Communication method, and apparatus

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of communications. Provided are a communication method and an apparatus, such that a network device can differentially indicate power control parameters corresponding to different SSBs, thereby extending application scenarios of random access. The method comprises: receiving a first message, the first message comprising power indication information of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), and the power indication information being used for indicating power control parameters respectively corresponding to at least two SSBs among the plurality of SSBs; and, on the basis of the first message, sending an access request message corresponding to a first SSB, the first SSB being one of the plurality of SSBs.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510129550.1, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 27, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In communication systems, the access process enabling a terminal to connect to the network is crucial. During this process, the terminal first searches for a synchronization signal block (SSB). By decoding the SSB, it obtains other system messages required for cell access, such as System Information Block (SIB) 1. Based on the resource configuration indicated in SIB1 for initiating random access, the terminal initiates random access. Currently, in classic scenarios, multiple SSBs are transmitted by the same base station. After receiving these SSBs, the terminal measures the energy received for each SSB and selects the resource configuration corresponding to the SSB with the highest received energy to initiate random access.

[0004] However, whether terminal devices can select a random access SSB from multiple SSBs based on other parameters is a question that needs to be studied. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to expand other ways for terminal devices to select random access SSBs.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device, or a device containing a terminal device. For ease of understanding, taking the terminal device as user equipment (UE) as an example, the method includes: receiving a first message, the first message including power indication information of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the power indication information being used to indicate power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the plurality of SSBs; and sending an access request message corresponding to a first SSB, the first SSB being one of the plurality of SSBs, according to the first message.

[0008] Therefore, this method involves the terminal device receiving a first message indicating the power control parameters of at least two SSBs among a plurality of SSBs. This enables differentiated indication of the power control parameters of multiple SSBs, allowing the terminal device to send an access request message corresponding to the first SSB belonging to the plurality of SSBs for random access based on the first message. The access request message can be Msg1 or MsgA (i.e., random access preamble) during the random access process. For example, the terminal device can determine the first SSB among the plurality of SSBs based on the power control parameters of at least two SSBs and their respective measured received power (RSRP), unlike the prior art method that determines the first SSB solely based on the measured RSRP of the SSB. This improves the flexibility of the terminal device in selecting SSBs during random access.

[0009] In one possible design, the method further includes: using power control parameters corresponding to the first SSB to determine the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the first SSB. For example, the first SSB can be the SSB with the lowest transmission power for the access request message among multiple SSBs. The terminal device determines the transmission power of the corresponding access request message based on its power control parameters and the RSRP measurement for each SSB, so that the terminal device can transmit the access request message with the minimum transmission power, reducing the power consumption of random access on the terminal side.

[0010] In one possible design, the power control parameters corresponding to the SSB are determined by at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power corresponding to the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain corresponding to the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message corresponding to the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB. For example, the power control parameter value satisfies: Power control parameter value = SSB transmit power value + downlink beamforming gain value - uplink beamforming gain value + target receive power value. In this case, the transmit power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB can be calculated based on the power control parameter value of the SSB and the measured RSRP of the SSB. For example, transmit power value = power control parameter value - measured RSRP + preamble format offset + repeated access power increment. Here, the preamble format offset is a parameter related to the preamble format, and the repeated access power increment is determined by the number of times the random access preamble is repeatedly transmitted and the power increase step size for each re-access. This increment characterizes the increase in transmit power required for each re-access attempt after an access failure. It can be understood that the preamble format offset and repeated access power increment are independent of the SSB. Therefore, the terminal device can determine the transmit power corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs indicated by the first message based on their respective power control parameters and measured RSRP, and thus determine the first SSB with the minimum transmit power.

[0011] In one possible design, the power control parameters corresponding to the SSB include at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power of the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain of the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message of the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message of the first SSB. In this case, the transmit power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB satisfies: transmit power value = (SSB transmit power value + downlink beamforming gain value - uplink beamforming gain value + target receive power value) - measured RSRP value + preamble format offset + repeated access power increment. Therefore, the terminal device can determine the transmit power of each of the at least two SSBs indicated by the first message based on their respective power control parameters and their measured RSRP, and determine the first SSB with the minimum transmit power.

[0012] In one possible design, the power indication information includes the values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs.

[0013] In one possible design, the power indication information includes the deviation values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs, and the power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs are determined based on the deviation value of the power control parameters corresponding to that SSB and the reference power control parameters.

[0014] In other words, power indication information can indicate the specific value of power control parameters to reduce the computational overhead of terminal devices, or indicate the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs in the form of the deviation value of power control parameters from the reference value to reduce the indication overhead of network devices, so as to flexibly adapt to different needs.

[0015] In one possible design, each of the multiple SSBs carries the same cell identifier, so that multiple SSBs in the same cell can also support differentiated indication of the corresponding power control parameters.

[0016] In one possible design, the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSB groups. Any SSB in the multiple SSBs belongs to one of the multiple SSB groups. In other words, the power indication information can indicate the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB group at the SSB group level, flexibly adapting to different needs.

