Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application is a communication method. When a terminal device accesses a network where a network device is located, the terminal device selects a suitable random access mode on the basis of resource information of random access issued by the network device, thereby increasing the success rate of random access performed by the terminal device. Moreover, when a plurality of terminal devices need to perform access in an environment, the access time of each terminal device is rationally arranged, such that conflicts caused by the plurality of terminal devices simultaneously contending for access resources are reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of random access.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510080860.9, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 17, 2025, entitled “A Communication Method and Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In a communication system, when a terminal device needs to interact with a network device, the terminal device needs to send a trigger signal to the network device, causing the terminal device to access the network by initiating a random access request. However, the network device does not know the method of random access for the terminal device, so the terminal device may fail to access the network. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method that enables a terminal device to select a method for accessing a network, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the terminal device. This application also provides corresponding apparatus, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a communication method applied to a first communication device. The method includes: receiving first information from a second communication device; wherein the first information is used to indicate resource information for random access; determining a random access method based on the first information; wherein the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method; and sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method.

[0006] In this application, the first communication device can be a terminal device or a component of the terminal device, such as a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), a chip system, or a processor, etc., which can be applied in the terminal device. It can also be a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0007] In this application, the second communication device can be a network device or a component of an access network device, such as a communication module, processor, chip, chip system, or circuit that can be applied in the access network device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0008] In this application, the first communication device can be an ambient internet of things (A-IoT) device. A-IoT devices refer to IoT terminal devices that do not require a built-in traditional power source (such as a chemical battery) to provide energy during operation. They primarily rely on collecting energy from the surrounding environment, such as light energy, heat energy, mechanical energy (e.g., energy generated by vibration), or radio frequency energy, converting this collected environmental energy into electrical energy that can power their operation. This enables functions such as data acquisition, processing, and communication with other devices or networks, achieving interconnectivity between things and between people and things.

[0009] In this application, the second communication device can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader / writer. The first communication device can use a low-precision, low-power, mid-to-low frequency ring oscillator or a receiver that receives downlink signals without a local oscillator. Therefore, the first communication device can communicate with the second communication device based on the data transmission and identification of radio frequency signals.

[0010] In this application, when the second communication device sends a radio frequency signal to the first communication device, the antenna of the first communication device receives the signal and converts it into electrical energy, thereby activating the tag chip in the first communication device. Information in the chip's memory is read and transmitted back to the second communication device via the antenna. After receiving the information sent by the first communication device, the second communication device decodes it and sends it to a computer or other device for processing.

[0011] In this application, the number of first communication devices can be one or more. When there are multiple first communication devices, the second communication device can send first information to each of the first communication devices respectively. Optionally, the multiple first communication devices can be a pre-planned group, or they can be all the first communication devices within the communication coverage area of ​​the second communication device.

[0012] In this application, when the second communication device uses the first information to send information related to random access, the first information can be trigger information, that is, information related to random access can be sent through trigger information, or it can be paging information, that is, information related to random access can be sent through paging information. In the embodiments of this application, the form of the first information is not limited.

[0013] In this application, trigger information is a signal or data that can prompt a receiving device or system to perform a specific operation or initiate a specific process. It is typically generated when certain conditions are met or a specific event is detected. For example, when a second communication device identifies a first communication device within its communication range, the second communication device sends trigger information to the first communication device.

[0014] In this application, paging information is primarily used to locate and contact specific user equipment or terminals within a communication network. It is typically sent by core network equipment (such as base stations and switches) to devices within their coverage area. For example, in a mobile communication network, when a communication request such as a call or SMS arrives, the core network sends paging information to the base station where the target user is located. The base station then broadcasts the paging information within its cell to locate the target user's mobile device. Upon receiving the paging information, if the mobile device is powered on or idle, it will respond to the base station, thereby establishing a subsequent communication connection and enabling functions such as answering calls or receiving SMS messages.

[0015] In this application, random access refers to a terminal device acquiring communication network resources through contention or non-contention without pre-allocating dedicated resources, in order to establish a connection with the network or transmit data. Its main purpose is to enable the UE to access the network quickly and effectively, especially during initial access, handover processes, or when there is a sudden data transmission demand. For example, when a mobile phone is powered on, it needs to establish a connection with a nearby base station through a random access process to obtain network services; when the mobile phone moves from one base station coverage area to another (handover scenario), random access technology is also needed to establish a communication link with the new base station to ensure communication continuity.

[0016] In this application, the first type of random access method can be the "three-step access method" in a contention-based access mechanism. In the "three-step access method," the first step is that the first communication device sends a random identifier. This random identifier is a signal from the first communication device to the second communication device indicating its access request. The second communication device identifies that the first communication device is attempting to access the network by detecting the random identifier. The second step, after receiving the random identifier, is that the second communication device sends a random access response in the D2R link. The response contains information such as the random identifier, used by the first communication device to determine whether it has successfully contentioned for access. If successful, it proceeds to the third step. The third step is that the first communication device uses PDRCH resources to send its device number and / or upper-layer data to further communicate with the second communication device, completing the access process.

[0017] In this application, the second type of random access method can be a "two-step access method" in a contention-based access mechanism. In the "two-step access method," firstly, the first communication device simultaneously sends a random identifier, a device number, and / or upper-layer data. While sending the random identifier to indicate the access intention, the first communication device also attempts to transmit some key information. Then, after receiving the information sent by the first communication device, the second communication device responds directly, confirming the access request of the first communication device by replying with the device number of the first communication device, and providing further resource allocation and communication parameter adjustment information. The first communication device completes the subsequent steps of the access process based on the response of the second communication device.

[0018] In this application, the access latency of the first type of random access method is longer than that of the second type, and it has higher inventory efficiency for services such as inventory management. The second type of random access method has a faster access speed and can better utilize network resources. However, the first type of random access method is more stable and has higher adaptability and compatibility with the resource requirements of terminal devices and network devices. Therefore, the first type of random access method is more suitable for stable network environments, while the second type of random access method is more suitable for network environments requiring rapid response.

[0019] In this application, the first communication device determines the random access mode in relation to symbol frequency offset (SFO) and carrier frequency offset (CFO). SFO refers to the deviation between the actual frequency of the symbol received by the receiver and the ideal frequency corresponding to the transmission at the transmitter in a digital communication system. CFO refers to the deviation between the carrier frequency of the signal received by the receiver and the ideal carrier frequency used by the transmitter when transmitting the signal.

[0020] SFO increases over time, thus affecting the reception and transmission of Msg1 (the first step in either of the two access methods). In the second type of access method, the first step carries more information. Therefore, when CFO or SFO accumulates to a large amount, the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method," is usually chosen.

[0021] In the first aspect mentioned above, the method of determining the random access method by the first communication device through the first information sent by the second communication device enables the first communication device to select a suitable random access method for the current network resources and initiate a random access request to the second communication device, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the first communication device.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first information includes random access configuration information; wherein the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the frequency domain.

[0023] In this application, the access opportunity refers to the time when the second communication device allows the first communication device to send a random access request. An access opportunity can be understood as a time-frequency resource opportunity for an A-IoT device to perform access, which can include opportunities in the time domain and opportunities in the frequency domain. The access opportunity in the time domain can include a point in time or a period of time. The first communication device can only send a random access request within a specified time range. The access opportunity in the frequency domain can include a frequency point or a frequency band. The second communication device determines the specific location and range of the frequency domain resources for sending the random access request based on the system bandwidth of the cell and the configured random access parameters, to ensure that the first communication device can perform random access on the specified frequency domain resources.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the second communication device sends random access configuration information to the first communication device in the first information, so that the first communication device can select a suitable random access time to send a random access request according to the random access configuration information. In this way, when there are multiple first communication devices in the environment that need to access, the access time of each first communication device can be reasonably arranged, reducing the conflict caused by multiple first communication devices competing for access resources at the same time, thereby improving the success rate and efficiency of random access.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first communication device determines the random access method based on the first information, including: if the first quantity is greater than the first threshold or the second quantity is greater than the second threshold, then selects the first type of random access method as the determined random access method.

