Timing advance determination method and apparatus, signal transmission method and apparatus, and communication device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communications, and specifically relates to a timing advance (TA) determination method and apparatus, a signal transmission method and apparatus, and a communication device. The timing advance determination method comprises: when a terminal has no positioning capability, calculating the location of the terminal according to a cellular network positioning algorithm; and determining a TA value on the basis of the location. According to the present disclosure, the terminal lacking positioning capability can calculate the location of the terminal according to the cellular network positioning algorithm. Since the cellular network positioning algorithm does not require the terminal to have positioning capability, the terminal can successfully obtain its own location by means of calculation, and further determine the TA value on the basis of the location. The determined TA value can be used by the terminal lacking positioning capability to perform random access, thereby helping alleviate inter-slot interference during random access when the terminal lacking positioning capability is unable to perform accurate compensation.

Description

Pre-determined timing, signal transmission methods and devices, and communication equipment. Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a timing advance determination method, a signal transmission method, a timing advance determination device, a signal transmission device, a communication device, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, NTN (Non-terrestrial Network) has been proposed. In non-terrestrial networks, wireless resources can be provided by aerial devices (such as satellites, drones, etc.). Aerial devices have a relatively large coverage area, which can form larger cells. However, there are still some technical problems that need to be solved in NTN scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of this disclosure provide methods and apparatus for advance timing determination, signal transmission, communication devices, and storage media to solve technical problems in related technologies.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a timing advance determination method is proposed, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: calculating the location of the terminal according to a cellular network positioning algorithm when the terminal has no positioning capability; and determining a timing advance TA value based on the location.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a signal transmission method is provided, performed by a network device, the method comprising: transmitting a reference signal to a terminal, wherein the reference signal is used by the terminal to calculate the location of the terminal based on a cellular network positioning algorithm, and the location of the terminal is used by the terminal to determine a timing advance (TA) value.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a timing advance determination method is proposed for a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device, the method comprising: the network device sending a reference signal to the terminal; the terminal calculating the location of the terminal based on the reference signal using a cellular positioning algorithm; and the terminal determining a timing advance (TA) value based on the location.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, the communication device being used to perform the timing advance determination method described in the first aspect, and / or the signal transmission method described in the second aspect.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the timing advance determination method described in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the signal transmission method described in the second aspect.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the timing advance determination method described in the first aspect, and / or the signal transmission method described in the second aspect.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the timing advance determination method described in the first aspect and / or the signal transmission method described in the second aspect.

[0011] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal without positioning capabilities can calculate its location using a cellular positioning algorithm. Since the cellular positioning algorithm does not require the terminal to have positioning capabilities, it facilitates the terminal's calculation of its own location and the determination of the TA value based on that location. The determined TA value can be used for random access by a terminal without positioning capabilities, which helps alleviate the inter-slot interference problem that exists when a terminal without positioning capabilities performs random access under conditions where precise compensation is difficult. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating a determination of TA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmission delay according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a timing advance determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a time-domain relationship according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a timing advance determination device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a signal transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a timing advance determination method and apparatus for signal transmission, a communication device, and a storage medium.

[0023] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a timing advance determination method, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: calculating the location of the terminal according to a cellular network positioning algorithm when the terminal has no positioning capability; and determining a timing advance TA value based on the location.

[0024] In the above embodiments, terminals without positioning capabilities can calculate their location using cellular positioning algorithms. Since cellular positioning algorithms do not require the terminal to have positioning capabilities, it is easy for the terminal to calculate its own location and then determine the TA value based on the location. The determined TA value can be used for random access by terminals without positioning capabilities, which helps to alleviate the time slot interference problem that exists when terminals without positioning capabilities perform random access in situations where accurate compensation is difficult.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception of reference signals.

[0026] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving first indication information transmitted by the network device in a cell, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the type of the reference signal according to a predefined rule, or determining the type of the reference signal according to second indication information sent by a network device; and obtaining configuration information of the reference signal according to the type.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the type of the reference signal includes one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB); a positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS is carried in a first-identified System Information Block (SIB) and / or in a Location SIB; wherein the first-identified SIB contains a Non-Terrestrial Network Configuration (NTN-Config).

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location, the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location satisfy at least one of the following conditions: there is no time interval between the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location; the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location have the same period.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: stopping the reception of the PRS in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit where the SSB is located; the time unit where SIB1 is located; the time unit where the SIB identified by the first identification is located; and the time unit where the location SIB is located.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: compensating based on the TA value during the access to the network device.

[0034] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a signal transmission method executed by a network device, the method comprising: transmitting a reference signal to a terminal, wherein the reference signal is used by the terminal to calculate the location of the terminal based on a cellular network positioning algorithm, and the location of the terminal is used by the terminal to determine a timing advance (TA) value.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception of reference signals.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first indication information to the terminal, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second indication information to the terminal, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the type of the reference signal, the type of the reference signal being used by the terminal to obtain configuration information of the reference signal.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the type of the reference signal includes one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB); a positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS is carried in a first-identified System Information Block (SIB) and / or in a Location SIB; wherein the first-identified SIB contains a Non-Terrestrial Network Configuration (NTN-Config).