[0017] Optionally, the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB in any SSB group is the power control parameter corresponding to that SSB group. That is, all SSBs in an SSB group share the same power control parameter, i.e., the power control parameter corresponding to that SSB group. Therefore, it is only necessary to indicate the power control parameter corresponding to all SSB groups to indicate the power control parameter corresponding to all SSBs, which significantly reduces the indication overhead required for the first message. Moreover, unlike the existing situation where multiple SSBs can only be sent by the same network device, indicating the power control parameter corresponding to different SSB groups can support multiple transmission and reception points to send SSBs in the form of SSB groups in a single cell multi-transmission and reception point scenario. After receiving SSBs from different transmission and reception points, the terminal device can determine the transmission power of the access request message according to the power control parameter corresponding to the indicated SSB, thereby determining the first SSB, thus expanding the SSB transmission scenario in the random access process.

[0018] Optionally, the first message may also include first instruction information, which indicates multiple SSB groups.

[0019] Optionally, the first indication information includes a first bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of each SSB group among the plurality of SSB groups.

[0020] Optionally, the first indication information includes a first value, which indicates the number of multiple SSB groups.

[0021] In other words, the first message indicates multiple SSB groups through the first indication information, so that the multiple SSB groups can correspond one-to-one with the multiple power control parameters indicated by the first message, so that the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSB groups at the granularity of the SSB groups.

[0022] Optionally, the first message may also include second indication information, which indicates the SSB actually sent by each of the plurality of SSB groups.

[0023] Optionally, the second indication information also includes a second bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of the SSB actually transmitted in each SSB group.

[0024] Optionally, the second indication information also includes a first data set, which indicates the number of SSBs actually transmitted in each SSB group.

[0025] In other words, the first message uses the second indication information to indicate the SSBs actually transmitted by each SSB group in the multiple SSB groups, so that the SSBs actually transmitted in each SSB group can correspond one-to-one with the multiple power control parameters indicated by the first message, so that the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSBs at the SSB group level.

[0026] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a network device or an apparatus containing a network device, the method comprising: determining a first message, the first message including power indication information of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the power indication information being used to indicate power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the plurality of SSBs; and sending the first message to a terminal device.

[0027] In one possible design, the method further includes: power control parameters corresponding to the first SSB are used to determine the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the first SSB.

[0028] In one possible design, the power control parameters corresponding to the SSB are determined by at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power corresponding to the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain corresponding to the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message corresponding to the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB.

[0029] In one possible design, the power control parameters corresponding to the SSB include at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power corresponding to the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain corresponding to the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message corresponding to the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message corresponding to the first SSB.

[0030] In one possible design, the power indication information includes the values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs.

[0031] In one possible design, the power indication information includes the deviation values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs, and the power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs are determined based on the deviation value of the power control parameters corresponding to that SSB and the reference power control parameters.

[0032] In one possible design, each of the multiple SSBs carries the same cell identifier, so that multiple SSBs in the same cell can also support differentiated indication of the corresponding power control parameters.

[0033] In one possible design, the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSB groups, and any SSB in the multiple SSBs belongs to one of the multiple SSB groups.

[0034] Optionally, the power control parameters corresponding to the SSBs in each of the multiple SSB groups are the same.

[0035] Optionally, the first message may also include first instruction information, which indicates multiple SSB groups.

[0036] Optionally, the first indication information includes a first bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of each SSB group among the plurality of SSB groups.

[0037] Optionally, the first indication information includes a first value, which indicates the number of multiple SSB groups.

[0038] Optionally, the first message may also include second indication information, which indicates the SSB actually sent by each of the plurality of SSB groups.

[0039] Optionally, the second indication information also includes a second bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of the SSB actually transmitted in each SSB group.

[0040] Optionally, the second indication information also includes a first data set, which indicates the number of SSBs actually transmitted in each SSB group.

[0041] It is understandable that the technical effects of the method described in the second aspect can also refer to the relevant introduction of the method described in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0042] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a module for performing the method described in the first or second aspect above, or any possible design scheme of the first or second aspect.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the third aspect and other communication devices.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store instructions relating to the first or second aspect, or any of the possible design embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0045] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the third aspect may be a terminal device or a network device, or may be a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the terminal device or network device, or may include the terminal device or network device.

[0046] It is understood that the technical effects of the device described in the third aspect can also be referred to the relevant introduction of the methods of the first or second aspect, or any possible design scheme in the first or second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0047] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design scheme of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0048] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may be a terminal device or a network device, or may be a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the terminal device or network device, or may include the terminal device or network device.

[0050] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the first or second aspect, or any possible design scheme of the first or second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0051] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design scheme of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0052] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used by the communication device described in the third aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0053] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may be a terminal device or a network device, or may be a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the terminal device or network device, or may include the terminal device or network device.

[0054] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design scheme of the first aspect or the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip comprising: a controller and an interface circuit, wherein the controller is configured to interact with other devices via the interface circuit to perform the methods described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design scheme of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0056] A seventh aspect provides a communication system. The communication system includes a first manager for performing the method described in the first aspect, and a second manager for performing the method described in the second aspect.

[0057] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium including storage of a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design of the first aspect or the second aspect, to be performed.

[0058] Ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program or instructions that, when run, cause the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible design of the first aspect or the second aspect, to be performed. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the synchronization signal block SSB;

[0060] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the SSB burst set;

[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the four-step random access process;

[0062] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the principle of centralized indication of multiple SSB groups in an SSB burst provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the principle of centralized indication of multiple SSB groups in an SSB burst provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the principle of centralized indication of multiple SSB groups in an SSB burst provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the principle of centralized indication of multiple SSB groups in an SSB burst provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0070] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0071] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] 1. Synchronization signal block (SSB).