[0026] In this application, the first threshold and the second threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or they can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or they can be predefined, or they can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the first threshold and the second threshold is not limited here.

[0027] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the equipment manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration by other devices, pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through system information blocks (SIBs) or RRC signaling.

[0028] In this application, when the first quantity exceeds the first threshold, it is considered that the symbol frequency received by the second communication device deviates significantly from the original frequency when the first communication device transmitted the symbol, i.e., the SFO accumulation is higher. Since a high SFO accumulation will negatively affect the reception and decoding of Msg1 transmitted by the first communication device, the first communication device needs to select a first type of random access method with fewer bits carried by Msg1 for random access.

[0029] In this application, when the second quantity exceeds the second threshold, it is considered that the carrier frequency received by the second communication device deviates significantly from the original frequency when the first communication device transmits the carrier, i.e., the CFO accumulation is higher. Since a high CFO accumulation will negatively affect the reception and decoding of Msg1 transmitted by the first communication device, the first communication device needs to select a first type of random access method with fewer bits carried by Msg1 for random access.

[0030] In this possible implementation, the first communication device selects the random access method based on the magnitude of a first number indicating the number of random access opportunities in the time domain and a second number indicating the number of random access opportunities in the frequency domain. This allows the first communication device to flexibly select the random access method according to the actual load capacity of the network where the second communication device is located, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the first communication device and thus improving the adaptability and stability of the communication system.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first communication device may also select a first access resource based on random access configuration information; wherein the first access resource is used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the time domain.

[0032] In this application, the first access resource can also be used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the frequency domain. When multiple first communication devices need to access, after each first communication device selects its own access timing, they will each determine the time / frequency difference between the time / frequency resources occupied by their access timing and the signal sent by the second communication device to transmit the first information. When the difference is greater than a third threshold, the first communication device will select a first type of random access method as the determined random access method.

[0033] In this possible implementation, when multiple first communication devices access the network, they select a random access method based on the time difference between their access timing and the signal of the first information. This allows the first communication devices to flexibly select a random access method based on the actual load capacity of the network where the second communication devices are located, thereby improving the success rate of random access for the first communication devices and thus improving the adaptability and stability of the communication system.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first information also includes at least one of the following: the encoding method of the data transmitted on the physical device reader channel (PDRCH), the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

[0035] In this application, the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH may include Manchester encoding or pulse interval encoding (PIE).

[0036] Manchester encoding uses a unique level transition method to represent digital information. Within each bit cycle, there is one level transition. Specifically, to represent the digit "0", the first half of the bit cycle is high, and the second half is low; that is, a high-to-low level transition represents "0". To represent the digit "1", the opposite is true: the first half of the bit cycle is low, and the second half is high; that is, a low-to-high level transition represents "1".

[0037] The core of PIE encoding lies in using the time interval between pulses to carry information. It sends a series of pulse signals, with different pulse intervals representing different encoded information. For example, shorter pulse intervals represent the digit "0", longer pulse intervals represent the digit "1", or more complexly, pulse intervals of different durations correspond to different characters, instructions, etc., thereby encoding the information to be transmitted into corresponding pulse sequences according to pre-set rules for transmission.

[0038] In this application, if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0039] In this application, Manchester encoding has the advantage of good phase transition / synchronization performance, making data encoded using Manchester encoding easier for a second communication device to detect and receive. Furthermore, because the codeword length in PIE is variable, compared to Manchester encoding, a misdetection of one information bit can lead to the propagation of errors in subsequent bit detections, resulting in a significant discrepancy between the transmitted data and the actual data sent. In other words, Manchester-encoded data has better anti-interference capabilities than PIE-encoded data.

[0040] Therefore, when the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding, the second type of random access method can be selected; when the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding, the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0041] In this application, if the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH is less than or equal to the fourth threshold, the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; if the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH is greater than the fourth threshold, the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0042] In this application, the number of times data is repeated can improve transmission reliability. Therefore, when higher reliability is required, the second type of random access method can be selected; when lower reliability is required, the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0043] In this application, the fourth threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or it can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or it can be predefined, or it can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the fourth threshold is not limited here.

[0044] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the equipment manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration by other devices, pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through a system information block (SIB) or RRC signaling. In this application, if the feedforward error correction enabled state for data transmitted on the PDRCH is enabled, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; if the feedforward error correction enabled state for data transmitted on the PDRCH is disabled, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0045] In this application, the core principle of feedforward error correction (FEC) is to intentionally add certain redundant information according to a specific algorithm when encoding the original data at the transmitting end. This redundant information has a specific mathematical relationship with the original data and is generated based on the original data through encoding rules. Therefore, the reliability of the data can be improved through feedforward error correction encoding.

[0046] Therefore, when FEC is enabled (i.e., higher reliability), the second type of random access method can be selected; when FEC is not enabled (i.e., lower reliability), the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0047] In this possible implementation, the first communication device determines which type of random access method to use by using relevant information of data transmitted on various PDRCHs, thereby improving the success rate and reliability of random access for the first communication device.

[0048] In one possible implementation, if the random access method determined by the first communication device is a first type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: sending a random identifier to the second communication device; receiving response information from the second communication device; wherein the response information includes the random identifier and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access; and sending the device number of the first communication device and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device.

[0049] In this possible implementation, the first communication device sends a random access request through the first type of access method, which can effectively reduce the possibility of random access failure, ensure the reliability of the random access process, and ensure accurate information transmission through multiple interactions, thereby enabling the first communication device to successfully access the network where the second communication device is located.

[0050] In one possible implementation, if the determined random access method is a second type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: sending a random identifier, the device number of the first communication device, and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device; receiving response information from the second communication device, wherein the response information includes the device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

[0051] In this possible implementation, the first communication device sends a random access request through the second type of access method. Since the intermediate interaction steps are reduced, the latency of the first communication device sending the random access request can be reduced.

[0052] A second aspect of this application provides a communication method applied to a second communication device, the method comprising:

[0053] Send first information to the first communication device; wherein, the triggering information is used to indicate resource information for random access;

[0054] The system receives a random access request from a first communication device, wherein the random access method of the first communication device sending the random access request is determined based on first information, and the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

[0055] In this application, the first information includes random access configuration information; wherein, the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the frequency domain.

[0056] In this application, the first information also includes at least one of the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, the number of repetitions of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

[0057] In this application, if the determined random access method is a first type of random access method, then receiving a random access request from the first communication device includes:

[0058] Receive a random identifier from the first communication device;

[0059] Send a response message to the first communication device; wherein the response message contains a random identifier and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access;

[0060] Receive device number and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device.

[0061] In this application, if the determined random access method is a second type of random access method, then receiving a random access request from the first communication device includes:

[0062] Receive random identifiers, device numbers, and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device;

[0063] Send a response message to the first communication device; wherein the response message includes a device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

[0064] In the second aspect mentioned above, the second communication device enables the first communication device to confirm its random access method by sending first information to the first communication device, thereby improving the success rate of random access for the first communication device. Furthermore, in complex network scenarios involving multiple service types, the second communication device can select the random access method according to the scenario requirements, thus improving the adaptability and stability of the overall system.

