understood as uplink information that the first terminal device needs to send to the network side (such as a base station or core network), meaning its source is the first terminal device. Alternatively, the first information is information generated by the first terminal device.

[0153] For example, the first terminal device sending a request message to the network device based on the first COT can mean that the first terminal device sends the request information to the network device when it determines that the first COT will be shared with the second terminal device; or that the request message carries information about the first COT; or that the first terminal device sends the request information to the network device after obtaining the first COT, which can be understood as obtaining the first COT to trigger the sending of the request message.

[0154] For example, the request message includes at least one of the following: an uplink grant request (UL grant request), time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information about the amount of information of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, identification information of the second terminal device, and preemptive BSR information.

[0155] The uplink authorization request can be used to request the base station to allocate uplink transmission resources. Based on this request, the network device can learn that the first terminal device has an uplink transmission requirement.

[0156] The time-domain information can be one or more time units in the time domain, such as symbols, time slots, subframes, half-frames, frames, microseconds, milliseconds, or seconds. The time-domain information corresponding to the first COT refers to the duration of the first COT, as well as its start and / or end times. The frequency-domain information can be one or more frequency-domain units in the frequency domain, such as resource units, resource blocks, or resource block groups. The frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT refers to the frequency-domain bandwidth corresponding to the first COT, as well as its start and / or end positions. The information size information can be one or more bits or one or more bytes. The time-domain information corresponding to the first COT, the frequency-domain information corresponding to the first COT, and the information size information of the first COT can all be used by the network device to determine the size of the uplink transmission resources requested by the first terminal device.

[0157] The time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information is used to indicate the time interval between the first terminal device receiving the first information from the second terminal device and the first terminal device sending the first information to the network device. This interval can be simply referred to as the second time interval, which can be one or more time units in the time domain. The time unit can be any of the aforementioned types. This time interval information can be used to represent the data processing capability of the first terminal device, that is, how much time is required for the first terminal device to send out the information after receiving it from the second terminal device. The network device can determine the time domain resources in the uplink transmission resources based on this time interval information, so that the first terminal device can send the first information on the uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information.

[0158] For example, the time-domain start position of the uplink transmission resource is after the termination time of the first COT, and the interval between the two is greater than or equal to the second time interval. That is, the network device can determine that the time-domain start position of the uplink transmission resource is at least the second time interval later than the termination time of the first COT. As another example, the interval between the time when the first terminal device sends the first information to the network device and the time when it receives the first information from the second terminal device is greater than or equal to the second time interval.

[0159] It should be understood that in this application, the first time interval and the second time interval may be the same or different in relation to the differences between uplink transmissions, and there is no limitation.

[0160] The identification information of the second terminal device can be used to identify the second terminal device. For example, the identification information can be an index of the second terminal device. The first terminal device or the network side (such as a base station or core network) can assign a unique index to one or more second terminal devices communicating with it and carry the index in the request message. In this way, the network device can determine the source device corresponding to the first information based on the index. That is, the index can be used to indicate that the uplink information that the first terminal device expects to send to the network device belongs to the second terminal device identified by the index. Optionally, the identification information can also be the MAC address of the second terminal device, etc.

[0161] The pre-emptive BSR information can be used to indicate the expected data volume of the first terminal device. Pre-emptive BSR is a technology used in 5G networks, primarily for requesting resources in advance during uplink transmission to ensure timely data transmission. Pre-emptive BSR is sent based on the expected data volume rather than the actual data volume in the buffer, which helps improve network resource utilization efficiency and data transmission timeliness. For example, the pre-emptive BSR information can be the amount of data that the resources corresponding to the first COT can transmit.

[0162] In one implementation, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device based on a first COT, including: if the duration of the first COT is greater than a first threshold, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device.

[0163] Specifically, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device when the first COT exists, or it can send a request message to the network device only when the duration of the first COT exceeds a certain threshold. This can avoid the signaling overhead caused by frequently sending request messages, save power consumption, and improve communication efficiency to a certain extent.

[0164] S630, the network device sends uplink authorization information to the first terminal device, and the first terminal device receives the uplink authorization information accordingly.

[0165] The uplink authorization information includes an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

[0166] Specifically, network devices can use uplink authorization information to indicate to the first terminal device the size of the uplink transmission resources allocated to it.

[0167] It should be understood that in S630, the first terminal device obtains uplink transmission resources, and the first terminal device can determine when to use the uplink transmission resources for uplink transmission based on factors such as the time domain resources in the uplink transmission resources and the time when the first terminal device receives the first information from the second terminal device.

[0168] Based on the above scheme, after the first terminal device obtains the first COT, it can send a request message to the network device. This allows the first terminal device to send the first information to the network device directly through the requested uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information from the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT. This avoids the communication delay caused by the first terminal device obtaining uplink transmission resources after receiving the first information from the second terminal device.