[0073] The SSB is used to provide random access resources such as cell synchronization, cell identifier, and broadcast information to terminal devices during random access. It is a key signal module for terminal devices to access the network.

[0074] Specifically, referring to Figure 1, the terminal device searches for the SSB to obtain downlink synchronization. By decoding the SSB, it obtains the frequency domain resources and detection timing of the control resource set (CORESET) #0 of the system information block (SIB) 1. Then, it detects downlink control information (DCI) on this resource to obtain the system message SIB1 required for accessing the cell. SIB1 further indicates the resource configuration that can be used by the terminal device to initiate random access, mainly including the carrier position and bandwidth, the initial uplink bandwidth part (BWP), and the initial downlink BWP configuration. The initial uplink BWP configuration includes the configuration of the random access channel (RACH) resources, mainly the resource configuration that can be used by the terminal device to send the random access preamble (i.e., message (Msg) 1), including the time and frequency resources of the RACH occasion (RO) and the available preamble.

[0075] In modern communication systems such as 5G, SSBs are transmitted in the form of SSB burst sets on different beams. As shown in Figure 2, SSBs within the same burst set are transmitted on different beams, carrying the same physical cell identifier, and the SIB1 corresponding to different SSBs carries the exact same broadcast system message. In classic scenarios, these SSBs are transmitted by the same base station using beams in different directions with the same transmission power. Terminal devices typically initiate random access by selecting the physical random access channel (PRACH) resource corresponding to the SSB with the highest received energy (i.e., selecting the optimal beam direction) based on the measured received SSB energy.

[0076] 2. Random access.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates the four-step random access process. Specifically, it includes the following steps:

[0078] S301, the terminal sends Msg1 to the network.

[0079] Msg1 includes a random access preamble, which is the access request message described in the embodiments below. As can be seen from the relevant SSB description, the resources used by the terminal to send Msg1 are configured by SIB1.

[0080] S302, the network sends Msg2 to the terminal.

[0081] Msg2 can be a random access response message, which includes the random access preamble identifier received by the network side, a timing advance (TA) indication for uplink synchronization, a temporary network side identity identifier (TC-RNTI), and uplink resources (UL grant) for the terminal device to further send Msg3.

[0082] S303, the terminal sends Msg3 to the network.

[0083] Msg3 is primarily used for conflict resolution and contains the terminal's identity information. Specifically, if a terminal receives Msg2 within a specified time window (the value of which is also indicated in SIB1), and the preamble ID contained in Msg2 is exactly the same as the preamble it previously sent, then Msg3 can be sent in the scheduled UL Grant resource.

[0084] S304, the network sends Msg4 to the terminal, and the terminal performs random access based on Msg4.

[0085] Specifically, the terminal monitors the Msg4 sent by the network side within a time window. If the UE contention resolution identity field contained in Msg4 is the same as the identity reported in Msg3, the terminal believes that its access request has won the competition, the access conflict has been successfully resolved, and the TC-RNTI received in Msg2 is regarded as its unique identity identifier (C-RNTI, Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier) ​​in this cell.

[0086] With the development of communication systems, a faster two-step random access method has been proposed for the random access process. Essentially, when the terminal sends the preamble, it also sends the content of Msg3 used for conflict resolution to the network side on a corresponding PUSCH resource (which can be called MsgA). The network side then sends the content of Msg2 and Msg4 to the terminal together (which can be called MsgB). The details will not be elaborated further.

[0087] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0089] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0090] First, in this application, "instruction" or "used for instruction" can include both direct and indirect instruction. When describing a certain "information" as instructing or used for instructing A, it can include the information directly instructing A, indirectly instructing A, explicitly instructing A, implicitly instructing A, etc., and does not necessarily mean that the information carries A. In other words, if the receiving side of the information can determine A based on the information, it can be described as the information instructing or used for instructing A, and the specific method of determination is not limited. When it is understood that the information carries A, "instruction" or "used for instruction" can be replaced with "includes". In this case, a statement such as "sending / receiving instruction information, the instruction information is used to instruct A" can be replaced with "sending / receiving A".

[0091] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0092] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0093] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0094] "Sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "a network device sending information" can be understood as a network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal or other network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0095] "Receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "network device receiving information" can be understood as a network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal or other network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0096] The phrase "sending information to... (e.g., a node)" or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a node. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a node. Similarly, the phrase "receiving information from... (e.g., a node)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a node)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a node)," or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as the source of the information being a node. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a node. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0097] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0098] Third, "pre-defined," "pre-configured," or "pre-specified" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0099] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0100] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0101] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a communication system will be used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0102] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system, which includes network devices and terminal devices. As shown in Figure 4, the communication system includes at least one network device (such as network devices 410a to 410c) and at least one terminal device (such as terminal devices 420a to 420e).

[0103] Terminal devices can connect to network devices wirelessly, and network devices can connect to the core network (not shown in Figure 4) via wired or wireless means.

[0104] Among them, network equipment and terminal devices can exchange information.

[0105] The terminal device can be a terminal with transceiver capabilities. This terminal device can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be any device that supports the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a communication module, chip, chip system, other components or parts, or circuits or functional components. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. The chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete devices.Among them, the various forms of terminal devices mentioned above can also be referred to as terminal-side devices.