[0065] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, which can be a first communication device, including: a transceiver module and a processing module;

[0066] A transceiver module is used to receive first information from a second communication device; wherein the first information is used to indicate resource information for random access;

[0067] The processing module is used to determine the random access method based on the first information; wherein the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method;

[0068] The transceiver module is also used to send a random access request to the second communication device using a defined random access method.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the first information includes random access configuration information; wherein the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the frequency domain.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to select a first type of random access method as the determined random access method if the first quantity is greater than a first threshold or the second quantity is greater than a second threshold.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to select a first access resource based on random access configuration information; wherein the first access resource is used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the time domain.

[0072] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to determine the time difference between the first access resource and the first information;

[0073] If the time difference is greater than the third threshold, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the first information also includes at least one of the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to select the second type of random access method as the determined random access method if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding; and to select the first type of random access method as the determined random access method if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding.

[0076] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to select the first type of random access method as the determined random access method if the number of repetitions of data transmitted on the PDRCH is less than or equal to the fourth threshold.

[0077] If the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH exceeds the fourth threshold, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the processing module is further configured to select the first type of random access method as the determined random access method if the feedforward error correction enabled state of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is enabled.

[0079] If the feedforward error correction enabled status for data transmitted on the PDRCH is disabled, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module is also used to send a random identifier to the second communication device;

[0081] The transceiver module is also used to receive response information from the second communication device; wherein the response information includes a random identifier and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access;

[0082] The transceiver module is also used to send the device number of the first communication device and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device.

[0083] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module is further configured to send a random identifier, the device number of the first communication device, and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device.

[0084] The transceiver module is also used to receive response information from the second communication device, wherein the response information includes a device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

[0085] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which can be a second communication device that communicates with a first communication device, the communication device comprising: a transceiver module and a processing module;

[0086] A transceiver module is used to send first information to a first communication device; wherein, trigger information is used to indicate resource information for random access;

[0087] The transceiver module is also used to receive random access requests from the first communication device, wherein the random access method of the first communication device sending the random access request is determined based on first information, and the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the first information includes random access configuration information; wherein the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities for the first communication device in the frequency domain.

[0089] In one possible implementation, the first information also includes at least one of the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

[0090] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module is further configured to receive a random identifier from the first communication device;

[0091] The transceiver module is also used to send response information to the first communication device; wherein, the response information includes a random identifier and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access;

[0092] The transceiver module is also used to receive device numbers and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device.

[0093] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module is further configured to receive a random identifier, device number, and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device;

[0094] The transceiver module is also used to send response information to the first communication device; wherein the response information includes a device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

[0095] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including a processor. The processor is configured to invoke and execute computer programs or instructions, causing the processor to implement as described in the first aspect or any of the implementations in the first aspect.

[0096] Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver; the processor is also used to control the transceiver to send and receive signals.

[0097] Optionally, the communication device includes a memory in which computer programs or instructions are stored.

[0098] The communication device mentioned in the fifth aspect above can be a device or a chip (system) in a device.

[0099] A sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including a processor. The processor is configured to invoke and execute computer programs or instructions, causing the processor to implement as described in the second aspect or any of the implementations in the second aspect.

[0100] Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver; the processor is also used to control the transceiver to send and receive signals.

[0101] Optionally, the communication device includes a memory in which computer programs or instructions are stored.

[0102] The communication device mentioned in the sixth aspect can be a device or a chip (system) in a device.

[0103] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication device, which may be a first communication device or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the first communication device that corresponds to the execution of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect.

[0104] The eighth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which may be a second communication device or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the second communication device that corresponds to the execution of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect.

[0105] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0106] The tenth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform an implementation as described in the second aspect or any of the second aspects.

[0107] The eleventh aspect of this application provides a computer program product including a computer program or instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0108] The twelfth aspect of this application provides a computer program product including a computer program or instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform an implementation as described in the second aspect or any of the second aspects.

[0109] The thirteenth aspect of this application provides a chip device including a processor for calling a computer program or instructions in memory to cause the processor to execute the first aspect or any implementation thereof.

[0110] Optionally, the memory may be located inside or outside the chip device.

[0111] The fourteenth aspect of this application provides a chip device including a processor for calling a computer program or instructions stored in a memory, so that the processor executes the second aspect or any implementation thereof described above.

[0112] Optionally, the memory may be located inside or outside the chip device.

[0113] The fifteenth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is used to execute the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to execute the second aspect or any one of the implementations of the second aspect.

[0114] The technical effects of the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect, the fifth aspect, the seventh aspect, the ninth aspect, the eleventh aspect, the thirteenth aspect or the fifteenth aspect can be found in the first aspect or the technical effects of different possible implementations of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0115] The technical effects of the fourth aspect or any possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the sixth aspect, the eighth aspect, the tenth aspect, the twelfth aspect, the fourteenth aspect, or the fifteenth aspect can be found in the technical effects of the second aspect or different possible implementations of the second aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0116] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an example communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0117] Figure 1B is another example schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0118] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of a structural example of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0119] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of another structural example of the communication scenario provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0120] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method provided in this application;

[0121] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between access timing in the time domain and SFO accumulation in the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0122] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between access timing in the frequency domain and CFO accumulation in the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0123] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the access timing in the frequency domain and the first information in the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0124] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the first information and the access timing in the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0125] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the time difference between the first information and the access timing in the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0126] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the frequency difference between the first information and the access timing in the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0127] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0128] Figure 10 is another structural schematic diagram of the O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0129] Figure 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0130] Figure 12 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0131] Figure 13 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0132] Figure 14 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0133] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. As those skilled in the art will understand, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0134] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0135] This application provides a communication method for providing different types of random access opportunities that meet the needs of terminal devices with different capabilities when the terminal device accesses the network where the network device is located, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the terminal device. This application also provides corresponding apparatus, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products, etc., which are described in detail below.

[0136] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: satellite communication, 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), future communication systems after 5G networks, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IoT) communication systems, or other communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be communication systems integrated with 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future communication systems, such as non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN systems can be, for example, satellite communication systems, and can also include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other airborne access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0137] The communication system described in this application can be a communication system based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and / or time division multiplexing (TDM), or a communication system or communication and sensing system based on frequency modulated continuous waveform (FMCW).

[0138] The terminal equipment and network equipment of this application are described below.

[0139] Terminal equipment can be a device capable of receiving core network information or a wireless terminal device that handles network device scheduling and instruction information. Wireless terminal equipment can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connectivity, another processing device connected to a wireless modem, or a device with sensing capabilities.

[0140] Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., is a device that includes wireless communication functions, such as handheld devices or vehicle-mounted devices with wireless connectivity.

[0141] Terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the RAN. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment, mobile terminal, etc. In satellite communication, terminal equipment can be a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT), as well as portable stations, fixed stations, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminals, etc. It should be understood that in these scenarios, satellite communication terminals communicate with satellites and can act as micro base stations or satellite data stations to further provide data interfaces to user equipment accessing the satellite communication terminal.

[0142] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0143] Furthermore, terminal devices can also be terminal devices for communication systems evolved from fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (such as 5G Advanced or future communication systems). For example, the form and function of communication terminals can be further expanded, including but not limited to vehicles, cellular network terminals (integrating satellite terminal functions), drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in V2X communication can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, etc. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, etc. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, set-top boxes, etc.

[0144] The electronic tag involved in this embodiment can also be called a terminal. The electronic tag is an RFID tag, also known as an A-IoT device. Radio frequency identification technology can be divided into three types: active, passive, and semi-active. Tag types can also be divided into passive tags, semi-passive tags, and active tags. Passive tags and semi-passive tags use a backscatter-based communication method, while active tags use an actively generated carrier technology. Tag types can be classified based on whether they use a backscatter-based communication method, whether they have energy storage capabilities, or a combination of both. In the 3GPP R19 Ambient IoT project, two types of devices were proposed for research: a 1.1 microwatt-level power consumption tag with energy storage, an initial sampling frequency deviation of 10^X (usually understood as X=4 or 5), without uplink or downlink amplifiers, and uplink transmission based on externally provided carrier reflection transmission. 2. Power consumption in the hundreds of microwatts, with energy storage, initial sampling frequency deviation of 10X (usually understood as X=4 or 5), with uplink or downlink amplifiers, or amplifiers for both uplink and downlink. Uplink transmission can be initiated by the terminal or based on backscatter transmission using an external carrier. All of the aforementioned devices are applicable to this application.

