Communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. The method comprises: determining a first modulation mode and a second modulation mode, wherein the first modulation mode is a modulation mode used for information transmission between a network device and a first-type terminal, the second modulation mode is a modulation mode used for information transmission between the network device and a second-type terminal, the capability of the first-type terminal is lower than the capability of the second-type terminal, and the first-type terminal and the second-type terminal support different modulation modes. By means of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication efficiency can be improved.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, high-capability terminals and low-capability terminals can connect to the same communication network to realize intelligent converged networks. High-capability terminals are, for example, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) terminals, while low-capability terminals are, for example, reduced-capability (RedCap) terminals. High-capability and low-capability terminals support different modulation schemes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Given that different types of terminals support different modulation methods, determining the appropriate modulation method to use is a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0004] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a network device, the method comprising: determining a first modulation scheme and a second modulation scheme; wherein the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and a first type of terminal, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal, the capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: determining a type of terminal corresponding to the terminal; if the terminal is a first type of terminal, determining a first modulation scheme; or, if the terminal is a second type of terminal, determining a second modulation scheme; wherein the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between a network device and the first type of terminal, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal, the capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided for performing the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, including a network device and a terminal, wherein the network device is configured to implement the communication method of the first aspect, and the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of the second aspect.

[0009] According to a fifth 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 communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0011] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, when different types of terminals support different modulation methods, the network device can determine the modulation method used by different types of terminals, which facilitates information transmission between the network device and the terminal and can improve communication efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

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

[0014] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0021] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0022] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising: determining a first modulation scheme and a second modulation scheme; wherein the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and a first type of terminal, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal, the capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0023] In the above embodiments, when different types of terminals support different modulation methods, the network device can determine the modulation method used by different types of terminals, which facilitates information transmission between the network device and the terminal and can improve communication efficiency.

[0024] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

[0026] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being preset modulation methods.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first modulation method and the second modulation method includes: determining the first modulation method and the second modulation method based on the modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal respectively, wherein the first modulation method and the second modulation method are different; the first modulation method is the modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is the modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information and the second information are a first information type, and the first modulation method and the second modulation method are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal or preset modulation methods; or, the first information and the second information are a second information type, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information type includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; control information; random access information.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information type includes at least one of the following: downlink data information; downlink control information; uplink data information; uplink control information; random access information.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0034] Secondly, this disclosure provides a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: determining the type of terminal corresponding to the terminal; if the terminal is a first type terminal, determining a first modulation scheme; or, if the terminal is a second type terminal, determining a second modulation scheme; wherein the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between a network device and a first type terminal, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme used for transmitting information between a network device and a second type terminal, the capability of the first type terminal is lower than that of the second type terminal, and the first type terminal and the second type terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being preset modulation methods.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is a first information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, the second information is a first information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, the first information is a second information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal; or, the second information is a second information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information type includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; control information; random access information.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information type includes at least one of the following: data information; control information; random access information.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0045] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0046] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication system including a network device and a terminal, wherein the network device is configured to implement the communication method of the first aspect, and the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of the second aspect.

[0047] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0048] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0049] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0050] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described in optional implementations of the first or second aspect.

[0051] It is understood that the aforementioned network devices, terminals, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0052] This disclosure provides embodiments of a communication method, network device, terminal, communication system, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information reporting method," "information receiving method," etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0057] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0058] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," 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 a "level," 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 and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described 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 object being described 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.

[0062] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0063] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0064] 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”.

[0065] 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.

[0066] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced with 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 with 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, uplink link, downlink link, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0070] 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.

[0071] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0072] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0073] 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.

[0074] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0076] In some embodiments, terminal 101 can be a first type terminal or a second type terminal. The first type terminal can be, for example, a low-capability terminal, such as a reduced-capability (RedCap) terminal (e.g., a wristband device, a health monitoring device). The second type terminal can be a high-capability terminal, such as an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) terminal (UE, mobile phone, etc.).

[0077] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may be user equipment (UE), and terminals include, but are 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.

[0078] In some embodiments, network device 102 may be a functional network element in a core network device. The core network device may be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. 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), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0079] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device and core network device.

[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, 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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).