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location, the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location satisfy at least one of the following conditions: there is no time interval between the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location; the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location have the same period.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: stopping the transmission of the PRS in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit where the SSB is located; the time unit where SIB1 is located; the time unit where the SIB of the first identifier is located; and the time unit where the location SIB is located.

[0043] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a timing advance determination method for a communication system, the communication system including a terminal and a network device, the method comprising: the network device sending a reference signal to the terminal; the terminal calculating the location of the terminal based on the reference signal using a cellular positioning algorithm; and the terminal determining a timing advance (TA) value based on the location.

[0044] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a timing advance determination device, the device comprising: a processing module configured to calculate the location of the terminal according to a cellular positioning algorithm when the terminal has no positioning capability; and to determine a timing advance TA value based on the location.

[0045] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a signal transmitting device, the device comprising: a transmitting module configured to transmit a reference signal to a terminal, wherein the reference signal is used by the terminal to calculate the location of the terminal based on a cellular network positioning algorithm, and the location of the terminal is used by the terminal to determine a timing advance (TA) value.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the timing advance determination method according to any one of the first aspect and the optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the signal transmission method according to any one of the second aspect and the optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to execute the timing advance determination method described in any one of the optional embodiments of the first aspect.

[0048] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to perform the signal transmission method described in any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments thereof.

[0049] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the timing advance determination method according to any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the signal transmission method according to any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the timing advance determination method as described in any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the signal transmission method as described in any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0051] In the eleventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the timing advance determination method described in any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the signal transmission method described in any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0052] Understandably, the aforementioned timing advance determination, signal transmitting device, communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, and computer program are all used to execute the method proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0053] This disclosure provides embodiments of timing advance determination, signal transmission methods and apparatus, communication devices, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms timing advance determination, signal transmission method, information processing method, and communication method can be used interchangeably; the terms timing advance determination, signal transmission apparatus, information processing apparatus, and communication apparatus can be used interchangeably; and the terms information processing system and communication system can be used interchangeably.

[0054] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0055] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0056] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0057] In the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular, such as “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “this,” etc., may mean “one and only one,” or “one or more,” “at least one,” etc.

[0058] For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", and "the" in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular or a plural form.

[0059] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0060] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0061] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0062] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0063] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this disclosure are only for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not constitute restrictions on the position, order, priority, number or content of the descriptive objects. For the description of the descriptive objects, please refer to the description in the claims or the context of the embodiments. The use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions.

[0064] For example, if the descriptive object is "field," then the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is "level," then the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers; there can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the descriptive object is "device," then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the descriptive object is "information," then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0065] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0066] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0067] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0068] In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

[0069] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0070] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0072] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0073] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0074] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0075] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0076] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0077] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102, wherein the network device includes at least one of the following: an access network device and a core network device.

[0079] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0080] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0081] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0082] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0083] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0084] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0085] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0086] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0087] In some embodiments, within an NTN (Non-terrestrial Network), a terminal can communicate with network devices via satellite. Communication methods may include transparent transmission mode, regeneration mode, etc. The link between the terminal and the satellite can be called a service link, and the link between the satellite and the network devices can be called a feeder link.

[0088] In some embodiments, communication between the terminal and the network device needs to be synchronized, such as uplink synchronization and downlink synchronization.

[0089] For example, a terminal can perform uplink synchronization by sending a PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) signal (e.g., a random access preamble).

[0090] Similar to downlink synchronization, the PRACH signals transmitted by the terminal are mainly affected by high-speed moving satellites, including Doppler frequency offset in the service link and feeder link.

[0091] Unlike downlink signals, network devices need to provide services to multiple terminals, so they need to ensure orthogonality between different terminals. This requires that signals sent by terminals located in different locations and experiencing different transmission delays arrive at the network device at the same time. Otherwise, the network device may not be able to demodulate the correct PRACH signal or distinguish PRACH signals from different terminals from the received PRACH signals.

[0092] Therefore, the key to uplink synchronization lies in how to handle large frequency offsets in the PARCH signal and ensure that the PARCH signals sent by terminals at different locations arrive at the base station at the same time (e.g., within at least the same CP (Cyclic Prefix) range).

[0093] In some embodiments, uplink synchronization may include at least one of the following: uplink frequency synchronization and uplink time synchronization.

[0094] For example, for uplink frequency synchronization, the terminal can obtain its own position by relying on its own positioning capabilities (such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)) on the one hand, and obtain satellite ephemeris information from information broadcast by network devices (such as system information and paging messages) on the other hand, and then calculate the Doppler frequency shift of the service link, thereby pre-compensating the transmitted PRACH signal.