[0145] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a component of the terminal device, such as a communication module, a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), a chip system, or a processor, etc., or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the terminal device is used as an example to illustrate the apparatus for implementing the functions of the terminal device, and this does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0146] The network device in this application embodiment is a means deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. It can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) or base station that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. Currently, some common examples of access network nodes (or devices) include: Node B (NB), evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), generation node B (gNB) in 5G NR systems, nodes in future communication systems (e.g., xNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), transmission measurement function (TMF), radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), access point (AP), etc. Furthermore, in network architectures such as cloud radio access network (CloudRAN) or open radio access network (ORAN), the access network device can be a device including CU and / or DU. In the RAN system, the protocol layers of the gNB (gNB) are separated, including the CU (Control Unit) and DU (Distributed Unit). Some protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. This separation of CU and DU can be based on the protocol stack. For example, one possible separation method is to deploy the RRC (Radio Relational Control), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layers in the CU, and the remaining Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY) layers in the DU. The CU and DU are connected via the F1 interface. The CU, representing its associated gNB, connects to the core network via the NG interface, and the CU, representing its associated gNB, connects to other gNBs (or other CUs) via the Xn interface. In the actual deployment of the RAN equipment, in addition to the logical gNB composed of the CU and DU, the RAN equipment also includes the RU (Resource Root).An RU is a hardware unit that includes some PHY layer functionality and / or antenna equipment. Optionally, the RU can be configured independently of the antenna equipment (e.g., an antenna line device (ALD)) or integrated with it. For example, in a 5G NR system, the aforementioned RU can be an active antenna unit (AAU), which is a processing unit integrating a remote radio unit (RRU) (or remote radio head (RRH)) and antenna equipment. In a satellite communication system, the network equipment can be a satellite or access network equipment mounted on a satellite.

[0147] The reader / writer involved in this embodiment can be a handheld or fixed device that reads (and sometimes writes) tag information, or it can be understood as a device that communicates with the tag. It can be a terminal, a base station, or a device with read / write capabilities. It can also be an IAB node or a relay node.

[0148] It should be noted that in practical applications, there may be multiple ways to deploy access network devices, and this application does not limit them.

[0149] In some examples, the CU can be split into control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)). The CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. The CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. In the core network, network elements used to implement user plane functions, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices. The above configuration of CU and DU is merely an example; the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For instance, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU and functions that do not need to meet such latency requirements in the CU.

[0150] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the RLC layer, MAC layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0151] In some examples, the RU is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP TRP or RRH or other similar entity. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0152] The DU and RU can be co-located or not. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a lower-layer split-control, user, and synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0153] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0154] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples.

[0155] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of the network device can be a network device itself, or a component of an access network device, such as a communication module, processor, chip, chip system, or circuit that can be applied in the access network device. It can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In this embodiment, only a network device is used as an example to illustrate the apparatus for implementing the functions of the access network device, and this does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0156] It should be noted that network devices and / or terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located. Furthermore, terminal devices and network devices can be hardware devices; they can also be software functions running on dedicated or general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform); or they can be entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of terminal devices and network devices.

[0157] For ease of understanding, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application are briefly introduced below:

[0158] (1) 5G Ambient IoT: also known as passive IoT in a 5G environment. 5G Ambient IoT is an IoT technology that combines 5G cellular networks and passive tag technology. It can fill the gap in wide-area passive IoT and greatly expand the application of passive IoT.

[0159] (2) Passive tag technology: A technology widely used in the Internet of Things (IoT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and other fields. Its core feature is that the tag itself does not have a power source, but instead obtains energy by receiving external signals. After the passive tag obtains energy, the circuitry in the tag chip starts working. It modulates the identification data and other information stored in the chip and loads it onto the signal reflected back to the reader.

[0160] (3) Random access: In a communication system, a terminal device establishes a connection with the network. When the terminal device is powered on or enters a new network coverage area, it needs to establish a connection with the base station through the random access process to obtain network services.

[0161] (4) Contention-based random access (CBRA): The core of CBRA lies in the competition among multiple terminal devices for shared random access resources. In communication scenarios, especially when the network load is high and multiple terminal devices attempt to access the network simultaneously, the limited random access resources cannot meet the needs of all terminal devices to access the network at the same time, and competition will occur between the terminal devices.

[0162] (5) Reader to device (R2D): This describes the communication and data interaction process between a reader and a tag in a radio frequency identification system or a similar identification and data interaction system.

[0163] (6) Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM): FDM is a technique that divides the channel bandwidth into several sub-bands (or sub-channels), with each sub-channel transmitting one signal. This technique achieves simultaneous transmission of multiple signals by superimposing signals from different frequency ranges together. Each signal occupies a different frequency bandwidth, so they can be transmitted without interfering with each other.

[0164] (7) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal via messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​negotiated in advance between the network device / server and the terminal device, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​used by the base station / network device or terminal device as specified in standard protocols, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0165] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0166] (8) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to 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. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0167] (9) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0168] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0169] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0170] (10) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol pre-defined or pre-configured) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0171] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0172] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the communication systems shown in Figures 1A to 1D.

[0173] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system may include a radio access network (RAN) 100. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200 and an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals can be connected to each other, as can RAN nodes, via wired or wireless means.

[0174] Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1A as an example, different devices (including network devices to network devices, network devices to terminal devices, and / or terminal devices to terminal devices) perform communication-related services. As shown in Figure 1B, within the network coverage area of ​​a network device, there can be multiple terminal devices waiting to access the network. Each terminal device can choose a random access opportunity from the first information sent by the network device to randomly access the network.

[0175] In this application, the first communication device is located within the coverage area provided by the second communication device. When the second communication device is a base station, the communication between it and the first communication device is via an A-IoT uu interface, i.e., air interface communication. When the second communication device is a terminal, the communication between the terminal and the first communication device can also reuse the A-IoT uu interface communication mechanism. Figures 1C and 1D below illustrate two connection methods between the first and second communication devices, respectively.

[0176] In Figure 1C, the base station and environmental IoT devices can be directly connected via uu to achieve data and signaling interaction.

[0177] In Figure 1D, the environmental IoT device is connected to the intermediate node via A-IOT uu, and the intermediate node is then connected to the base station via uu. The intermediate node sends the data or signaling sent by the environmental IoT device to the base station via backhaul. Here, the intermediate node can be a network device or a terminal device.

[0178] In a mobile communication system, when a terminal device enters the network range of a network device and wants to establish a connection with the network device, the terminal device sends a random access request at the random access opportunity provided by the network device in order to attempt to establish a connection with the network device, but the network device does not specify the method of random access for the terminal device.

[0179] Therefore, if the terminal device does not select a suitable random access method, it cannot complete the access within the random access opportunity provided by the network device, resulting in the terminal device's access failure.

[0180] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0181] The communication method provided in this application can be implemented through the interaction of a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device can be a communication device for receiving and sending information, or a communication device capable of supporting the functions required for the communication method, such as a chip. Exemplarily, the first communication device is a terminal device, or a chip disposed in a terminal device to implement the functions of the terminal device, or other components for implementing the functions of the terminal device. In the following description, the example of the first communication device being a terminal device will be used. The second communication device can be a communication device for data exchange and communication, or a communication device capable of supporting the functions required for the communication method, such as a chip. Exemplarily, the second communication device is a network device, or a chip disposed in a network device to implement the functions of the network device, or other components for implementing the functions of the network device. In the following description, the example of the second communication device being a network device will be used.