[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 FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​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), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), 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 6G design, one direction is to enable both high-capability and low-capability terminals to connect to the 6G network, achieving a smart converged network. High-capability terminals include Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) terminals (UEs, mobile phones, etc.), while low-capability terminals include Reduced Capability (RedCap) terminals (such as wristband devices, health monitoring devices, etc.). The battery life of low-capability terminals is, for example, 1-2 weeks, while the battery life of high-capability terminals is, for example, 1-2 days.

[0088] Due to differences in terminal capabilities, when low-capability terminals and high-capability terminals support different modulation schemes, determining the modulation schemes for the uplink and downlink channels to support 6G networks simultaneously for terminals of different capability levels is a technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0089] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0090] Step S2101: The network device determines the first modulation method and the second modulation method.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, and the second modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal. The capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal are terminals with different capabilities. The first type of terminal can be a low-capability terminal, such as a reduced-capability (RedCap) terminal (e.g., a wristband device, a health monitoring device), etc. The second type of terminal can be a high-capability terminal, such as an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) terminal (UE, mobile phone, etc.).

[0093] In some embodiments, the modulation schemes supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal are different. This could be because the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes for uplink transmission, and / or the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes for downlink reception.

[0094] In some embodiments, when the modulation schemes supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal are different, the network device can determine the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, and also determine the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal. For ease of description, the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal is referred to as the first modulation scheme, and the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal is referred to as the second modulation scheme. The first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme may be the same or different.

[0095] In some embodiments, the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal can be either the modulation scheme used by the network device when sending information to the first type of terminal, or the modulation scheme used by the first type of terminal when sending information to the network device. Similarly, the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal can be either the modulation scheme used by the network device when sending information to the second type of terminal, or the modulation scheme used by the second type of terminal when sending information to the network device.

[0096] In some embodiments, a first type of information is transmitted between a network device and a first type of terminal, and a second type of information is transmitted between a network device and a second type of terminal, wherein the first information and the second information are of the same type.

[0097] For ease of description, the information transmitted between the network device and the first type of terminal is referred to as the first information, and the information transmitted between the network device and the second type of terminal is referred to as the second information.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first information can be either uplink information or downlink information, and the second information can be either uplink information or downlink information.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first information and the second information belong to the same information type. For example, both the first information and the second information belong to downlink control information, or both the first information and the second information belong to uplink data information.

[0100] In some embodiments, the information content of the first information and the second information may be the same or different.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0102] In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0103] The aforementioned physical broadcast information, downlink control information, and downlink data information belong to downlink information, while the aforementioned uplink control information, random access information, and uplink data information belong to uplink information. Both this downlink and uplink information can be information from the 6G system.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first and second information may also be information that is new to 6G.

[0105] In some embodiments, the network device may determine the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme based on a protocol; or, the network device may receive capabilities reported by the terminal and determine the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme based on the capabilities reported by the terminal.

[0106] The following explains how to determine the first modulation method and the second modulation method.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme includes: determining the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme based on the modulation schemes supported by the first type of terminal.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both of which are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

[0109] In some embodiments, when a network device sends downlink information to different types of terminals, or when different types of terminals send uplink information to a network device, the same modulation scheme can be used uniformly for the same channel.

[0110] In some embodiments, the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal can be used as the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme, that is, the modulation scheme supported by the low-capability terminal can be determined as the modulation scheme used for transmitting uplink or downlink information between the network device and the terminal.

[0111] For example, for downlink data information, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal (e.g., high-capacity terminal) is 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), but the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., low-capacity terminal) is 64QAM. The downlink modulation scheme is determined by the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal. Therefore, when the network device sends downlink data information to the second type of terminal and the first type of terminal, it uses the 64QAM modulation scheme.

[0112] For example, for uplink data information, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal (e.g., high-capacity terminal) is 256QAM, but the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., low-capacity terminal) is 64QAM. The downlink modulation scheme is determined by the modulation order supported by the first type of terminal. Therefore, both the second type of terminal and the first type of terminal use 64QAM when sending uplink data information to the network device.

[0113] It is understood that the aforementioned downlink and uplink data information are for illustrative purposes only, and the first and second information disclosed herein are not limited thereto.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme includes: determining the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme based on a preset modulation scheme.