[0106] In this application embodiment, the network device can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. For example, the network device can be a device located in the access network (AN) of a communication system, which can be used to provide access services for terminals. In one possible scenario, the network device can be a radio access network (RAN) device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission and reception point (TRP), or a base station in a future communication system. In future mobile communication systems, the network device may also have other naming conventions, all of which are covered within the protection scope of this application embodiment, and this application does not impose any limitations on them. Alternatively, the network device may also include 5G, such as a gNB in ​​an NR system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a 5G base station, or it may be a network node constituting a gNB, a transmission and reception point (TRP or transmission point (TP)) or a transmission measurement function (TMF). Alternatively, the network device can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 4, 410a), a micro base station or indoor station, a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) scenario. Optionally, the network device can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network device in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device functions.

[0107] In this communication system, the network device sends a first message to the terminal device. This first message includes power indication information, indicating the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs among a plurality of SSBs. This allows the terminal device to send an access request message corresponding to the first SSB among the plurality of SSBs based on the first message. Therefore, by indicating the power control parameters corresponding to different SSBs among the plurality of SSBs to the terminal device, the terminal device can select the first SSB from among the plurality of SSBs based on the power control parameters. For example, the terminal device can calculate the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB based on the power control parameters and the measured RSRP of the SSB, and then select the SSB with the lowest transmission power as the first SSB for random access. This not only expands the ways in which the terminal device can select the SSB for random access but also reduces the power consumption of the terminal device initiating random access, thus contributing to energy saving on the terminal side.

[0108] The communication method and apparatus of this application embodiments will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that this application uses network devices and terminal devices as examples of the execution subjects in the interaction illustration, but this application does not limit the execution subjects in the interaction illustration. Furthermore, the processing performed by a single execution subject can also be divided into multiple execution subjects, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by a network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, RU, etc. The interaction flow between devices in the above-described communication system will be specifically described below through method embodiments. The communication method provided in this application embodiments can be applied to the above-described communication system and specifically applied to various scenarios involved in the above-described communication system, which will be described in detail below.

[0109] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in this embodiment. This communication method is applicable to the aforementioned communication system and is applied to terminal devices and network devices, mainly involving the interaction between terminal devices and network devices. The terminal device can be a terminal device (such as a UE), or a chip or chip system applicable to a terminal device, or a device containing a terminal device; the network device can be a network device (such as a TRP), or a chip or chip system applicable to a network device, or a device containing a network device. Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device in the following description can be a UE, and the network device can be a TRP.

[0110] As shown in Figure 5, the specific process of this method is as follows:

[0111] S501, the network device determines the first message and sends the first message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first message from the network device.

[0112] The statement "The network device determines the first message and sends the first message to the terminal device" can be replaced with "The network device sends the first message to the terminal device".

[0113] The first message can reuse existing signaling, such as a system message (e.g., SIB1), to reduce implementation difficulty. Alternatively, it can be a newly defined signaling, decoupled from existing signaling, making the transmission of the first message more flexible. The specific implementation is not limited. For ease of understanding, the following explanation will use SIB1 as the first message.

[0114] Specifically, the first message includes power indication information, which indicates the power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the multiple SSBs. The multiple SSBs carry the same cell identifier, such as physical cell identities (PCIDs), and are sent by the network device to the terminal device served by the network device in the form of an SSB burst set, to provide the terminal device with the resources required for random access.

[0115] The power control parameters corresponding to any one of the multiple SSBs can be used to determine the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to that SSB. The access request message (also known as the first random access message) can be a message containing a random access preamble, such as Msg1 in the four-step access process or MsgA in the two-step access process described above, so that the terminal device can send the access request message to the network device to achieve random access.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB may include at least one of the following parameters: the SSB transmit power, the target receive power of the access request message, the downlink beamforming gain, or the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message; or, the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB may be a function of the above at least one parameter, which can be understood as the value of the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB being a value determined based on the above at least one parameter. For example, the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB = SSB transmit power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target receive power, that is, the value of the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB satisfies: the value of the power control parameter = the value of the SSB transmit power + the value of the downlink beamforming gain - the value of the uplink beamforming gain + the value of the target receive power. Among them, SSB transmit power refers to the power used by the network device when transmitting the SSB, target receive power refers to the expected receive power of the network device when receiving the access request message corresponding to the SSB, downlink beamforming gain refers to the beamforming gain used by the network device when transmitting the SSB, and uplink beamforming gain refers to the beamforming gain used by the network device when receiving the access request message corresponding to the SSB.

[0117] The values ​​here can be specific values ​​or deviation values. For example, the value of the power control parameter = SSB transmit power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target receive power can be replaced with: the actual value of the power control parameter = the actual value of the SSB transmit power + the actual value of the downlink beamforming gain - the actual value of the uplink beamforming gain + the actual value of the target receive power.

[0118] For example, the value of the power control parameter = SSB transmit power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target receive power can be replaced with: power control parameter deviation = SSB transmit power deviation + actual downlink beamforming gain - actual uplink beamforming gain + actual target receive power. In this case, a reference SSB transmit power can also be indicated, and the deviation of the SSB transmit power is determined based on this reference SSB transmit power.

[0119] For example, the value of the power control parameter = SSB transmit power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target receive power can be replaced with: power control parameter deviation = SSB transmit power deviation + actual downlink beamforming gain - actual uplink beamforming gain + target receive power deviation, or power control parameter deviation = deviation of (SSB transmit power + target receive power) + actual downlink beamforming gain - actual uplink beamforming gain. In this case, a reference SSB transmit power and / or a reference target receive power, or a reference (SSB transmit power + target receive power), can be additionally indicated. The deviation of the SSB transmit power is determined based on the reference SSB transmit power, the deviation of the target receive power is determined based on the reference target receive power, and the deviation of (SSB transmit power + target receive power) is determined based on the reference (SSB transmit power + target receive power).