[0182] As shown in Figure 2, the communication method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0183] S201. The second communication device sends first information to the first communication device, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information from the second communication device.

[0184] The first piece of information is used to indicate the resource information for random access.

[0185] In this application, the first communication device can be an ambient internet of things (A-IoT) device. A-IoT devices refer to IoT terminal devices that do not require a built-in traditional power source (such as a chemical battery) to provide energy during operation. They primarily rely on collecting energy from the surrounding environment, such as light energy, heat energy, mechanical energy (e.g., energy generated by vibration), or radio frequency energy, converting this collected environmental energy into electrical energy that can power their operation. This enables functions such as data acquisition, processing, and communication with other devices or networks, achieving interconnectivity between things and between people and things.

[0186] In this application, the second communication device can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader / writer. The first communication device can use a low-precision, low-power, mid-to-low frequency ring oscillator or a receiver that receives downlink signals without a local oscillator. Therefore, the first communication device can communicate with the second communication device based on the data transmission and identification of radio frequency signals.

[0187] In this application, the first information can be paging information sent by the second communication device. When the terminal device is in an idle state, it does not have a dedicated signaling connection with the network. In order to let the terminal device know that there is data waiting to be received (such as an incoming call, SMS, or background application data that needs to be downloaded), the network device will send paging information to the terminal device through the paging mechanism.

[0188] In this application, the paging information may also include the number of random access time slots Q. If Q = 5, it means that the terminal device can attempt to establish a communication connection with the reader (or base station and other related access points) in accordance with the corresponding random access rules within these 5 specified time slots.

[0189] In this application, the first information may also be trigger information sent by the second communication device. When specific conditions are met, the second communication device generates and uses it to trigger the user equipment to perform a specific operation. That is, the method of sending information related to random access is not limited, and the form of the first information is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0190] S202. The first communication device determines the random access method based on the first information.

[0191] The random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

[0192] In this application, the first type of random access method can be the "three-step access method" in a contention-based access mechanism. In the "three-step access method," the first step is that the first communication device sends a random identifier. This random identifier is a signal from the first communication device to the second communication device indicating its access request. The second communication device identifies that the first communication device is attempting to access the network by detecting the random identifier. The second step is that, after receiving the random identifier, the second communication device sends a random access response on the D2R link. The response includes information such as the random identifier, used by the first communication device to determine whether it has successfully contentioned for access. If successful, it proceeds to the third step. The third step is that the first communication device uses PDRCH resources to send its device number and / or upper-layer data to further communicate with the second communication device, completing the access process.

[0193] In the first type of access method, there is clear information exchange at each step, which enables the first communication device and the second communication device to fully understand each other's intentions and status, improving the accuracy and stability of random access; and in the presence of external environmental interference, the first type of access method has a certain anti-interference capability, thereby improving the success rate of the first communication device's access.

[0194] In this application, the second type of random access method can be a "two-step access method" in a contention-based access mechanism. In the two-step access method, firstly, the first communication device simultaneously sends a random identifier, a device number, and / or upper-layer data. While sending the random identifier to indicate the access intention, the first communication device also attempts to transmit some key information. Then, after receiving the information sent by the first communication device, the second communication device responds directly, confirming the access request of the first communication device by replying with the device number of the first communication device, and providing further resource allocation and communication parameter adjustment information. The first communication device completes the subsequent steps of the access process based on the response of the second communication device.

[0195] In the "two-step access method", the steps are simpler than those in the "three-step access method", which allows the first communication device to complete the random access process faster, improving the efficiency of the first communication device's random access. Furthermore, due to the reduction in steps, resource utilization is improved compared to the first type of access method.

[0196] Through the above methods, the first communication device selects a random access method suitable for the current network environment, improving the success rate and efficiency of random access. The second communication device sends random access configuration information to the first communication device in the first information, enabling the first communication device to select a suitable time to send a random access request based on the configuration information. This allows for the rational scheduling of access times for multiple first communication devices when multiple devices need to access the network, reducing conflicts caused by simultaneous competition for access resources and thus improving the success rate and efficiency of random access.

[0197] S203. The first communication device sends a random access request to the second communication device using a determined random access method, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the random access request from the first communication device.

[0198] In this application, the first communication device can determine the random access method based on various information.

[0199] In this application, the access opportunity refers to the time when the second communication device allows the first communication device to send a random access request. An access opportunity can be understood as a time-frequency resource opportunity for an A-IoT device to perform access, which can include opportunities in the time domain and opportunities in the frequency domain. The access opportunity in the time domain can include a point in time or a period of time. The first communication device can only send a random access request within a specified time range. The access opportunity in the frequency domain can include a frequency point or a frequency band. The second communication device determines the specific location and range of the frequency domain resources for sending the random access request based on the system bandwidth of the cell and the configured random access parameters, to ensure that the first communication device can perform random access on the specified frequency domain resources.

[0200] In one possible embodiment, the first information includes random access configuration information; wherein, the random access configuration information includes a first quantity, which may be the number of access opportunities in the time domain within a paging cycle, or the number of access opportunities in the time domain indicated in the first information.

[0201] The first communication device determines the random access method based on the time-domain resources allocated by the second communication device in the first information. As shown in Figure 3, for example, in the first information, the second communication device allocates X time-domain resources to the first communication device, and the first communication device can select one of them as the access timing to send a random access request.

[0202] Specifically, as X increases, the SFO (Segmented Forward Error) accumulates more with time T, resulting in a greater impact. Since Msg1 carries more information bits in the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method," a larger accumulated SFO will affect the reception and decoding of Msg1. Therefore, the impact of increased SFO is greater for the second type of access method.

[0203] Therefore, when the first quantity is greater than the first threshold, the first communication device will select the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0204] In this application, the first threshold and the second threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or they can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or they can be predefined, or they can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the first threshold and the second threshold is not limited here.

[0205] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the manufacturer, and can be changed via software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration by other devices, pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through a system information block (SIB) or RRC signaling. For example, when the first threshold X1 = 1, and the first information indicates a first quantity X = 3, the first communication device compares the first quantity with the first threshold, determines that the first quantity is greater than the first threshold, and therefore selects the first type of access method to send a random access request.

[0206] When the first quantity is less than or equal to the first threshold, the first communication device will select the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method. For example, if the first threshold X1 = 2 and the first information indicates that the first quantity X = 2, the first communication device will compare the first quantity with the first threshold and find that the first quantity is equal to the first threshold. Therefore, it will select the second type of access method to send a random access request.

[0207] In this possible embodiment, the first communication device selects the random access method based on the magnitude of a first number used to indicate the number of random access opportunities in the time domain. This allows the first communication device to flexibly select the random access method according to the actual load capacity of the network where the second communication device is located, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the first communication device and thus improving the adaptability and stability of the communication system.

[0208] In one possible embodiment, the first information includes a second quantity, which is the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the frequency domain, or the second quantity is the number of access opportunities in the frequency domain within a paging cycle.

[0209] The first communication device determines the random access method based on the frequency domain resources allocated by the second communication device in the first information. As shown in Figure 4, for example, in the first information, the second communication device allocates M frequency domain resources to the first communication device, and the first communication device can select one of them as the access timing to send a random access request.

[0210] Specifically, the larger M is, the larger the frequency f is, the more CFO accumulates, and the greater the impact. Since Msg1 carries more information bits in the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method," a larger CFO accumulation will affect the reception and decoding of Msg1. Therefore, the impact of an increased SFO is greater for the second type of access method.