[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being preset modulation methods.

[0116] In some embodiments, when a network device sends downlink information to different types of terminals, or when different types of terminals send uplink information to a network device, the same modulation scheme can be used uniformly for the same channel, such as using a preset modulation scheme.

[0117] In some embodiments, the preset modulation scheme may also be referred to as the default modulation scheme, and the name is not limited to this.

[0118] In some embodiments, a certain modulation scheme can be predefined as a preset modulation scheme, which is used by the network device when sending information to all types of terminals, or by different types of terminals when sending uplink information to the network device.

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

[0120] In some embodiments, different preset modulation schemes can be defined for different information types. The preset modulation schemes corresponding to different information types can be the same or different.

[0121] For example, different preset modulation schemes can be defined for downlink control information and downlink data information.

[0122] For example, if the preset modulation scheme for downlink control information is QPSK, then the network device will use QPSK modulation when sending downlink control information to both type 1 and type 2 terminals. Similarly, if the preset modulation scheme for downlink data information is 64QAM, then the network device will use 64QAM modulation when sending downlink data information to both type 1 and type 2 terminals.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the first modulation method and the second modulation method includes: determining the first modulation method and the second modulation method based on the modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal respectively, wherein the first modulation method and the second modulation method are different; the first modulation method is the modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is the modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0124] In some embodiments, the network device may determine a first modulation method and a second modulation method based on the modulation methods supported by each terminal. The network device may determine the modulation method supported by a first type of terminal as the first modulation method and the modulation method supported by a second type of terminal as the second modulation method.

[0125] In some embodiments, when a network device sends downlink information to different types of terminals, or when different types of terminals send uplink information to a network device, different modulation schemes are used for the same uplink or downlink channel, and the uplink or downlink information is sent using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal.

[0126] For example, for downlink data information, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal (e.g., high-capacity terminal) is 1024QAM, but the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., low-capacity terminal) is 64QAM. The network device uses the modulation scheme supported by each type of terminal to send downlink data information. Therefore, the network device uses the 1024QAM modulation scheme when sending downlink data information to the second type of terminal and the 64QAM modulation scheme when sending downlink data information to the first type of terminal.

[0127] For example, for uplink data, the second type of terminal (e.g., a high-capability terminal) supports 256QAM modulation, while the first type of terminal (e.g., a low-capability terminal) supports 64QAM modulation. Since each terminal uses the modulation supported by its capability to send uplink data, the second type of terminal uses 256QAM modulation when sending uplink data to the network device, while the first type of terminal uses 64QAM modulation.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, the first information and the second information are first information types, and the first modulation method and the second modulation method are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal or preset modulation methods; or, the first information and the second information are second information types, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0129] In some embodiments, when the first information and the second information belong to the first information type, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same modulation method; the same modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, or the same modulation method is a preset modulation method; when the first information and the second information belong to the second information type, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are different, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0130] In some embodiments, when a network device sends downlink information to different types of terminals, or when different types of terminals send uplink information to the network device, it determines whether to use the same modulation scheme or to use the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability, based on the type of information being sent.

[0131] In some embodiments, when the transmitted information belongs to a first information type, the same modulation scheme is used. The same modulation scheme may be determined by the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., a low-capability terminal) or a preset modulation scheme defined therein. When the transmitted information belongs to a second information type, the modulation schemes supported by each terminal are used respectively.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first information type includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; control information; random access information. The control information may be uplink control information or downlink control information.

[0133] In some embodiments, the information content included in the first information type is the same for different types of terminals. Therefore, the same modulation scheme can be used when transmitting information of the first information type.

[0134] In some embodiments, the second information type includes at least one of the following: data information; control information; and random access information. The data information can be uplink data information or downlink data information. The control information can be uplink control information or downlink control information.

[0135] In some embodiments, the information content included in the second information type is different for different types of terminals, or the second information type is specific to a particular terminal. Therefore, when transmitting information of the second information type, the modulation method supported by each terminal can be used.

[0136] The aforementioned physical broadcast information, downlink control information, uplink control information, random access information, downlink data information, and uplink data information can all be 6G information.