[0169] On the other hand, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device according to the first COT, avoiding the problem that the size of the information received from the second terminal device is mismatched with the size that the acquired uplink resources can transmit, thus improving the utilization rate of resources.

[0170] Optionally, the method 600 further includes: S640, the first terminal device sends COT indication information to the second terminal device, and correspondingly, the second terminal device receives the COT indication information.

[0171] The COT indication information is used to indicate the first COT. Specifically, the COT indication information can indicate the resources in the COT obtained by the first terminal device that are used by the second terminal device to send information, or it can be understood as: the COT indication information indicates the resources that the first terminal device can share with the second terminal device. The naming of the COT indication information is not limited in this application embodiment. For example, the COT indication information can also be called COT sharing information.

[0172] For example, the COT indication information can indicate the time-domain resource corresponding to the first COT. Optionally, the COT indication information can also indicate the frequency-domain resource corresponding to the first COT.

[0173] It should be understood that S640 can be executed before or after S630 without restriction. That is, when the first terminal device determines that the first COT needs to be shared with the second terminal device, the first terminal device can execute S630 and S640, and the order of S630 and S640 is not restricted.

[0174] Optionally, the method 600 further includes: S650, the second terminal device sends first information to the first terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, and correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first information.

[0175] Specifically, when the second terminal device has the first information to be transmitted, it can use the resources corresponding to the first COT to send the first information to the first terminal device.

[0176] Optionally, the method 600 further includes: S660, the first terminal device sends first information to the network device on uplink transmission resources, and the network device receives the first information accordingly.

[0177] Specifically, after the first terminal device receives the first information, it can send the corresponding first information to the network device through the requested uplink transmission resources.

[0178] Optionally, when the first terminal device sends the first information to the network device, if there are sufficient uplink transmission resources, the first terminal device may also simultaneously send information that the first terminal device itself needs to send to the network side.

[0179] It should be understood that the first information sent by the second terminal device to the first terminal device and the first information sent by the first terminal device to the network device are essentially the same in content, but the form may be different. For example, the first information sent by the second terminal device to the first terminal device may include the control information or message header necessary for the first terminal device to parse, and the first information sent by the first terminal device to the network device may include the control information or message header necessary for the network device to parse.

[0180] Based on the above scheme, the first terminal device can obtain uplink transmission resources in advance. After receiving the first information from the second terminal device through the resources corresponding to the first COT, it can directly send the first information to the network device through the requested uplink transmission resources, which helps to reduce communication latency and improve communication performance.

[0181] Optionally, methods 500 and 600 can also be applied to an O-RAN architecture. For example, the network devices in methods 500 and 600 may include O-RU and O-DU. In this case, sending information from the first terminal device to the network device may mean that the first terminal device sends information to the O-RU, and then the O-RU sends the corresponding information to the O-DU. Similarly, sending information from the network device to the first terminal device may mean that the O-DU first sends the information to the O-RU, and then the O-RU sends the corresponding information to the first terminal device.

[0182] It should be understood that in the above embodiments, the examples are mainly based on devices in existing network architectures (such as network devices, terminal devices, etc.). It should be understood that the specific form of the device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0183] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The above-described communication method is mainly introduced from the perspective of interaction between terminal devices and network devices. It is understood that, in order to realize the above functions, terminal devices and network devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function.

[0184] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device and network device include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0185] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic block diagrams of communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the first terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be the terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, the RAN node 110 shown in Figure 1, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal or RAN node.

[0186] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 2000 includes a processing unit 2010 and a transceiver unit 2020. The communication device 2000 is used to implement the functions of the first terminal device or network device in the method embodiments shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6.

[0187] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the first terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5: the processing unit 2010 is used to obtain the first COT; the transceiver unit 2020 is used to send a request message to the network device according to the first COT, the request message being used to request first information; the transceiver unit 2020 is also used to: receive the first information from the network device; the transceiver unit 2020 is also used to: send the first information to the second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate based on short-range communication technology.

[0188] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG5: the transceiver unit 2020 is used to receive a request message from the first terminal device; the processing unit 2010 is used to send first information to the first terminal device according to the request message, the first information being information that the first terminal device needs to send to the second terminal device, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate with each other based on short-range communication technology.

[0189] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the first terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG6: the processing unit 2010 is used to obtain a first COT, the resources corresponding to the first COT are used for communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on short-range communication technology; the transceiver unit 2020 is used to send a request message to the network device according to the first COT, the request message is used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources are used for the first terminal device to send first information to the network device; the transceiver unit 2020 is also used to: receive uplink authorization information from the network device, the uplink authorization information includes an indication of uplinking the transmission resources.