[0120] At least one of the above parameters can be preconfigured / predefined by the protocol to the network device. Therefore, the network device can determine the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB among the multiple SSBs it sends based on the above at least one parameter, and then indicate the power control parameters corresponding to at least two SSBs through power control information, and send it to the terminal device with the first message as the carrier.

[0121] S502, the terminal device sends an access request message corresponding to the first SSB based on the first message.

[0122] The first SSB is one of a plurality of SSBs. For example, the first SSB can be the SSB with the lowest transmission power corresponding to the access request message among the plurality of SSBs.

[0123] Specifically, the transmission power used by the terminal device to send an access request message based on a certain SSB can be determined based on: Access request message transmission power = (SSB transmission power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target received power) - measured RSRP + preamble format offset + repeated access power increment. Among them, the preamble format offset is a parameter related to the preamble format, and its value can be indicated by existing signaling such as DELTA_PREAMBL. The repeated access power increment is determined by the power increase step of repeatedly sending the random access preamble and each re-access. It is used to characterize the increase in the sending power of the access request message each time access is re-initiated after access failure. For example, the value of the repeated access parameter = the value of the number of repeated accesses * the value of the increase step for each re-access. The value of the number of repeated accesses can be indicated by existing signaling such as PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER, and the value of the increase step for each re-access can be indicated by existing signaling PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_STEP. It can be understood that the preamble format offset and the repeated access power increment are variable parameters that are independent of SSB and are not within the scope of this paper.

[0124] As explained in S501, the value of (SSB transmit power + downlink beamforming gain - uplink beamforming gain + target receive power) is the power control parameter, or it can be determined based on the power control parameter. The measured RSRP is the measurement result of the SSB actually received by the terminal device, such as the measured reference signal receiving power (RSRP) result. In other words, the terminal device can determine the transmit power of the access request message corresponding to a certain SSB based on the power control parameter indicated by the power indication information and the measured RSRP of that SSB.

[0125] Therefore, by instructing the terminal device on the power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the multiple SSBs through the network device, the terminal device can select the first SSB from the multiple SSBs based on the power control parameters. For example, the terminal device can calculate the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB based on the power control parameters and the measured RSRP, and select the SSB with the lowest transmission power of the access request message as the first SSB for random access. This not only expands the ways in which the terminal device selects the SSB for random access and improves the flexibility of the random access process, but also reduces the power consumption of the terminal device initiating random access, which helps to save energy on the terminal side.

[0126] In some possible implementations, it may be impossible to determine the first SSB from among multiple SSBs. For example, if the transmission power of the access request message calculated by each of the multiple SSBs based on its corresponding power control parameters and the measured RSRP is greater than a specific threshold, i.e., the transmission power corresponding to each of the multiple SSBs is relatively high, then the first SSB may not be determined to avoid high-power random access on the terminal side. Exemplarily, the specific threshold may be indicated by SIB1 or any other possible message, without limitation.

[0127] It should be noted that, under certain circumstances, the terminal device may determine the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the SSB without combining the power control parameters corresponding to the SSB. For example, when the terminal device has low computing power, it can still determine the corresponding transmission power by simply using the measured target receiving power of the SSB. In other words, this embodiment only extends the way the terminal device selects the SSB during random access, but does not restrict the terminal device from calculating the transmission power in combination with the power control parameters as the only way for the terminal device to select the first SSB during the random access process.

[0128] The S501 will be described in detail below:

[0129] For example, at least two SSBs can be some or all of a plurality of SSBs. Network devices can determine the power control parameters to be indicated based on requirements such as overhead limits to make the indication more flexible. For ease of understanding, the following will use the example of at least two SSBs being all of a plurality of SSBs, i.e., the power indication information can indicate the power control parameters corresponding to each of the plurality of SSBs, to illustrate how the power indication information indicates the power control parameters of any SSB.

[0130] Case 1: The power control parameters corresponding to the SSB include at least one of the following parameters: the SSB transmit power, the target receive power of the access request message, the downlink beamforming gain, or the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message.

[0131] Specifically, the power indication information may include the value of at least one of the above parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSBs.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the power indication information can also indicate the deviation value of each of the plurality of SSBs relative to a reference value for any one of the above-mentioned parameters. The reference value is the value of the parameter corresponding to a specific SSB among the plurality of SSBs predefined by the protocol, and the reference value can reuse existing power indication signaling. Thus, the terminal device can combine the power indication information and the corresponding power indication command to sum the deviation values ​​between the reference value and the values ​​corresponding to each SSB to obtain the value of the parameter corresponding to each SSB.

[0133] For example, power indication information can be used to indicate the deviation of the SSB's transmit power from the reference value for any given SSB. The reference value can be the transmit power value of a predefined SSB (such as the first SSB among multiple SSBs), indicated by reusing the existing cell-level SSB transmit power indication instruction ss-PBCH-BlockPower. In this case, the SSB transmit power value of the given SSB is equal to the sum of the deviation value and the reference value. As another example, power indication information can be used to indicate the deviation of the target receive power of any given SSB from the reference value for the target receive power of the access request message. The reference value can be the target receive power value of an access request message predefined from multiple SSBs (such as the first SSB among multiple SSBs), indicated by reusing the existing cell-level target receive power indication instruction PREAMBLE_RECEIVED_TARGET_POWER. In this case, the target receive power value of the given SSB is equal to the sum of the deviation value and the reference value.