[0137] The following section explains the different types of downlink information.

[0138] For example, when network devices send Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) messages to different types of terminals, they use the same modulation scheme, such as QPSK modulation.

[0139] For example, when a network device sends downlink data to different types of terminals, it uses the modulation scheme supported by each type of terminal. For instance, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal (e.g., a high-capacity terminal) is 1024QAM, but the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., a low-capacity terminal) is 64QAM. Therefore, when the network device sends downlink data to the second type of terminal, it uses the 1024QAM modulation scheme, and when it sends downlink data to the first type of terminal, it uses the 64QAM modulation scheme.

[0140] In special cases, when a network device transmits information with multiple terminal types simultaneously (more than two terminal types), the second terminal type is the terminal type with the highest capability among the multiple terminal types, and the first terminal type is the terminal type with the lowest capability among the multiple terminal types.

[0141] For example, when network devices send downlink control information to different types of terminals, they do not distinguish between the types of downlink control information and use the same modulation scheme, such as QPSK modulation scheme.

[0142] For example, when a network device sends downlink control information to different types of terminals, it does not distinguish between the types of downlink control information and uses the modulation method supported by each terminal to send the downlink control information.

[0143] For example, when a network device sends downlink control information to different types of terminals, it determines whether to use the same modulation scheme or the modulation scheme supported by each terminal, depending on the type of downlink control information.

[0144] For example, if the downlink control information is responsible for scheduling the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) during random access, and schedules at least one of the following services: System Information Block (SIB) 1, other system information (OSI), message (Msg) 2, and Msg4, such as downlink control information (DCI) 1-0, which is common to all terminals in the cell, then the same modulation scheme is used, such as QPSK modulation.

[0145] For example, if the transmitted terminal-specific downlink control information (UE-specific DCI) carries downlink or uplink scheduling information of the terminal, then the modulation scheme supported by each terminal is used; for example, DCI 1-1 carrying downlink scheduling information and DCI 0-0 carrying uplink scheduling information are used, then the modulation scheme supported by each terminal is used, such as QPSK for the second type of terminal and binary phase shift keying (BPSK) for the first type of terminal.

[0146] The following section explains the different types of uplink information.

[0147] For example, when different types of terminals support different modulation schemes for sending uplink information, the uplink information is sent using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal. For instance, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal (e.g., a high-capacity terminal) is 256QAM, but the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal (e.g., a low-capacity terminal) is 64QAM. Since the uplink information is sent using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal, the second type of terminal uses 256QAM when sending uplink information to the network device, and the first type of terminal uses 64QAM when sending uplink information to the network device.

[0148] For example, when different types of terminals support different modulation schemes for sending uplink control information, the uplink control information is sent using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal.

[0149] For example, when different types of terminals support different modulation schemes for transmitting uplink control information, the same modulation scheme is used to transmit the uplink information. For example, QPSK modulation scheme is used for all of them.

[0150] For example, when different types of terminals support different modulation schemes when sending uplink control information, the system decides whether to use the same modulation scheme or the modulation scheme supported by each terminal, depending on the type of uplink control information.

[0151] For example, the uplink control information may only carry a scheduling request (SR) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) report. Different types of terminals may use the same modulation scheme, such as the scheduling scheme supported by the first type of terminal, such as QPSK.

[0152] For example, the uplink control information carries Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) information. Different types of terminals can use the modulation methods supported by their respective capabilities. For example, the second type of terminal uses QPSK modulation to send HARQ information to the network device, while the first type of terminal uses π / 2-BPSK to send HARQ information to the network device.

[0153] Step S2102: The terminal determines the type of terminal corresponding to the terminal.

[0154] In some embodiments, the terminal can determine the type of terminal it belongs to, which may include a first type terminal and a second type terminal. The terminal can be either a first type terminal or a second type terminal.

[0155] In some embodiments, the terminal is a first type of terminal, the terminal determines a first modulation scheme, and executes step S2103.

[0156] In other embodiments, the terminal is a second type of terminal, the terminal determines the second modulation method, and executes step S2104.

[0157] Step S2103: The terminal determines the first modulation scheme.