[0095] For example, for uplink time synchronization, the terminal can perform TA (Timing Advance) pre-compensation on the transmitted PRACH. For example, the magnitude of the TA pre-compensation by the terminal is related to the uplink time synchronization reference point set by the network device.

[0096] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating a determination of TA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] As shown in Figure 1B, when the reference point for uplink time synchronization is a network device (e.g., a base station), the terminal needs to compensate for the total round-trip time of the service link and the feeder link corresponding to the total TA.

[0098] When the uplink time synchronization reference point is a satellite, the total TA that the terminal needs to compensate only corresponds to the round-trip time of the service link.

[0099] For service links, since the terminal's location cannot be reported to the network device before network security is established, the network device cannot compensate for the service link without obtaining the terminal's location or verifying whether the reported location is reliable. Therefore, the TA of the service link is generally compensated by the terminal. For example, the terminal obtains its own location based on its own positioning capabilities (e.g., based on GNSS) and obtains the satellite ephemeris information based on the broadcast information of the network device, and then calculates the service link delay and compensates for it.

[0100] For feeder links, if this portion of the time synchronization (TA) is estimated and compensated by the network equipment, then the time synchronization reference point, i.e., the alignment point of uplink and downlink frames, is located at the satellite. When the satellite moves, the network equipment needs to handle time-varying feeder link transmission delays, making transmission scheduling more complex and placing higher demands on the network equipment's capabilities than traditional terrestrial communication systems. If this portion of the TA is estimated and compensated by the terminal, then the time synchronization reference point, i.e., the alignment point of uplink and downlink frames, is located at the network equipment and does not change with satellite movement. The network equipment does not need to handle time-varying feeder link transmission delays, and the capability requirements for the network equipment are similar to those of traditional terrestrial communication systems.

[0101] For example, a network device can designate a point as the uplink time synchronization reference point, which can be located on a satellite or on a ground-based network device. It should be noted that when the network device sets the uplink time synchronization reference point on a satellite, the common time synchronization (TA) is equal to 0.

[0102] For example, network devices can estimate the transmission delay of a feeder link and then broadcast a common TA to the terminal, which can then perform pre-compensation based on the common TA.

[0103] In some embodiments, after the terminal sends a PRACH, the network device can estimate the residual timing deviation based on the arrival time of the PRACH, and then feed it back to the terminal through the TA command in the RAR (Random Access Response). This is a TA closed-loop control indication information.

[0104] After receiving the RAR, the terminal can add the TA value indicated by the TA command to its own estimated (e.g., based on positioning capabilities) open-loop TA value to obtain the complete TA value.

[0105] For example, the TA value (T) in NTN TA It can be expressed as a combination of open-loop TA and closed-loop TA, for example, the calculation formula is as follows:

[0106] T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c ,in:

[0107] N TA The value is 0 before initial access, and can be updated subsequently based on TA commands issued by the network device;

[0108] N TA,UE-specific It is the service link TA calculated by the terminal based on the satellite ephemeris information broadcast by the network device and the terminal's own location;

[0109] N TA,common It is the feeder link TA calculated by the terminal based on the public TA parameter information broadcast by the network device;

[0110] N TA,offset It is a fixed offset value, the definition of which can be the same in the ground network;

[0111] T c It is a time unit (e.g., the time unit in 5G NR), and its definition can be the same as that in terrestrial communication networks.

[0112] Due to N TA N TA,offset Similar to the ground network, therefore, in order to calculate T TA It is necessary to determine the calculation of N. TA,UE-specifi and N TA,common The required information includes, for example, the terminal's own location, satellite ephemeris information, and common timing advance parameters.

[0113] Based on the preceding embodiments, N TA,UE-specifiThe terminal needs to calculate its own location, which requires the terminal to have positioning capabilities to calculate its own location. For example, the terminal has a GNSS module, so that the terminal's location can be determined based on the GNSS module.

[0114] However, considering the diversity of terminals, some low-cost terminals do not include a GNSS module. Without positioning capabilities, the terminal cannot determine its own location and therefore cannot determine N. TA,UE-specifi This will lead to the calculated T TA There is a significant deviation, making it difficult to compensate appropriately and easily causing time slot interference.

[0115] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmission delay according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] Because the time distance between the satellite and the terminal in NTN is relatively large, the transmission delay can even be greater than one subframe. As shown in Figure 1C, the maximum transmission delay is two subframes (where n represents the nth subframe, n+1 represents the (n+1)th subframe, and so on). In this case, if the terminal is based on T... TA Compensation is performed, but N cannot be determined due to the lack of positioning capability. TA,UE-specifi This results in a large deviation in the calculated time slot interference, making it difficult to eliminate the inter-slot interference in the compensation results.

[0117] In the presence of time slot interference, network devices may be unable to demodulate the correct PRACH signal, or may be unable to distinguish PRACH signals from different terminals from the received PRACH signals.