[0190] When the communication device 2000 is used to implement the function of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG6: the transceiver unit 2020 is used to receive a request message from the first terminal device, the request message being used to request uplink transmission resources, the uplink transmission resources being used to receive first information from the first terminal device, the first information being information sent by the second terminal device to the first terminal device, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicating based on short-range communication technology; the transceiver unit 2020 is also used to send uplink authorization information to the first terminal device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

[0191] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 2010 and the transceiver unit 2020, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6.

[0192] As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 3000 includes a processor 3010 and an interface circuit 3020. The processor 3010 and the interface circuit 3020 are coupled together. It is understood that the interface circuit 3020 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 3000 may also include a memory 3030 for storing instructions executed by the processor 3010, or storing input data required by the processor 3010 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 3010 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 3020 can also be understood as part of the processor 3010, in which case the communication device 3000 includes the processor 3010.

[0193] When the communication device 3000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG5 or FIG6, the processor 3010 is used to implement the function of the processing unit 2010, and the interface circuit 3020 is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit 2020.

[0194] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from the base station, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. The terminal chip sends information to the base station, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0195] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station chip by these modules. The base station chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0196] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information transmission and reception can be between RAN nodes and terminals, such as between a base station and a terminal; between two RAN nodes, such as between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules of the base station.

[0197] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0198] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0199] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0200] In the above embodiments, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0201] In this document, "at least one" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "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. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates that the related objects before and after are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0202] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above processes does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units 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.

[0204] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0205] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0206] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0207] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0208] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they 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 a portion 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.) 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.

[0209] 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 the first terminal device, including: Obtain the first channel occupancy time (COT); The first COT sends a request message to the network device, the request message being used to request first information; Receive the first information from the network device; The first information is sent to the second terminal device using the resources corresponding to the first COT, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate based on short-range communication technology.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The request message includes at least one of the following: The time domain information corresponding to the first COT, the frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, the information size information of the first information, the time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, and the identification information of the second terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first COT includes: The first COT is obtained through a competitive process using a "listen first, speak later" mechanism; or... Receive the first COT from the second terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The request message sent to the network device according to the first COT includes: If the duration of the first COT exceeds the first threshold, the request message is sent to the network device.

5. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive a request message from the first terminal device; According to the request message, the first information is sent to the first terminal device. The first information is information that the first terminal device needs to send to the second terminal device. The first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate based on short-range communication technology.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The request message includes at least one of the following: The information includes the time domain information corresponding to the first COT, the frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, the information size of the first information, the time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, and the identification information of the second terminal device. The resources corresponding to the first COT are used by the first terminal device to send the first information to the second terminal device.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first terminal device, including: Obtain a first COT, and the resources corresponding to the first COT are used for communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on short-range communication technology. The first terminal device sends a request message to the network device according to the first COT. The request message is used to request uplink transmission resources. The uplink transmission resources are used by the first terminal device to send first information to the network device. Receive uplink authorization information from the network device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send COT indication information to the second terminal device, wherein the COT indication information is used to indicate the first COT; Use the resources corresponding to the first COT to receive the first information from the second terminal device; The first information is sent to the network device on the uplink transmission resource.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The request message includes at least one of the following: Uplink authorization request, time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information size of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, identification information of the second terminal device, and pre-occupied cache status report (BSR) information.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first COT includes: The first COT is obtained through a competitive process of listening first and then speaking.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that, The first COT sends a request message to the network device, including: If the duration of the first COT exceeds the first threshold, the request message is sent to the network device.

12. A method of communication, characterized in that, include: A request message is received from a first terminal device. The request message is used to request uplink transmission resources. The uplink transmission resources are used to receive first information from the first terminal device. The first information is information sent from a second terminal device to the first terminal device. The first terminal device and the second terminal device communicate based on short-range communication technology. Uplink authorization information is sent to the first terminal device, the uplink authorization information including an indication of the uplink transmission resources.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first information is received from the first terminal device on the uplink transmission resource.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The request message includes at least one of the following: Uplink authorization request, time domain information corresponding to the first COT, frequency domain information corresponding to the first COT, information size of the first information, time interval information between the first terminal device receiving the first information and sending the first information, identification information of the second terminal device, and preemptive BSR information; The resources corresponding to the first COT are used by the second terminal device to send the first information to the first terminal device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The unit is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, or includes a unit for performing the method as described in claim 5 or 6, or includes a unit for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 11, or includes a unit for performing the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for executing the computer program stored in the memory to cause the device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, or to cause the device to perform the method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, or to cause the device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11, or to cause the device to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, or the method as described in claim 5 or 6, or the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 11, or the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 14.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when run, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, or implements the method as described in claim 5 or 6, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 11, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 14.

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