[0158] In some embodiments, when the terminal is a first type of terminal, the terminal determines a first modulation scheme. The terminal may determine only the first modulation scheme, or it may determine both the first and second modulation schemes.

[0159] In some embodiments, when the terminal is a first type of terminal, the terminal may determine the first modulation scheme based on a protocol or based on an instruction from a network device.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal.

[0161] In some embodiments, the process by which the terminal determines the first modulation scheme is similar to the process by which the network device determines the first modulation scheme, and can be found in the relevant description of step S2101.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme supported by a first type of terminal, that is, the terminal determines the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal as the first modulation scheme.

[0163] In some embodiments, the first modulation method is a preset modulation method, that is, the terminal determines the preset modulation method as the first modulation method.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is a modulation scheme supported by a first type of terminal, that is, the terminal determines the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal as the first modulation scheme.

[0165] In some embodiments, the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation scheme is determined based on the type of the first information.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first information is a first information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first information is a second information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by a first type of terminal.

[0168] In some embodiments, if the terminal is a second type of terminal, step S2103 is omitted.

[0169] Step S2104: The terminal determines the second modulation scheme.

[0170] In some embodiments, when the terminal is a second type of terminal, the terminal determines a second modulation scheme. The terminal may determine only the second modulation scheme, or it may determine both the first and second modulation schemes.

[0171] In some embodiments, when the terminal is a second type of terminal, the terminal may determine the second modulation scheme based on a protocol or based on an instruction from a network device.

[0172] In some embodiments, the second modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between network devices and second-type terminals.

[0173] In some embodiments, the process by which the terminal determines the second modulation scheme is similar to the process by which the network device determines the second modulation scheme, as can be seen in the relevant description of step S2101.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal, that is, the terminal determines the modulation scheme supported by the first type of terminal as the second modulation scheme.

[0175] In some embodiments, the second modulation method is a preset modulation method, that is, the terminal determines the preset modulation method as the second modulation method.

[0176] In some embodiments, the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal, that is, the terminal determines the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal as the second modulation scheme.

[0177] In some embodiments, the modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal or a preset modulation scheme is determined based on the type of the second information.

[0178] In some embodiments, the second information is a second information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method.

[0179] In some embodiments, the second information is a second information type, and the second modulation scheme is a modulation scheme supported by the second type of terminal.

[0180] In some embodiments, if the terminal is a first type of terminal, step S2104 is omitted.

[0181] Step S2105: The network device sends downlink information to the terminal.

[0182] In some embodiments, the terminal receives downlink information sent by the network device.

[0183] In some embodiments, the network device sends downlink information to a first type of terminal based on a determined first modulation scheme, and the network device sends downlink information to a second type of terminal based on a determined second modulation scheme. The first and second modulation schemes can be the same, for example, both can be modulation schemes supported by the first type of terminal or both can be preset modulation schemes; the first and second modulation schemes can also be different, for example, using modulation schemes supported by the first and second type of terminals respectively.

[0184] Step S2106: The terminal sends uplink information to the network device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the network device receives uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0186] In some embodiments, a first type of terminal sends uplink information to a network device based on a determined first modulation scheme, and a second type of terminal sends uplink information to the network device based on a determined second modulation scheme. The first and second modulation schemes can be the same, for example, both can be modulation schemes supported by the first type of terminal or both can be preset modulation schemes; the first and second modulation schemes can also be different, for example, using modulation schemes supported by the first and second type of terminals respectively.

[0187] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, when different types of terminals support different modulation methods, the network device can determine the modulation method used by different types of terminals, which facilitates information transmission between the network device and the terminal and can improve communication efficiency.

[0188] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2106. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2102+S2103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2102+S2104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2101+S2105 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2102+S2103+S2106 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S2102+S2104+S2106 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0189] In some embodiments, step S2102 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0190] In some embodiments, step S2103 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0191] In some embodiments, step S2104 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0192] In some embodiments, step S2105 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0193] In some embodiments, step S2106 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0194] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2 may be referred to.

[0195] 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.

[0196] 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.”

[0197] 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.

[0198] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0199] 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.

[0200] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0201] 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.

[0202] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method executed by a network device, the method including:

[0203] Step S3101: Determine the first modulation method and the second modulation method.