[0118] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a timing advance determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] In some embodiments, the timing advance determination method can be executed by a terminal. For example, the terminal is a terminal in an NTN that communicates with network devices via satellite.

[0120] As shown in Figure 2, the method for determining the timing in advance may include the following steps:

[0121] In step S201, the terminal calculates its location based on a cellular positioning algorithm.

[0122] For example, cellular positioning algorithms can be applied to systems that do not use N-based positioning. TA,UE-specifi Determined T TA The terminal performing the compensation calculates the position of the terminal.

[0123] For example, the terminal does not use N-based... TA,UE-specific Determined T TAThe reasons for compensation may include at least one of the following: the terminal lacks positioning capability (e.g., no GNSS module, or the GNSS module is unavailable), or the network device instructs the terminal not to use N-based positioning. TA,UE-specifi Determined T TA To determine N, compensation is performed, network equipment instructs the terminal, or predefined rules stipulate that the terminal should not use its positioning capabilities. TA,UE-specif The network device instructs the terminal or predefined rules stipulate that the terminal does not use the terminal GNSS module.

[0124] The following embodiments mainly use the example of a terminal without positioning capability to illustrate the technical solution of this disclosure.

[0125] In step S202, the timing advance TA value is determined based on the location.

[0126] For example, the timing advance TA value can be determined based on the terminal's location, which can be T. TA For example, the terminal can first calculate N based on the terminal's location and satellite ephemeris information. T,A-UE Then based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA The meaning of each parameter in the formula can be found in the previous example, and will not be repeated here.

[0127] For example, cellular positioning algorithms are suitable for calculating the location of terminals that lack positioning capabilities.

[0128] For example, when a terminal lacks positioning capabilities, its location can be calculated using a cellular positioning algorithm, and then the TA value can be determined based on the calculated location.

[0129] In some embodiments, the terminal can perform compensation based on the TA value during the process of accessing the network device.

[0130] For example, a terminal can perform compensation based on the TA value during the random access process, such as when initiating random access in an NTN.

[0131] In some embodiments, the terminal may report capability information to the network device, which indicates whether the terminal has positioning capabilities.

[0132] For terminals without positioning capabilities, the inability to calculate their location based on their own capabilities leads to significant deviations in the calculated Time Interval (TA), making accurate compensation difficult and resulting in inter-slot interference during access. According to embodiments of this disclosure, terminals without positioning capabilities can calculate their location using a cellular positioning algorithm. Since this algorithm does not require the terminal to have positioning capabilities, it facilitates the terminal's calculation of its own location and the determination of the TA value based on that location. The determined TA value can then be used for random access by terminals without positioning capabilities, helping to alleviate the inter-slot interference problem that arises when terminals without positioning capabilities attempt random access, especially when accurate compensation is difficult.

[0133] The following examples illustrate how the terminal performs compensation based on TA (also known as pre-compensation).

[0134] For example, during the initial access process, the terminal can send a preamble for random access to the network device. This preamble can also be called the random access message Msg1. During this process, T... TA N in TA,offset It equals 0.

[0135] The terminal can determine its own location according to the steps in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, and then determine N based on the terminal's location and the satellite's ephemeris information. TA,UE-specifi And obtain N from system information (e.g., SIB19) sent by network devices. TA,common Therefore, it can be based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA and based on T TA Compensation is performed during the process of sending the preamble.

[0136] For example, during the initial access process, the network device can send a RAR to the terminal. The RAR carries a TA command, which can instruct N... TA,offset .

[0137] The terminal can determine its own location according to the steps in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, and then determine N based on the terminal's location and the satellite's ephemeris information. TA,UE-specifi And obtain N from system information (e.g., SIB19) sent by network devices. TA,common Therefore, it can be based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +NTA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA and based on T TA Compensation is performed during the process of sending the random access message Msgs3.

[0138] The following examples illustrate how a terminal calculates its own location.

[0139] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception results (e.g., measurement results) of a reference signal.

[0140] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm may include at least one of the following: TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival), AOA (Angle of Arrival), and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

[0141] For example, in the AOA algorithm, a terminal can receive a reference signal sent by at least one network device (e.g., sent in a terrestrial network), determine the angle of arrival of the received reference signal, and then determine the terminal's position based on the location of the network device and the angle of arrival of each reference signal.

[0142] For example, based on the RSSI algorithm, the terminal can estimate the distance between the terminal and the network device that sent the reference signal based on the RSSI of the reference signal, and then determine the location of the terminal based on the distance.

[0143] For example, based on the TDOA algorithm, the terminal's location is an unknown point. The terminal can receive reference signals sent by multiple TPRs (Transmission Reception Points). By measuring the reference signals, the time difference between the three TPRs and the terminal's location can be obtained, thereby determining the distance difference between the terminal and different TPRs. Based on the distance difference and the location of the three TPRs, two curves can be obtained. The location where the two curves intersect is the terminal's location.