[0134] Optionally, the power indication information may not indicate the target received power value of the access request message corresponding to each SSB. For example, the power indication information may implicitly carry the target received power of the access request message corresponding to each SSB by indicating the physical random access channel format (PRACH format) corresponding to different SSBs among multiple SSBs.

[0135] Optionally, if the beamforming gain used by the network device to transmit each SSB downlink is the same as the beamforming gain used by the network device to receive the access request message corresponding to each SSB uplink, the power indication information may not indicate the uplink beamforming gain parameters and the downlink beamforming gain parameters.

[0136] Case 2: The power control parameters corresponding to the SSB are determined based on at least one of the following parameters: the SSB transmit power, the target receive power of the access request message, the downlink beamforming gain, or the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message.

[0137] Specifically, the power indication information may include the values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSBs. Furthermore, the value of the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB can be determined by the formula: Power control parameter value = SSB transmit power value + Downlink beamforming gain value - Uplink beamforming gain value + Target receive power value.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the power indication information indicates the deviation of the power control parameter of each of the multiple SSBs from the reference power control parameter, wherein the reference power control parameter is the power control parameter corresponding to a certain SSB among the multiple SSBs predefined by the protocol. Thus, the terminal device can sum the deviation values ​​of the reference power control parameter and each SSB to obtain the power control parameter corresponding to each SSB.

[0139] For example, the deviation of any SSB's power control parameter from the reference power control parameter can be calculated using the deviation of one or more parameters from the reference value in the calculation formula. For instance, assuming that different SSBs correspond to the same uplink / downlink beamforming gain, as explained in Case 1, the aforementioned SSB transmit power indication command ss-PBCH-BlockPower and the aforementioned target receive power indication command PREAMBLE_RECEIVED_TARGET_POWER can also be reused to indicate the reference values ​​of the SSB transmit power and the target receive power. In this case, the deviation of the SSB's power control parameter from the reference power control parameter = the deviation of the SSB transmit power + the value of the downlink beamforming gain - the value of the uplink beamforming gain + the deviation of the target receive power, and the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB is the sum of the deviation value and the reference values ​​of the SSB transmit power and the target receive power. Other possible cases are similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the network device can use SSB as the granularity and indicate the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB in combination with case 1 or case 2; or, multiple SSBs can be divided into multiple SSB groups, with each SSB belonging to one of the multiple SSB groups. Thus, the network device uses SSB groups as the granularity and indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB group in combination with case 1 or case 2, so as to flexibly adapt to different needs.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the power control parameter corresponding to any SSB in any SSB group is the power control parameter corresponding to that SSB group. That is, all SSBs in an SSB group share the same power control parameter, i.e., the power control parameter corresponding to that SSB group. For example, different SSB groups can be transmitted by different network devices, and each network device uses the same power control parameter when transmitting SSBs. These different network devices belong to the same cell, such as in a single-cell multi-TRP scenario, a distributed multi-antenna scenario, or a user-centric no-cell (UCNC) scenario, etc., without limitation.

[0142] It is understood that the power control parameters corresponding to different SSBs in at least two SSBs can be the same or different. According to the above description of power control parameters, the power control parameters corresponding to any SSB can include at least one parameter or the calculation result of at least one parameter. Therefore, unless otherwise specified in this article, the same power control parameters corresponding to different SSBs can mean that every parameter is the same, or it can mean that some parameters are different but the final calculated power control parameter values ​​are the same. No specific restrictions are imposed.

[0143] The following describes the SSB grouping methods with reference to Figures 6 to 9. In Method 1, the number of SSBs included in each SSB group is fixed, and the number of SSBs actually sent in each SSB group is the same (or always the same, which can be understood as being restricted to being the same). The actual SSB group sent can be any SSB group in the SSB burst set, as shown in Figure 6.

[0144] Method 2: The number of SSBs included in each SSB group is fixed. The number of SSBs actually sent in each SSB group can be different (or the same or different, which can be understood as unlimited in number). The SSB group actually sent is the group with the earlier position in the SSB burst set, as shown in Figure 7.

[0145] Method 3: The number of SSBs included in each SSB group is fixed, but the number of SSBs actually sent in each SSB group can be different. The actual SSB group sent can be any SSB group in the SSB burst set, as shown in Figure 8.

[0146] Method 4: The number of SSBs included in each SSB group is not fixed. The groups are formed according to the number of SSBs actually sent by each network device (such as TRP) (which can also be understood as not forming additional groups for SSBs in the SSB burst). The SSBs actually sent are the SSBs at the beginning of the SSB burst, as shown in Figure 9.

[0147] The following section will provide a more detailed description of how network devices use SSB groups as the granularity to indicate the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB group.

[0148] For example, multiple network devices send multiple SSBs in the form of SSB burst sets, as shown in Figure 6. This SSB burst set supports 64 SSBs, which are listed from left to right in Figure 6 as SSB#1, SSB#2, ..., SSB#64. Furthermore, the SSB burst set is divided into eight SSB groups of eight SSBs each, such as SSB#1 to SSB#8 forming SSB group #1, SSB#9 to SSB#16 forming SSB group #2, and so on. SSBs within an SSB group can be considered as being sent by a single TRP with the same power control parameters; that is, an SSB group has power control parameters corresponding to that SSB group. These power control parameters characterize the power control parameters corresponding to any SSB within the group. Further, different SSB groups correspond to different power control parameters.