[0204] The optional implementation of step S3101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, and the second modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal. The capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0206] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method executed by a terminal, the method including:

[0207] Step S4101: Determine the type of terminal corresponding to the terminal.

[0208] The optional implementation of step S4101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0209] Step S4102: Determine the first modulation method or the second modulation method.

[0210] Optional implementations of step S4102 can be found in optional implementations of steps S2103 and S2104 in Figure 2, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, and the second modulation scheme is the modulation scheme used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal. The capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation schemes.

[0212] The communication method provided in this disclosure assumes that the uplink or downlink modulation methods supported by low-capability terminals and high-capability terminals are different, and has the following scheme:

[0213] Option 1: When network devices send downlink information to terminals with different capabilities, or when terminals with different capabilities send uplink information to network devices, the same modulation scheme is used for the same uplink or downlink channel.

[0214] Method 1: Determine the uplink or downlink modulation method based on the modulation method supported by the low-capability terminal.

[0215] Method 2: Define a certain modulation scheme as the default modulation scheme. The network device uses this modulation scheme when sending data to terminals with all capabilities, or terminals with different capabilities use the default modulation scheme when sending uplink data to the network device.

[0216] Different default modulation schemes are defined for different channels.

[0217] Example 1: For downlink control information, the default modulation scheme is defined as Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK). Therefore, network devices use QPSK modulation when sending downlink control information to both high-capacity and low-capacity terminal devices. For downlink data information, the default modulation scheme is defined as Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). Therefore, network devices use QAM modulation when sending downlink data information to both high-capacity and low-capacity terminal devices.

[0218] Example 2: For downlink data information, high-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 1024QAM, while low-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 64QAM. The downlink modulation method is determined by the modulation order supported by the low-capacity terminal. Therefore, when the network device sends downlink data information to both high-capacity and low-capacity terminal devices, it uses the 64QAM modulation method.

[0219] Example 3: For uplink data information, the modulation order supported by high-capacity terminals is 256QAM, but the modulation order supported by low-capacity terminals is 64QAM. The downlink modulation method is determined by the modulation order supported by the low-capacity terminal. Therefore, both high-capacity and low-capacity terminals use 64QAM when sending uplink data to network devices.

[0220] Option 2: When network devices send downlink information to terminals with different capabilities, or when terminals with different capabilities send uplink information to network devices, different modulation schemes are used for the same uplink or downlink channel, and the modulation schemes supported by each terminal capability are used to send uplink or downlink information.

[0221] Example 1: For downlink data information, high-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 1024QAM, while low-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 64QAM. Therefore, network devices use the modulation method supported by each type of terminal to send downlink data information. Thus, network devices use 1024QAM modulation when sending downlink data information to high-capacity terminal devices and 64QAM modulation when sending downlink data information to low-capacity terminal devices.

[0222] Example 2: For uplink data information, high-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 256QAM, while low-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 64QAM. Uplink data information is transmitted using the modulation method supported by each terminal capability. Therefore, high-capacity terminals use 256QAM modulation when transmitting uplink data to network devices, while low-capacity terminals use 64QAM modulation when transmitting uplink data to network devices.

[0223] Option 3: When a network device sends downlink information to terminals with different capabilities, or when a terminal with different capabilities sends uplink information to a network device, it determines whether to use the same modulation scheme or to use the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability, depending on the type of information being sent.

[0224] The same modulation scheme can be determined by the modulation scheme supported by the low-capability terminal or the defined default modulation scheme.

[0225] For different information types carried by different downlink channels, the following examples are provided:

[0226] Example 1: When network devices send Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) to terminals with different capabilities, they use the same modulation scheme, such as QPSK modulation.

[0227] Example 2: When a network device sends downlink data to terminals with different capabilities, it uses the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability. The high-capability terminal supports a modulation order of 1024QAM, while the low-capability terminal supports a modulation order of 64QAM. Therefore, the network device uses the 1024QAM modulation scheme when sending downlink data to the high-capability terminal and the 64QAM modulation scheme when sending downlink data to the low-capability terminal.

[0228] Example 3: When network devices send downlink control information to terminals with different capabilities, they do not distinguish the type of downlink control information and use the same modulation method, such as QPSK modulation.