[0211] Therefore, when the second quantity is greater than the second threshold, the first communication device will select the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0212] For example, when the second threshold M1 = 1, the first information indicates that the second quantity M = 3. The first communication device compares the second quantity with the second threshold and finds that the second quantity is greater than the second threshold. Therefore, it selects the first type of access method to send a random access request.

[0213] When the second quantity is less than or equal to the second threshold, the first communication device will select the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method. For example, if the second threshold M1 = 3 and the first information indicates that the first quantity M = 2, then the first communication device will compare the second quantity with the second threshold and find that the second quantity is greater than or equal to the second threshold. Therefore, it will select the second type of access method to send a random access request.

[0214] In this possible embodiment, the first communication device selects the random access method based on the size of a second number used to indicate the number of random access opportunities in the frequency domain. This allows the first communication device to flexibly select the random access method according to the actual load capacity of the network where the second communication device is located, thereby improving the success rate of random access by the first communication device and thus improving the adaptability and stability of the communication system.

[0215] In one possible embodiment, the first information may include a first quantity and a second quantity. As shown in Figure 5, the first information indicates that the first quantity X = 2 and the second quantity Y = 2.

[0216] In one possible embodiment, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the magnitude of a first quantity and a first threshold or the magnitude of a second quantity and a second threshold. For example, when the first threshold X1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is greater than the first threshold X1. At this time, regardless of whether the second quantity Y is greater than, equal to, or less than the second threshold, the first communication device will select the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0217] When the first threshold X1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X equals the first threshold X1. At this time, the first communication device can choose either the first type of access method, i.e., the "three-step access method," or the second type of access method, i.e., the "two-step access method," as the determined access method. The choice of which type of access method to use can be determined based on the magnitude of the second threshold and the second quantity, or it can be selected by the first communication device itself.

[0218] When the first threshold X1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is less than the first threshold X1. At this time, regardless of whether the second quantity Y is greater than, equal to or less than the second threshold, the first communication device will select the second type of access method, namely "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0219] Similarly, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the magnitude of the second quantity Y and the second threshold M1. The judgment method is similar to that described above and will not be repeated here.

[0220] In one possible embodiment, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the magnitude of a first quantity and a first threshold, as well as the magnitude of a second quantity and a second threshold. In this case, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the conditions in the two embodiments described above.

[0221] For example, if the first threshold X1 = 1 and the second threshold M1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is greater than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is less than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0222] If the first threshold X1 = 1 and the second threshold M1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is greater than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is equal to the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0223] If the first threshold X1 = 1 and the second threshold M1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first quantity is greater than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is greater than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0224] If the first threshold X1 = 2 and the second threshold M1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is equal to the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is less than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0225] If the first threshold X1 = 2 and the second threshold M1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X equals the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y equals the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0226] If the first threshold X1 = 2 and the second threshold M1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is equal to the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is greater than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0227] If the first threshold X1 = 3 and the second threshold M1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is less than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is less than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the second type of access method, namely "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0228] If the first threshold X1 = 3 and the second threshold M1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is less than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is equal to the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0229] If the first threshold X1 = 3 and the second threshold M1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first quantity X is less than the first threshold X1 and the second quantity Y is greater than the second threshold M1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0230] In this application, the first access resource can also be used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the time domain. When multiple first communication devices need to access, after each first communication device selects its own access timing, they will each determine the time difference between the time domain resources occupied by their access timing and the signal sent by the second communication device to transmit the first information.

[0231] As shown in Figure 6, there are three first communication devices, namely device 1, device 2 and device 3, which need to send random access requests at the access time indicated by the second communication device. At this time, device 1, device 2 and device 3 will each compare the time difference between their selected access time and the time of sending the first information.

[0232] For example, the first communication device can obtain the time difference by calculating the difference between the start time of sending the first information and the start time of access timing, as shown in Figure 7. The time difference obtained by device 1 can be t1. Alternatively, the time difference can be obtained by calculating the difference between the end time of sending the first information and the end time of access timing, as shown in Figure 7. The time difference obtained by device 1 can also be t2. The method by which the first communication device obtains the time difference between access timing and the first information is not limited here.

[0233] Specifically, when the time difference obtained by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the first type of random access method is selected; when the time difference obtained by the first communication device is less than or equal to the third threshold, the second type of random access method is selected.

[0234] In this application, the third threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or it can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or it can be predefined, or it can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the third threshold is not limited here.

[0235] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the equipment manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration from other devices, pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through system information blocks (SIBs) or RRC signaling.

[0236] Continuing with Figure 6, after device 1 obtains a time difference t3 = 2, device 2 obtains a time difference t4 = 4, and device 3 obtains a time difference t5 = 5, devices 1, 2, and 3 can select a specific random access method by comparing it with a third threshold.

[0237] When the third threshold is 4, if the time difference t3 of device 1 is less than the third threshold, then device 1 selects the second type of random access method; if the time difference t4 of device 2 is equal to the third threshold, then device 2 selects the second type of random access method; if the time difference t5 of device 3 is greater than the third threshold, then device 3 selects the first type of random access method.

[0238] In this application, the first access resource can also be used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the frequency domain. When multiple first communication devices need to access, after each first communication device selects its own access timing, they will each determine the frequency domain difference between the frequency domain resources occupied by their access timing and the signal of the second communication device sending the first information.

[0239] For example, the first communication device can obtain the frequency difference by calculating the difference between the start frequency of the first information transmission and the start frequency of the access timing, as shown in Figure 8. The frequency difference obtained by device 1 can be f1. Alternatively, the frequency difference can be obtained by calculating the difference between the end frequency of the first information transmission and the end frequency of the access timing, as shown in Figure 8. The frequency difference obtained by device 1 can also be f2. The method by which the first communication device obtains the frequency difference between the access timing and the first information is not limited here.

[0240] Specifically, when the frequency difference obtained by the first communication device is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold, the first type of random access method is selected; when the frequency difference obtained by the first communication device is less than or equal to the fifth threshold, the second type of random access method is selected.

[0241] In this application, the fifth threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or it can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or it can be predefined, or it can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the fifth threshold is not limited here.

[0242] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the equipment manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration from other devices, pre-recorded / written into the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through system information blocks (SIBs) or RRC signaling.

[0243] In one possible embodiment, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the magnitude of the first time and the third threshold, as well as the magnitude of the first frequency and the fifth threshold. In this case, the first communication device can make a judgment based on the conditions in the two embodiments described above.

[0244] Wherein, the first time represents the time difference between the access timing of the first communication device in the time domain and the transmission time of the first information, and the first frequency represents the frequency difference between the access timing of the first communication device in the frequency domain and the transmission frequency of the first information.

[0245] For example, if the third threshold T1 = 1 and the fifth threshold F1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first time X is greater than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is less than the fifth threshold F1. Then, the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0246] If the third threshold T1 = 1 and the fifth threshold F1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first time X is greater than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is equal to the fifth threshold F1. Then the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0247] If the third threshold T1 = 1 and the fifth threshold F1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first time is greater than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is greater than the fifth threshold F1. Then the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0248] If the third threshold T1 = 2 and the fifth threshold F1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first time X is equal to the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is less than the fifth threshold F1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0249] If the third threshold T1 = 2 and the fifth threshold F1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first time X equals the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y equals the fifth threshold F1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0250] If the third threshold T1 = 2 and the fifth threshold F1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first time X is equal to the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is greater than the fifth threshold F1. Then the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0251] If the third threshold T1 = 3 and the fifth threshold F1 = 3, the first communication device determines that the first time X is less than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is less than the fifth threshold F1. Then the first communication device selects the second type of access method, namely "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0252] If the third threshold T1 = 3 and the fifth threshold F1 = 2, the first communication device determines that the first time X is less than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is equal to the fifth threshold F1. Then, the first communication device selects either the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", or the second type of access method, namely the "two-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0253] If the third threshold T1 = 3 and the fifth threshold F1 = 1, the first communication device determines that the first time X is less than the third threshold T1 and the first frequency Y is greater than the fifth threshold F1. Then the first communication device selects the first type of access method, namely the "three-step access method", as the determined access method.