[0149] For example, SSBs in different SSB groups can be considered as being sent by different TRPs with different power control parameters, meaning there is a one-to-one correspondence between SSB groups and TRPs. SSBs in different SSB groups can also be considered as being sent by the same TRP with different power control parameters; that is, multiple SSB groups can correspond to one TRP without restriction. Taking the one-to-one correspondence between SSB groups and TRPs as an example, assume that the SSBs actually sent in the SSB burst (shown by solid lines in Figure 6) are the aforementioned multiple SSBs, each sent by one of five different network devices (such as TRPs). For example, SSB#1, SSB#2, SSB#3, and SSB#4 in SSB group #1 are sent by TRP#1; SSB#9, SSB#10, SSB#11, and SSB#12 in SSB group #2 are sent by TRP#2, and so on. Further details are omitted.

[0150] Therefore, the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to SSB groups #1, #2, #3, #6, and #7. If the power indication information indicates the value of the corresponding power control parameter, then the power indication information is as follows:

[0151] Power indication information = {P_offset_1, P_offset_2, P_offset_3, P_offset_4, P_offset_5}

[0152] Among them, P_offset_1, P_offset_2, ... P_offset_5 are power control parameters, and each power control parameter corresponds to a SSB group.

[0153] Understandably, in this implementation, the first message also indicates the position of the actually transmitted SSB group within the SSB burst set and the position of the actually transmitted SSB within an SSB group, so that the power control parameters indicated by the power indication information can be mapped to the SSB group and the SSB. The following uses Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 as examples to illustrate several possible indication methods. For ease of understanding, the SSBs actually transmitted in the SSB burst set shown in the following figures are indicated by solid lines.

[0154] Specifically, the first message may also include a first instruction message, which instructs multiple SSB groups.

[0155] For example, the first indication information can be a first bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of each SSB group in multiple SSB groups. For instance, the bits of the first bitmap can sequentially indicate whether an SSB group in the SSB burst set was actually sent, thus indicating multiple SSB groups. A bit of 1 indicates transmission, and a bit of 0 indicates no transmission. Taking the SSB burst set as an example of 8 SSB groups (Figure 6), the first bitmap = 11100110 indicates that only groups 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 in the SSB burst set are used to actually send SSBs, and they come from different network devices, such as TRP#1, TRP#2, TRP#3, TRP#4, and TRP#5. The first indication information can reuse the bitmap from existing SSB position indication signaling (ssb-PositionsInBurst), such as groupPresence, or it can be newly added indication information; there are no specific limitations.

[0156] Alternatively, the first indication information can be a first value, which indicates the number of multiple SSB groups. The SSB group actually sent can be pre-agreed by the protocol as the group with the first position in the SSB burst set. For reference, in Figure 7, the first indication information = 5 (101) indicates that the first 5 SSB groups in the SSB burst set are used to actually send SSBs.

[0157] Furthermore, the first message may also include second indication information, which indicates the SSBs actually sent by each SSB group in the multiple SSB groups. For example, the second indication information may be a second bitmap, indicating the sequence number of the SSBs included in each SSB group. The protocol may constrain the consistency of the SSBs actually sent in each SSB group. Thus, the bits of the second bitmap may sequentially indicate whether the SSBs of each SSB group were actually sent, where a bit of 1 indicates sending and a bit of 0 indicates not sending. As shown in Figure 6, the second bitmap = 11110000 indicates that the SSBs actually sent in each SSB group are the first four SSBs within the group. The second indication information may also reuse the bitmap from the existing SSB position indication signaling ssb-PositionsInBurst, such as inOneGroup, or it may be newly added indication information; there are no specific limitations.

[0158] Alternatively, the second indication information can be a first set of numbers. The first set of numbers includes multiple values ​​in binary form indicating the number of SSBs contained in each of the multiple SSB groups. The position of the SSB actually sent in each SSB group can be predetermined by the protocol. For example, it can be agreed that the SSB actually sent in each group occupies a position at the beginning of the group. See Figure 7 for reference. The first set of numbers is {4,3,2,1,5}.

[0159] Therefore, the first and second indication information described above can indicate the SSBs actually transmitted during an SSB burst. Exemplarily, in combination with the first and second indication information, there are various other ways to indicate the SSBs actually transmitted during an SSB burst.

[0160] For example, as shown in Figure 8, the first indication information is the first bitmap, and the second indication information is the second data set. The protocol predefines the position of the SSB actually sent in each SSB group. Then, the first bitmap = 11100110, the first data set = {4,3,2,1,5} or the first data set = {4,3,2,0,0,1,5,0}.

[0161] For example, as shown in Figure 9, the first indication information is the first value, and the second indication information is the second set of numbers. The protocol predefines the position of the SSB actually sent in the SSB burst set. Thus, the first value = 5, and the first set of numbers = {4, 3, 2, 1, 5}. It can be understood that in this example, the SSB burst set does not have to be grouped according to the specific number of SSBs contained in each SSB group, but rather according to the network device (such as TRP) that actually sent the SSB. For example, all SSBs sent by TRP#1 are SSB group #1, and all SSBs sent by TRP#2 are SSB group #2. That is to say, the number of SSB groups in the SSB burst set is not limited, as long as the number of SSBs actually sent does not exceed the maximum number of SSBs in the SSB burst set.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first instruction information and the second instruction information can also be the same instruction information, without any specific restrictions.