[0144] The TDOA algorithm can be further divided into two types: UL TDOA and DL TDOA.

[0145] For example, the DL TDOA algorithm mainly involves the terminal receiving the DL PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) and calculating the RSTD (Reference Signal Time Difference).

[0146] Furthermore, DL TDOA can be further divided into network-based positioning and terminal-based positioning. In network-based positioning, the terminal reports its measured RSTD to the LMF (Location Management Function), which then calculates the terminal's location based on the location of different TRPs and the RSTD. In UE-based positioning, the terminal calculates its location based on the RSTD and the TRP location provided by the network.

[0147] For example, the UL TDOA algorithm mainly involves the terminal being configured to transmit uplink positioning reference signals (such as SRS (Sounding Reference Signal)). Each TRP can obtain the uplink relative arrival time difference between the arrival time of the SRS and its own reference time based on the received SRS, and then each TRP reports this time difference to the LMF. The LMF calculates the terminal's location based on the aforementioned time difference and the location of the TRPs.

[0148] It should be noted that the TDOA algorithm can be implemented based on the interaction between the terminal and the TRP as described in the previous embodiments, but it is not limited to this and can also be implemented based on the interaction between the terminal and the satellite.

[0149] For example, for a single satellite (such as a satellite in NTN), a single satellite cannot set multiple TRPs or multiple reference signal transmission and reception points. Therefore, in the case of single-satellite positioning, it is necessary to simulate the transmission and reception of positioning reference signals of different TRPs. For example, for the same location, uplink positioning reference signals can be received at different times, or downlink positioning reference signals can be transmitted.

[0150] Furthermore, for satellite-based positioning, the impact of satellite movement on transmission and reception measurements needs to be considered. In scenarios where positioning is based on ground-based TPR (Transmission Point Recognition), the relative speed between the TPR and the terminal is relatively small, but the relative speed between the satellite and the terminal is relatively large. Moreover, due to the greater distance between the satellite and the terminal, the transmission delay is substantial. Therefore, within the time difference between the satellite sending the reference signal and receiving the return signal from the terminal, the satellite may have moved a non-negligible distance. Thus, in the above simulation process, the satellite's movement distance also needs to be taken into account.

[0151] Based on the embodiments described above, when the terminal in this disclosure is in NTN, the location of the terminal can be calculated according to the cellular network positioning algorithm, and then the TA can be determined according to the location of the terminal. Then, the initiated random access can be compensated according to the TA, for example, by compensating for sending random access message Msg1 (for example, Msg1 contains a preamble) or by compensating for sending random access message Msg3.

[0152] However, problems still exist in this process because, based on the current mechanism, the cellular network positioning algorithm is implemented after the terminal successfully accesses the network. Therefore, during the terminal's network access process (e.g., the initial access phase), the network device does not configure downlink PRS for the terminal or receive SRS sent by the terminal for positioning. To address this issue, this disclosure further proposes the following embodiments.

[0153] In some embodiments, the network device may send first instruction information to the terminal in the cell.

[0154] For example, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

[0155] For example, the initial instruction information can be carried in the system information.

[0156] For example, the terminal can receive the first indication information sent by the network device in cell #1, and then determine whether the above-mentioned reference signal exists in cell #1 based on the first indication information.

[0157] For example, the first indication information can occupy 1 bit. When the value of 1 bit is 1, it is used to indicate that the above reference signal exists in cell #1. When the value of 1 bit is 0, it is used to indicate that the above reference signal does not exist in cell #1.

[0158] For example, if the aforementioned reference signal exists in cell #1, the terminal can receive the reference signal in cell #1 to determine the terminal's location, and then determine the TA based on the location, and compensate for the random access procedure initiated in cell #1.

[0159] For example, if the aforementioned reference signal does not exist in cell #1, the terminal will not determine its location by receiving the reference signal in cell #1, and therefore will not initiate random access in cell #1. Alternatively, it can be based on the absence of N. TA,UE-specifi The TA initiates random access.

[0160] According to this embodiment, before accessing the network device, the terminal can determine whether the network device will transmit a reference signal in the cell based on the first indication information. If it is determined that the network device will transmit a reference signal in the cell, the terminal can be located by receiving and measuring the reference signal in the cell, and the location (TA) can be determined based on the terminal's position. If it is determined that the network device will not transmit a reference signal in the cell, then the reference signal will not be received or measured in the cell.

[0161] In some embodiments, the reference signal may have different types, for example, the types of the reference signal include one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB); Positioning Reference Signal (PRS).

[0162] The terminal first determines the type of reference signal, and then receives the corresponding type of reference signal to calculate the terminal's position.

[0163] For example, the terminal can determine the type of the reference signal according to predefined rules, or according to the second indication information sent by the network device.