[0254] In this possible embodiment, when multiple first communication devices access the network, they select a random access method based on the time difference or frequency difference between their access timing and the signal of the first information. This allows the first communication devices to flexibly select a random access method according to the actual load capacity of the network where the second communication devices are located, thereby improving the success rate of random access for the first communication devices and thus improving the adaptability and stability of the communication system.

[0255] In one possible embodiment, the first information also includes at least one of the following: the encoding method of the data transmitted on the physical device reader channel (PDRCH), the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

[0256] In this application, the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH may include Manchester encoding or pulse interval encoding (PIE).

[0257] Manchester encoding uses a unique level transition method to represent digital information. Within each bit cycle, there is one level transition. Specifically, to represent the digit "0", the first half of the bit cycle is high, and the second half is low; that is, a high-to-low level transition represents "0". To represent the digit "1", the opposite is true: the first half of the bit cycle is low, and the second half is high; that is, a low-to-high level transition represents "1".

[0258] The core of PIE encoding lies in using the time interval between pulses to carry information. It sends a series of pulse signals, with different pulse intervals representing different encoded information. For example, shorter pulse intervals represent the digit "0", longer pulse intervals represent the digit "1", or more complexly, pulse intervals of different durations correspond to different characters, instructions, etc., thereby encoding the information to be transmitted into corresponding pulse sequences according to pre-set rules for transmission.

[0259] In one possible embodiment, if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding, then the first communication device selects the second type of random access method as the determined random access method; if the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding, then the first communication device selects the first type of random access method as the determined random access method.

[0260] In this application, Manchester encoding has the advantage of good phase transition / synchronization performance, making data encoded using Manchester encoding easier for a second communication device to detect and receive. Furthermore, because the codeword length in PIE is variable, compared to Manchester encoding, a misdetection of one information bit can lead to the propagation of errors in subsequent bit detections, resulting in a significant discrepancy between the transmitted data and the actual data sent. In other words, Manchester-encoded data has better anti-interference capabilities than PIE-encoded data.

[0261] Therefore, when the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding, the second type of random access method can be selected; when the encoding method for data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding, the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0262] In one possible embodiment, if the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH is less than or equal to a fourth threshold, the first communication device selects a first type of random access method as the determined random access method; if the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH is greater than the fourth threshold, the first communication device selects a second type of random access method as the determined random access method.

[0263] In this application, the number of times data is repeated can improve transmission reliability. Therefore, when higher reliability is required, the second type of random access method can be selected; when lower reliability is required, the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0264] In this application, the fourth threshold can be configured by the second communication device and sent to the first communication device through signaling or other means, or it can be pre-configured by the first communication device before leaving the factory, or it can be predefined, or it can be set by the first communication device itself based on historical parameters. The setting method of the fourth threshold is not limited here.

[0265] In this context, configuration refers to the second communication device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of certain parameters to the first communication device via messages or signaling, so that the first communication device can determine the communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configured content typically refers to information pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the first communication device itself, determined by the manufacturer, and can be changed through software or hardware. Predefined content typically refers to standard-defined information that does not require configuration by other devices, pre-recorded / written in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by network devices or other terminal devices. (Pre)configuration can be performed by the network through system information blocks (SIBs) or RRC signaling. In one possible embodiment, if the feedforward error correction enabled state for data transmitted on the PDRCH is enabled, the first communication device selects the first type of random access method as the determined random access method; if the feedforward error correction enabled state for data transmitted on the PDRCH is disabled, the first communication device selects the second type of random access method as the determined random access method.

[0266] In this application, the core principle of feedforward error correction (FEC) is to intentionally add certain redundant information according to a specific algorithm when encoding the original data at the transmitting end. This redundant information has a specific mathematical relationship with the original data and is generated based on the original data through encoding rules. Therefore, the reliability of the data can be improved through feedforward error correction encoding.

[0267] Therefore, when FEC is enabled (i.e., higher reliability), the second type of random access method can be selected; when FEC is not enabled (i.e., lower reliability), the first type of random access method can be selected.

[0268] In this possible embodiment, the first communication device determines which type of random access method to use for random access by using relevant information of data transmitted on various PDRCHs, thereby improving the success rate and reliability of random access for the first communication device.

[0269] In one possible embodiment, if the random access method determined by the first communication device is a first type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: sending a random identifier to the second communication device; receiving response information from the second communication device; wherein the response information includes the random identifier and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access; and sending the device number and / or upper-layer data of the first communication device to the second communication device.

[0270] In this possible embodiment, the first communication device sends a random access request through the first type of access method, which can effectively reduce the possibility of random access failure, ensure the reliability of the random access process, and ensure accurate information transmission through multiple interactions, thereby enabling the first communication device to successfully access the network where the second communication device is located.

[0271] In one possible embodiment, if the determined random access method is a second type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: sending a random identifier, the device number of the first communication device, and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device; receiving response information from the second communication device, wherein the response information includes the device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

[0272] In one possible embodiment, the first communication device sends a random access request via a second type of access method. By reducing intermediate interaction steps, the latency of the first communication device sending the random access request can be reduced.

[0273] The communication system and communication method in the embodiments of this application have been described above. The communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0274] Please refer to Figure 9. This application embodiment provides an O-RAN system architecture. This system can realize the functions of the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0275] As shown in the figure, the access network equipment (RAN, such as eNB, gNB, or next-generation access network equipment) communicates with the core network (CN) through the backhaul link and with the user equipment (UE) through the air interface.

[0276] Specifically, the baseband unit (BBU) in the access network equipment communicates with the core network via a backhaul link, and the radio unit (RU) in the access network equipment communicates with at least one UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located.

[0277] The BBU includes at least one control unit (CU) and at least one distributed unit (DU), which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0278] Please refer to Figure 10. This application provides another O-RAN system architecture.

[0279] In some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions. The CU (e.g., PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as F1 interfaces. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., F1 interfaces) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the F1 signaling procedures in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0280] In some examples, the CU can be split into CU-CP (control unit-control plane) and CU-UP (control unit-user plane). CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the UPF (User Plane Function) in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0281] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces.

[0282] In some examples, the CU may not have a PDCP layer, i.e., it only includes the RRC layer. CU-CP does not have PDCP-C. CU-UP may not have PDCP-U, or may not have CU-UP at all. In some examples, the DU may not have an RLC layer, only a MAC and a higher PHY layer. Furthermore, in some examples, it may not have a CU and may only include the DU.

[0283] In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation. In some examples, the RU is a logical node carrying both lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes the PHY processing, such as fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs via a radio link.

[0284] The DU and RU can be co-located or separate. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a lower-layer Split CUS-Plane (LLS-CUS) interface through a fronthaul link. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU. The DU and RU can cooperate to implement PHY layer functions. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, the DU may be configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU may be configured to implement mid-frequency functions. For example, DU is configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and RU is configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level functions and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer may include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer may include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0285] Please refer to Figure 11. This application embodiment provides a communication device 1100, which can realize the functions of the first or second communication device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In this application embodiment, the communication device 1100 can be the first or second communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the first or second communication device, such as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip (e.g., an SoC chip containing a modem core), SIP chip, communication module, chip system, processor, etc.

[0286] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 1102 can also be called a transceiver module, which may include a sending unit (also called a sending module) and / or a receiving unit (also called a receiving module), which are used to perform the sending and receiving operations in the embodiment, respectively.