[0163] It is understandable that when the power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB group, it can reflect the power control parameters of each SSB in multiple SSBs.

[0164] In summary, network devices can indicate the power control parameters corresponding to each SSB group at the SSB group granularity. When applied to single-cell multi-TRP scenarios, distributed multi-antenna scenarios, or user-centric no-cell (UCNC) scenarios, multiple SSB groups can be sent one-to-one by multiple network devices, constraining the power control parameters corresponding to the SSBs in an SSB group sent by each network device to be the same. In other words, the power indication information can indicate the corresponding power control parameters for each SSB group only, and by indicating the corresponding SSB groups, multiple SSB groups are mapped one-to-one with multiple power control parameters. Compared to indicating the corresponding power control parameters for each SSB, this method can significantly reduce indication overhead.

[0165] As can be seen from S501 and S502, the terminal device can continue the random access process based on the first SSB. The specific process can be found in the relevant description and will not be repeated here. Therefore, this embodiment of the application, by indicating the power control parameters of at least two of the multiple SSBs in the first message, enables the terminal device to select the first SSB for random access based on different power control parameters and the measured RSRP, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device sending the access request message, and thus reducing the power consumption of the terminal device during random access.

[0166] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 5-9. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 10-11.

[0167] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002. For ease of explanation, Figure 10 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0168] The communication device 1000 can be applied to the communication methods shown in Figures 5-9 to achieve the corresponding functions. For example, the transceiver module 1001 can be used to implement the transceiver function in the communication methods shown in Figures 5-9, and the processing module 1002 can be used to implement other functions in the communication methods shown in Figures 5-9 besides the transceiver function.

[0169] Optionally, the transceiver module 1001 may include a transmitting module (not shown in FIG10) and a receiving module (not shown in FIG10). The transmitting module is used to implement the transmitting function of the communication device 1000, and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device 1000.

[0170] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 10) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1002 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the functions in the methods shown in FIG. 5-9 above.

[0171] It is understood that the communication device 1000 may be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in the network device, or a device that includes the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0172] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referenced from the technical effects of the communication method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0173] Figure 11 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the communication device can be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the terminal. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1102 and / or a transceiver 1103. The processor 1101 is coupled to the memory 1102 and the transceiver 1103, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0174] The following is a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1100 with reference to Figure 11:

[0175] The processor 1101 is the control center of the communication device 1100. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1101 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0176] Optionally, the processor 1101 can execute various functions of the communication device 1100 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1102 and calling data stored in the memory 1102, such as executing the communication methods shown in Figures 5-9 above.

[0177] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG11.

[0178] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1100 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1101 and 1104 shown in FIG. 11. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0179] The memory 1102 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 901 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0180] Optionally, the memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG. 11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0181] Transceiver 1103 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1100 is a terminal, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1100 is a network device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a terminal or with another network device.

[0182] Optionally, transceiver 1103 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 11). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0183] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 can be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0184] It is understood that the structure of the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. Actual communication devices may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0185] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1100 can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0186] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0187] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous linked DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0188] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0189] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0190] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0191] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0192] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0193] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0194] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0195] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0196] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0197] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, and / or c can represent the following situations: a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist simultaneously, b and c exist simultaneously, a and c exist simultaneously, and a, b, and c exist simultaneously, wherein a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0198] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0199] In this application, descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0200] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0201] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0202] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0203] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0204] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0205] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0206] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first message, the first message including power indication information of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the power indication information being used to indicate the power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the plurality of SSBs; Based on the first message, an access request message corresponding to the first SSB is sent, where the first SSB is one of the plurality of SSBs.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power control parameters corresponding to the first SSB are used to determine the transmission power of the access request message corresponding to the first SSB.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: A first message is determined, the first message including power indication information of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the power indication information being used to indicate the power control parameters corresponding to at least two of the plurality of SSBs; Send the first message to the terminal device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The power control parameters for each of the at least two SSBs are determined by at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power of the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain of the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message of the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message of the SSB.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs include at least one of the following parameters: the transmit power corresponding to the SSB, the downlink beamforming gain corresponding to the SSB, the uplink beamforming gain of the access request message corresponding to the SSB, or the target receive power of the access request message corresponding to the first SSB.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The power indication information includes the values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The power indication information includes the deviation values ​​of the power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs. The power control parameters corresponding to each of the at least two SSBs are determined based on the deviation value of the power control parameters corresponding to that SSB and the reference power control parameters.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Each of the plurality of SSBs carries the same cell identifier.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The power indication information indicates the power control parameters corresponding to each of the multiple SSB groups, and any SSB in the multiple SSB groups belongs to one of the multiple SSB groups.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The power control parameters corresponding to any SSB in any SSB group among the plurality of SSB groups are the power control parameters corresponding to that SSB group.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The first message also includes a first indication message, which indicates the plurality of SSB groups.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first indication information includes a first bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of each SSB group among the plurality of SSB groups.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first indication information includes a first value, which indicates the number of the plurality of SSB groups.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first message also includes second indication information, which indicates the SSB actually sent by each of the plurality of SSB groups.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The second indication information also includes a second bitmap, which indicates the sequence number of the SSB actually transmitted in each SSB group.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The second indication information also includes a first data set, which indicates the number of SSBs actually transmitted in each SSB group.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

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

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-16 to be performed.

Images