[0229] Example 4: When a network device sends downlink control information to terminals with different capabilities, it does not distinguish the type of downlink control information and uses the modulation method supported by the terminals with different capabilities to send the downlink information.

[0230] Example 5: When a network device sends downlink control information to terminals with different capabilities, it determines whether to use the same modulation scheme or the modulation scheme supported by the respective terminal capabilities, depending on the type of downlink control information.

[0231] Example 1: If the downlink control information is responsible for scheduling the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) during random access, and schedules services such as System Information Block (SIB) 1, other system information (OSI), message (Msg) 2, and Msg4, then the downlink control information (DCI) 1-0 is common to all UEs in the cell and uses the same modulation scheme, such as QPSK modulation.

[0232] Example 2: If the UE-specific downlink control information (DCI) carries the UE's downlink or uplink scheduling information, then the modulation scheme supported by the respective terminal capabilities is used. For example, if DCI 1-1 carries downlink scheduling information and DCI 0-0 carries uplink scheduling information, then the modulation scheme supported by the terminal with various capabilities is used. High-capability terminals use QPSK, and low-capability terminals use Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK).

[0233] For the uplink channel, the following implementation example is provided:

[0234] Example 1: When terminals with different capabilities support different modulation schemes for uplink data transmission, the uplink transmission is carried out using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability. High-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 256QAM, while low-capacity terminals support a modulation order of 64QAM. Therefore, high-capacity terminals use 256QAM when transmitting uplink data to network devices, while low-capacity terminals use 64QAM.

[0235] Example 2: When terminals with different capabilities send uplink control information using different modulation schemes, the uplink is sent using the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability.

[0236] Example 3: When terminals with different capabilities support different modulation schemes for uplink control information transmission, the same modulation scheme is used for uplink transmission. For example, QPSK modulation scheme is used for all of them.

[0237] Example 4: When terminals with different capabilities send uplink control information that support different modulation schemes, the system decides whether to use the same modulation scheme or the modulation scheme supported by each terminal capability, depending on the type of uplink control information.

[0238] Example 1: If the uplink control information only carries a scheduling request (SR) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) report, terminals with different capabilities can use the same modulation scheme, such as using the scheduling scheme supported by the low-capability terminal, such as QPSK.

[0239] Example 2: If the uplink control information carries Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) information, terminals with different capabilities can use the modulation scheme supported by their respective capabilities. For example, high-capacity terminals use QPSK modulation scheme to send HARQ information to network devices, while low-capacity terminals use π / 2-BPSK to send HARQ information to network devices.

[0240] The downlink channel or uplink channel is:

[0241] Downlink channel types include the following:

[0242] Broadcast channel PBCH;

[0243] Downlink control channel;

[0244] Downlink data channel;

[0245] 6G new downlink channel.

[0246] Uplink channel types include the following:

[0247] Uplink control channel;

[0248] Uplink data channel;

[0249] Random access channel;

[0250] 6G's new uplink channel.

[0251] In some embodiments, the modulation schemes supported by uplink data in NR are shown in Table 1, and the modulation schemes supported by downlink data in NR are shown in Table 2.

[0252] Table 1

[0253] Table 2

[0254] In NR, the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) format (format 3 / 4) uses π / 2-BPSK modulation when configured with π / 2-BPSK, otherwise it uses QPSK modulation; PUCCH format 1 / 2 uses QPSK.

[0255] In the embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations in other embodiments.

[0256] 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.

[0257] 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 a configuration file, 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.

[0258] 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).

[0259] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5A, the network device 5100 may include a processing module 5101. In some embodiments, the processing module 5101 is used to determine a first modulation scheme and a second modulation scheme. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods (e.g., step S2101, but not limited thereto), which will not be described in detail here.

[0260] In some embodiments, the network device may also include a transceiver module.

[0261] In some embodiments, the network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

[0262] In some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

[0263] In some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being the preset modulation method.