[0164] There can be a correlation between the type of the reference signal and the configuration information of the reference signal, so that the terminal can obtain the configuration information of the reference signal according to the type of the reference signal.

[0165] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS is carried in a first-identified system information block (SIB) (e.g., SIB19) and / or in a location SIB (e.g., referred to as posSIB or SIBpos); wherein the first-identified SIB contains the non-terrestrial network configuration NTN-Config.

[0166] For example, the configuration information of PRS can be carried only in SIB19; for example, the configuration information of PRS can be carried only in posSIB; for example, the configuration information of PRS can be carried partly in SIB19 and partly in posSIB.

[0167] In some embodiments, the network device indicates the type of reference signal through second indication information as an example.

[0168] For example, taking the reference signal type as SSB, the SSB configuration information can be carried in SIB1. For instance, the terminal can obtain the actual transmitted SSB location of the current cell for positioning based on the following information element (IE) in ServingCellConfigCommon of SIB1:

[0169] The aforementioned IE can include 16 bits. The first 8 bits of the IE can indicate which SSB indexes in a group will actually be sent. The last 8 bits of the IE are used to indicate which groups' SSBs will actually be sent. Thus, 8×8=64 SSB indices can be indicated.

[0170] In addition, in scenarios based on single-satellite positioning, since the accuracy of single-satellite positioning is limited and there is a large time delay, in order to alleviate this problem, the terminal can use multiple cells and / or multiple TRP SSBs for joint positioning. For example, the terminal can receive SSBs in neighboring cells indicated by SIB4 for positioning. For example, the SSBs to be received can be indicated based on the ssb-ToMeasure message.

[0171] In some embodiments, taking the terminal determining the type of reference signal according to predefined rules as an example, for example, the type specified by the predefined rules is PRS (e.g., DL PRS), and the configuration information of PRS can be carried in SIB19 or in ephemeris information.

[0172] For example, the SIB19 of the serving cell may contain PRS configuration information; for example, one or more neighboring cells may be determined based on the NTN-config message in the SIB19. The EphemerisInfo information corresponding to the serving cell and neighboring cells may contain the PRS configuration information of the cell. For example, the PRS configuration information can be denoted as NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceData.

[0173] For example, the configuration information of PRS can indicate at least one of the following:

[0174] The frequency domain resources of the PRS, such as the PRB (Physical Resource Block) occupied by the PRS in the frequency domain, such as the starting position of the PRB and the number of PRBs.

[0175] The comb (unified) structure's dimensions (comb size) and offset;

[0176] The time-domain resources of PRS, such as the period, offset, and time units occupied by PRS in the time domain (e.g., slot, symbol, etc.).

[0177] It should be noted that the NR-PhysCellID (NR physical cell identifier) ​​contained in the NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceData of the neighboring cell and the PhysCellId contained in NTN-NeighCellConfig in SIB19 are in one-to-one correspondence, thus ensuring that they correspond to cells of the same satellite.

[0178] The following examples illustrate the situation where configuration information is carried in posSIB.

[0179] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS can be carried in the posSIB, while the scheduling information of the posSIB can be contained in the PosSI-SchedulingInfo of the SIB (e.g., SIB1).

[0180] For example, the configuration information of the PRS can be carried in a Type 6-1 posSIB, and the terminal does not expect not to receive at least one posSIB indicating Type 6-1. The configuration information of the PRS carried in the Type 6-1 posSIB may include, for example, the NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceData of the serving cell and neighboring cells, which may indicate the frequency domain resources of the PRS, the time domain resources of the PRS, the size and offset of the comb structure, etc. For details, please refer to the previous embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0181] It should be noted that the NR-PhysCellID (NR physical cell identifier) ​​contained in the NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceData of the neighboring cell and the PhysCellId contained in NTN-NeighCellConfig in SIB19 are in one-to-one correspondence, thus ensuring that they correspond to cells of the same satellite.

[0182] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a time-domain relationship according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] In some embodiments, when the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the location SIB, the SIB of the first identifier and the location SIB satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

[0184] There is no time interval between the first identified SIB and the positioning SIB;

[0185] The first identifier's SIB and the location SIB have the same period.

[0186] As shown in Figure 3, for example, if the first identifier's SIB is SIB19, part of the PRS configuration information is carried in SIB19, and the other part is carried in posSIB. In this case, there is no time interval between SIB19 and posSIB. Therefore, it can be ensured that the terminal obtains both parts of the PRS configuration information with low latency, thus obtaining the complete PRS configuration information, and thereby ensuring that the PRS is received as quickly as possible based on the PRS configuration information.

[0187] For example, the terminal does not expect offsetToSI-Used to be configured. When offsetToSI-Used is configured, an offset will be created between SIB19 and posSIB, resulting in a gap. When offsetToSI-Used is not configured, no offset will be created between SIB19 and SIBpos, and therefore no gap will occur.