[0287] In one possible implementation, when the device 1100 is used to execute the method performed by the first communication device in FIG2 and related embodiments, the device 1100 includes a processing unit 1101 and a transceiver unit 1102; the transceiver unit 1102 is used to receive first information from the second communication device, and the processing unit 1101 is used to determine a random access method based on the first information; wherein, the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method; the transceiver unit 1102 is also used to send a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method.

[0288] In one possible implementation, when the device 1100 is used to execute the method performed by the second communication device in FIG2 and related embodiments, the device 1100 includes a processing unit 1101 and a transceiver unit 1102; the transceiver unit 1102 is used to send first information to the first communication device; wherein, the trigger information is used to indicate resource information for random access; the transceiver unit 1102 is also used to receive a random access request from the first communication device, wherein the random access method of the first communication device sending the random access request is determined according to the first information, and the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

[0289] In one possible design, when the communication device 1100 is a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal, the function of the processing unit 1101 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, a SoC chip (such as a SoC chip containing a modem core), or a SIP chip. The function of the transceiver unit 1102 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0290] In one possible design, when the communication device 1100 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip, a SoC chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 1101 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the transceiver unit 1102 can be implemented by the interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0291] It should be noted that the information execution process of the unit of the above-mentioned communication device 1100 can be specifically described in the method embodiment shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0292] Please refer to Figure 12, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1200 provided in this application. The communication device 1200 includes a logic circuit 1201 and an input / output interface 1202. The communication device 1200 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0293] In Figure 11, the transceiver unit 1102 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1202 in Figure 12. The input / output interface 1202 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0294] In one possible implementation, when the device 1200 is used to execute the method performed by the first communication device in FIG2 and related embodiments, the input / output interface 1202 is used to receive first information from the second communication device; wherein, the first information is used to indicate random access resource information, and the logic circuit 1201 is used to determine the random access method according to the first information; wherein, the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method; the input / output interface 1202 is also used to send a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method.

[0295] In one possible implementation, when the device 1200 is used to execute the method performed by the second communication device in FIG2 and related embodiments, the input / output interface 1202 is used to send first information to the first communication device; wherein, the trigger information is used to indicate resource information for random access; the input / output interface 1202 is used to receive a random access request from the first communication device, wherein the random access method of the first communication device sending the random access request is determined according to the first information, and the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

[0296] The logic circuit 1201 and the input / output interface 1202 can also perform other steps performed by the first or second communication device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0297] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1101 shown in FIG11 can be the logic circuit 1201 in FIG12.

[0298] Optionally, the logic circuit 1201 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0299] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0300] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. Memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent.

[0301] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic controllers (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0302] Please refer to Figure 13, which shows the communication device 1300 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1300 can be the communication device as a terminal device in the above embodiments. The example shown in Figure 13 is that the terminal device is implemented through the terminal device (or the components in the terminal device).

[0303] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1300, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1301 and a communication port 1302.

[0304] In Figure 11, the transceiver unit 1102 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1302 in Figure 13. The communication port 1302 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1302 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0305] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1303 and a bus 1304. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1301 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1300.

[0306] Furthermore, the processor 1301 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0307] It should be noted that the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation of the terminal device shown in Figure 13 can be referred to the description of the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0308] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1400 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device 1400 can specifically be a communication device as a network device in the above embodiments. The example shown in Figure 14 is that the network device is implemented through a network device (or a component in the network device). The structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 14.

[0309] The communication device 1400 includes at least one processor 1411 and at least one network interface 1414. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1412, at least one transceiver 1413, and one or more antennas 1415. The processor 1411, memory 1412, transceiver 1413, and network interface 1414 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1415 is connected to the transceiver 1413. The network interface 1414 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1414 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0310] In Figure 11, the transceiver unit 1102 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1414 in Figure 14. The network interface 1414 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1414 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0311] Processor 1411 is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the communication device. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used for controlling the entire terminal device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs. Processor 1411 in Figure 14 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. Various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0312] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1412 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1411. Optionally, the memory 1412 can be integrated with the processor 1411, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1412 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1411. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1411.

[0313] Figure 14 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0314] Transceiver 1413 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1413 can be connected to antenna 1415. Transceiver 1413 includes a transmitter Tx and / or a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1415 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1413 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1411 so that processor 1411 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1413 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1411, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1415. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0315] The transceiver 1413 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0316] It should be noted that the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be referred to the description of the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0317] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method described in the possible implementations of the first or second communication device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0318] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, executes the method described above for the possible implementation of the first or second communication device.

[0319] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the communication device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device may specifically be the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0320] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the first communication device in any of the above embodiments.

[0321] Optionally, the communication system may also include a second communication device.

[0322] In the 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, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is 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.

[0323] 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.

[0324] Furthermore, 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. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) 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.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first communication device, and the method includes: Receive first information from a second communication device; wherein the first information is used to indicate resource information for random access; The random access method is determined based on the first information; wherein the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method; A random access request is sent to the second communication device using a defined random access method.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes random access configuration information; wherein, the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the frequency domain.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining the random access method based on the first information includes: If the first quantity is greater than the first threshold or the second quantity is greater than the second threshold, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the random access configuration information, a first access resource is selected; wherein, the first access resource is used to indicate the access timing of the first communication device in the time domain.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the random access method based on the first information includes: Determine the time difference between the first access resource and the first information; If the time difference is greater than the third threshold, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first information also includes at least one of the following: the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the random access method based on the first information includes: If the encoding method for the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Manchester encoding, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; if the encoding method for the data transmitted on the PDRCH is Pulse Interval (PIE) encoding, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the random access method based on the first information includes: If the number of times the data transmitted on the PDRCH is repeated is less than or equal to the fourth threshold, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; If the number of times data is repeated on the PDRCH is greater than the fourth threshold, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining the random access method based on the first information includes: If the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is enabled, then the first type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method; If the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH is not enabled, then the second type of random access method is selected as the determined random access method.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, If the determined random access method is a first type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: Send a random identifier to the second communication device; Receive response information from the second communication device; wherein the response information includes the random identifier, and the response information is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access; Send the device number of the first communication device and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, If the determined random access method is a second type of random access method, then sending a random access request to the second communication device using the determined random access method includes: Send a random identifier, the device number of the first communication device, and / or upper-layer data to the second communication device; Receive response information from the second communication device, wherein the response information includes the device number and is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second communication device, and the method includes: Send first information to the first communication device; wherein the triggering information is used to indicate randomly accessed resource information; Receive a random access request from the first communication device, wherein the random access method of the first communication device sending the random access request is determined based on the first information, and the random access method includes a first type of random access method and a second type of random access method.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first information includes random access configuration information; wherein, the random access configuration information includes a first quantity and / or a second quantity, the first quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the time domain, and the second quantity being the number of access opportunities of the first communication device in the frequency domain.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first information also includes at least one of the following: the encoding method of the data transmitted on the PDRCH, the number of times the data is repeated on the PDRCH, and the feedforward error correction enabled status of the data transmitted on the PDRCH.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, If the determined random access method is a first type of random access method, then receiving the random access request from the first communication device includes: Receive a random identifier from the first communication device; Send response information to the first communication device; wherein the response information includes the random identifier, and the response information is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access; Receive device number and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, If the determined random access method is the second type of random access method, then receiving the random access request from the first communication device includes: Receive a random identifier, device number, and / or upper-layer data from the first communication device; Send response information to the first communication device; wherein the response information includes the device number, and the response information is used to indicate that the first communication device has successfully competed for access.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes at least one processor; The at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to enable the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, characterized in that, The communication device also includes a memory; The processor is coupled to the memory; The memory is used to store the computer program or instructions.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 16 to be performed.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the program instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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