[0264] In some embodiments, different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

[0265] In some embodiments, the processing module is configured to: determine the first modulation method and the second modulation method based on the modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal respectively, wherein the first modulation method and the second modulation method are different; the first modulation method is the modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is the modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0266] In some embodiments, the first information and the second information are a first information type, and the first modulation method and the second modulation method are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal or preset modulation methods; or, the first information and the second information are a second information type, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0267] In some embodiments, the first information type includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; control information; random access information.

[0268] In some embodiments, the second information type includes at least one of the following: data information; control information; random access information.

[0269] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0270] In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0271] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5B, the terminal 5200 may include a processing module 5201. In some embodiments, the processing module 5201 is used to determine a first modulation scheme or a second modulation scheme. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the steps executed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0272] In some embodiments, the terminal may further include a transceiver module.

[0273] In some embodiments, the network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

[0274] In some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

[0275] In some embodiments, the first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being the preset modulation method.

[0276] In some embodiments, different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

[0277] In some embodiments, the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0278] In some embodiments, the first information is a first information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, the second information is a first information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, the first information is a second information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal; or, the second information is a second information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

[0279] In some embodiments, the first information type includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; control information; random access information.

[0280] In some embodiments, the second information type includes at least one of the following: downlink data information; control information; data information; random access information.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; uplink data information; and the second information includes at least one of the following: physical broadcast information; downlink control information; downlink data information; uplink control information; random access information; and uplink data information.

[0282] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0283] 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.

[0284] 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.

[0285] 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 such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2105, S2106, but not limited thereto), and the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps. 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.

[0286] 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.

[0287] 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.

[0288] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in 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 the chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0289] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0290] 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.

[0291] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2105 and S2106, but not limited thereto). For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above 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 the other steps.

[0292] 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.

[0293] 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.

[0294] 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.

[0295] 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 communication method, characterized in that, Performed by a network device, the method includes: Determine the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme; Wherein, the first modulation method is the modulation method used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, the second modulation method is the modulation method used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal, the capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation methods.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both of which are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being preset modulation methods.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Determining the first modulation scheme and the second modulation scheme includes: The first modulation method and the second modulation method are determined based on the modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal, and the first modulation method and the second modulation method are different; the first modulation method is the modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is the modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first information and the second information are of the first information type, and the first modulation method and the second modulation method are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal or preset modulation methods; or, The first information and the second information are of the second information type, the first modulation method is the modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is the modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first information type includes at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Control information; Random access information.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second information type includes at least one of the following: Data information; Control information; Random access information.

10. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first information is at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Downlink control information; Downlink data information; Uplink control information; Random access information; Uplink data information.

11. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second information is at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Downlink control information; Downlink data information; Uplink control information; Random access information; Uplink data information.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: Determine the type of terminal corresponding to the terminal; The terminal is a first type of terminal, and a first modulation method is determined; or, the terminal is a second type of terminal, and a second modulation method is determined. Wherein, the first modulation method is the modulation method used for transmitting information between the network device and the first type of terminal, the second modulation method is the modulation method used for transmitting information between the network device and the second type of terminal, the capability of the first type of terminal is lower than that of the second type of terminal, and the first type of terminal and the second type of terminal support different modulation methods.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The network device and the first type of terminal transmit first information, and the network device and the second type of terminal transmit second information, wherein the information types of the first information and the second information are the same.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both of which are modulation methods supported by the first type of terminal.

15. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first modulation method and the second modulation method are the same, both being preset modulation methods.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, Different information types correspond to different preset modulation methods.

17. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

18. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first information is a first information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, The second information is of the first information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal or a preset modulation method; or, The first information is of the second information type, and the first modulation method is a modulation method supported by the first type of terminal; or, The second information is a second information type, and the second modulation method is a modulation method supported by the second type of terminal.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first information type includes at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Control information; Random access information.

20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second information type includes at least one of the following: Data information; Control information; Random access information.

21. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first information is at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Downlink control information; Downlink data information; Uplink control information; Random access information; Uplink data information.

22. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second information is at least one of the following: Physical broadcast information; Downlink control information; Downlink data information; Uplink control information; Random access information; Uplink data information.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

24. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a network device and a terminal, wherein the network device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 11, and the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 12 to 22.

25. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11 or the communication method as described in any one of claims 12 to 22.

26. A program product, characterized in that, It includes at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or perform the communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

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