[0188] As shown in Figure 3, for example, the SIB of the first identifier is SIB19. SIB19 and posSIB have the same period. The terminal does not expect SIB19 and posSIB to have different periods. Accordingly, the terminal can receive SIB19 and posSIB according to the same period, which is also conducive to ensuring that the terminal obtains the configuration information of the two parts of PRS under low latency, thereby obtaining the complete PRS configuration information, and thus ensuring that the PRS is received as soon as possible according to the PRS configuration information.

[0189] In some embodiments, the period of the first identified SIB and the period of the positioning SIB include multiple periods of the PRS.

[0190] For example, as shown in Figure 3, SIB19 and posSIB have the same period, and the period of SIB19 and posSIB can contain multiple periods of PRS. For example, in Figure 3, the period of SIB19 and posSIB is 80ms, and the period of PRS is 20ms. The period of SIB19 and posSIB contains 4 periods of PRS.

[0191] It should also be noted that the PRS comb structure shown in Figure 3 is only an illustration, and the PRS comb structure is not limited to the situation shown in Figure 3. This disclosure does not limit it in this regard.

[0192] In some embodiments, receiving the PRS is stopped in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following:

[0193] The time unit where SSB is located;

[0194] The time unit where SIB1 is located;

[0195] The time unit in which the SIB of the first identifier is located;

[0196] The time unit where the positioning SIB is located.

[0197] For example, the types of time units include at least one of the following: frame, subframe, slot, and symbol.

[0198] Since the first time unit has already been used to send at least one of SSB, SIB1, SIB19, and posSIB, if PRS is still sent in the first time unit, there may be interference between the SSB, SIB1, SIB19, and posSIB information and the PRS for the terminal. This will cause the terminal to measure the PRS inaccurately, and consequently, the positioning result obtained based on the measurement result will be inaccurate.

[0199] Therefore, network devices may not send PRS in the first time unit, and terminals may not receive PRS in the first time unit. Network devices may send PRS in time units other than the first time unit, and terminals may receive PRS in time units other than the first time unit, in order to ensure that accurate measurement results of PRS can be obtained, thereby ensuring that the positioning results obtained based on the measurement results are accurate.

[0200] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S201 to S202. For example, step S201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S201+S202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0201] In some embodiments, steps S201 and S202 may be performed in an alternate order or simultaneously.

[0202] In some embodiments, step S201 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0203] In some embodiments, step S202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0204] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2 may be referred to.

[0205] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0206] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0207] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0208] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

[0209] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0210] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0211] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0212] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0213] In some embodiments, the terms “frame”, “radio frame”, “subframe”, “slot”, “sub-slot”, “mini-slot”, “symbol”, “symbol”, and “transmission time interval (TTI)” can be used interchangeably.

[0214] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0215] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0216] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0217] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0218] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the timing advance determination method and signal transmission method, this disclosure also provides embodiments of the timing advance determination device and the signal transmission device.

[0219] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a timing advance determination device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the timing advance determination device can be set in, and / or applied to, a terminal. As shown in Figure 4, the timing advance determination device includes: a processing module 401 and a receiving module 402.

[0220] In some embodiments, the processing module is configured to calculate the location of the terminal according to a cellular positioning algorithm when the terminal has no positioning capability; and determine a timing advance (TA) value based on the location.

[0221] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception of a reference signal.

[0222] In some embodiments, the receiving module is configured to receive first indication information sent by the network device in a cell, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

[0223] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to determine the type of the reference signal according to predefined rules, or to determine the type of the reference signal according to second indication information sent by the network device; and to obtain configuration information of the reference signal according to the type.

[0224] In some embodiments, the type of the reference signal includes one of the following: synchronization signal block SSB; positioning reference signal PRS.

[0225] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS is carried in a first-identified System Information Block (SIB) and / or in a Location SIB; wherein the first-identified SIB contains a Non-Terrestrial Network Configuration (NTN-Config).

[0226] In some embodiments, when the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location, the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location satisfy at least one of the following conditions: there is no time interval between the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location; the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location have the same period.

[0227] In some embodiments, the period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

[0228] In some embodiments, the receiving module is configured to stop receiving the PRS in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit where the SSB is located; the time unit where SIB1 is located; the time unit where the SIB of the first identifier is located; and the time unit where the location SIB is located.

[0229] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured as a receiving module, configured to perform compensation based on the TA value during the access to the network device.

[0230] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the signal transmitting device may be disposed in, and / or applied to, a network device. As shown in Figure 5, the signal transmitting device includes: a transmitting module 501.

[0231] In some embodiments, the sending module is configured to send a reference signal to the terminal, wherein the reference signal is used by the terminal to calculate the location of the terminal based on a cellular network positioning algorithm, and the location of the terminal is used by the terminal to determine a timing advance TA value.

[0232] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception of a reference signal.

[0233] In some embodiments, the transmitting module is further configured to transmit first indication information to the terminal, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

[0234] In some embodiments, the sending module is further configured to send second indication information to the terminal, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the type of the reference signal, and the type of the reference signal is used by the terminal to obtain configuration information of the reference signal.

[0235] In some embodiments, the type of the reference signal includes one of the following: synchronization signal block SSB; positioning reference signal PRS.

[0236] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the PRS is carried in a first-identified System Information Block (SIB) and / or in a Location SIB; wherein the first-identified SIB contains a Non-Terrestrial Network Configuration (NTN-Config).

[0237] In some embodiments, when the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location, the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location satisfy at least one of the following conditions: there is no time interval between the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location; the SIB of the first identifier and the SIB of the location have the same period.

[0238] In some embodiments, the period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

[0239] In some embodiments, the transmitting module is further configured to stop receiving the PRS in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit where the SSB is located; the time unit where SIB1 is located; the time unit where the SIB of the first identifier is located; and the time unit where the location SIB is located.

[0240] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0241] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0242] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0243] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0244] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0245] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0246] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto) in the above method, such as sending and / or receiving, while the processor 6101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, sending unit, transmitter, sending circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0247] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6103 may be located outside the communication device 6100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuits 6104 are connected to the memories 6103 and can be used to receive data from the memories 6103 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 6104 can read data stored in the memories 6103 and send that data to the processor 6101.

[0248] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0249] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0250] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0251] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data stored in memory 6203 and send the data to processor 6201.

[0252] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto) in the above-described method, such as sending and / or receiving. For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps (e.g., sending and / or receiving) in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 6202 performs data interaction between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto).

[0253] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0254] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 6100, cause the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0255] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 6100, causes the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0256] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A method for determining timing in advance, characterized in that, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: In the absence of positioning capability, the location of the terminal is calculated based on a cellular positioning algorithm; The timing advance TA value is determined based on the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the received results of reference signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The method further includes: The network device receives first indication information sent in the cell, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The type of the reference signal is determined according to predefined rules, or according to second indication information sent by the network device. The configuration information of the reference signal is obtained according to the type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The type of the reference signal includes one of the following: Synchronization signal block (SSB); Positioning reference signal PRS.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The configuration information of the PRS is carried in the System Information Block (SIB) of the first identifier, and / or in the Positioning SIB; The SIB identified by the first identifier includes the non-terrestrial network configuration NTN-Config.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, When the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the positioning SIB, the SIB of the first identifier and the positioning SIB satisfy at least one of the following conditions: There is no time interval between the first identified SIB and the positioning SIB; The first identifier's SIB and the location SIB have the same period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The reception of the PRS is stopped in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: The time unit where SSB is located; The time unit where SIB1 is located; The time unit in which the SIB of the first identifier is located; The time unit where the positioning SIB is located.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: During the process of accessing network devices, compensation is performed based on the TA value.

11. A signal transmission method characterized by comprising: Performed by a network device, the method includes: A reference signal is sent to the terminal, wherein the reference signal is used by the terminal to calculate the location of the terminal based on a cellular network positioning algorithm, and the location of the terminal is used by the terminal to determine the timing advance TA value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the received results of reference signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first indication message to the terminal, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate whether the reference signal exists in the cell.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message to the terminal, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the type of the reference signal, and the type of the reference signal is used by the terminal to obtain the configuration information of the reference signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The type of the reference signal includes one of the following: Synchronization signal block (SSB); Positioning reference signal PRS.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The configuration information of the PRS is carried in the System Information Block (SIB) of the first identifier, and / or in the Positioning SIB; The SIB identified by the first identifier includes the non-terrestrial network configuration NTN-Config.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, When the configuration information of the PRS is carried in the SIB of the first identifier and the positioning SIB, the SIB of the first identifier and the positioning SIB satisfy at least one of the following conditions: There is no time interval between the first identified SIB and the positioning SIB; The first identifier's SIB and the location SIB have the same period.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The period comprises multiple periods of the PRS.

19. The method of any one of claims 16-18, wherein, The method further includes: The transmission of the PRS is stopped in a first time unit, wherein the first time unit includes at least one of the following: The time unit where SSB is located; The time unit where SIB1 is located; The time unit in which the SIB of the first identifier is located; The time unit where the positioning SIB is located.

20. A timing advance determination method for a communication system, the communication system comprising a terminal and a network device, characterized in that, The method includes: The network device sends a reference signal to the terminal; The terminal calculates its position based on the reference signal using a cellular positioning algorithm. The terminal determines the timing advance TA value based on the location.

21. A communications device, characterized by The communication device is used to perform the timing advance determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and / or the signal transmission method according to any one of claims 11 to 19.

22. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the timing advance determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and / or the signal transmission method according to any one of claims 11 to 19.

23. A program product, characterized by When the above-mentioned program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the timing advance determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and / or the signal transmission method according to any one of claims 11 to 19.

Images