Communication method and corresponding apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which can be applied to a MAC entity of a data transmitting end. The method comprises: the MAC entity can directly receive a data unit from a PDCP entity, and then determine a sequence number for the data unit. In this way, during transmission of the data unit, an RLC entity is not required, simplifying the encapsulation process of a data unit to be transmitted, reducing the transmission delay of the data unit. In addition, the sequence number is determined by the MAC entity, so that during retransmission, the MAC entity can identify a sequence number of a data unit needing to be retransmitted, and transmit the data unit needing to be retransmitted. It is not necessary to fall back from the MAC entity to the RLC entity to identify the sequence number, then for the RLC entity to transmit to the MAC entity the data unit needing to be retransmitted, and then for the MAC entity to transmit the data unit needing to be retransmitted, and therefore, the transmission delay during retransmission is also reduced.

Description

A communication method and corresponding device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510213747.3, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 24, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Corresponding Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In communication systems, communication devices use a Medium Access Control (MAC) entity, a Radio Link Control (RLC) entity, and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity to encapsulate the data to be transmitted. The data to be transmitted passes through the PDCP entity, RLC entity, and MAC entity in sequence before it can be sent through the physical layer.

[0004] The current approach of encapsulating data through multiple entities is complex and results in significant transmission delays. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method for reducing data transmission latency. This application also provides corresponding apparatus, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a communication method performed by a MAC entity. The method includes: receiving at least one data unit from a PDCP entity; and determining a sequence number (SN) corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit.

[0007] In this application, "the MAC entity receives at least one data unit from the PDCP entity" means that the MAC entity receives at least one data unit directly from the PDCP entity without going through the RLC entity.

[0008] In the first aspect mentioned above, the MAC entity can directly receive at least one data unit from the PDCP entity without using the RLC entity. Therefore, the encapsulation process for the at least one data unit to be sent is simplified, reducing the transmission latency of at least one data unit. Furthermore, the MAC entity determines the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit. If a data unit needs to be retransmitted, the MAC entity can identify the sequence number of the data unit to be retransmitted and send the retransmitted data unit. This eliminates the need for the MAC entity to fall back to the RLC entity to identify the sequence number, then for the RLC entity to send the data unit to be retransmitted to the MAC entity, and then for the MAC entity to send it, further reducing the transmission latency during retransmission.

[0009] In one possible implementation, at least one data unit includes a first data unit and a second data unit, wherein the first data unit and the second data unit have different sequence numbers.

[0010] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can receive multiple data units from the PDCP entity. These multiple data units may include a first data unit, a second data unit, or other data units, each with a different sequence number. This enhances the flexibility of data unit management.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining first segment information and second segment information of the first data unit, wherein the first segment information and the second segment information correspond to different segments in the first data unit.

[0012] In this application, a segment refers to a portion of data within a data unit. The first segment information can be the identifier of the corresponding segment; alternatively, it can be the position information of the corresponding segment within the first data unit, such as the starting position and / or offset value.

[0013] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity determines the first segment information and the second segment information of the first data unit, enabling more granular management of the first data unit. Different segments within the first data unit can be combined and transmitted with other data units, thereby improving the flexibility of the MAC entity in data encapsulation.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining the third segment information and the fourth segment information of the second data unit to be retransmitted; and sending the segment corresponding to the third segment information and the segment corresponding to the fourth segment information.

[0015] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can segment the unsegmented second data unit during retransmission, based on the availability of retransmission resources, and then transmit the segments. This can improve the retransmission success rate and reduce retransmission latency.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining the first sub-segment information and the second sub-segment information of the first segment to be retransmitted, wherein the first segment is the segment corresponding to the first segment information; and sending the sub-segment corresponding to the first sub-segment information and the sub-segment corresponding to the second segment information.

[0017] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can, during retransmission, further divide the first segment of the already segmented first data unit into sub-segments based on the availability of retransmission resources. This can improve the retransmission success rate and reduce retransmission latency.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a status report, wherein a first sequence number in the status report is used to indicate a first data unit or a second data unit.

[0019] In this application, the status report is usually a report sent by the data receiver to indicate the data unit that needs to be retransmitted.

[0020] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can determine the data unit that needs to be retransmitted based on the first sequence number in the status report, and then retransmit the data unit indicated by that first sequence number. This improves the accuracy of retransmissions and reduces the transmission overhead caused by invalid retransmissions.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first segment information in the status report is used to indicate the first segment.

[0022] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can determine the first segment that needs to be retransmitted through the first segment information. In this way, it is not necessary to retransmit the entire second data unit, which further improves the accuracy of retransmission and reduces the transmission overhead of retransmission.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first data unit corresponds to the first logical channel, and the second data unit corresponds to the second logical channel. The first logical channel and the second logical channel are different.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can receive multiple data units from multiple PDCP entities through multiple logical channels, and the data units in multiple logical channels are uniformly assigned sequence numbers. This improves the uniformity of data unit management, especially during retransmission, as it eliminates the need to identify the sequence number and then the corresponding channel, simplifying the retransmission process and reducing retransmission latency.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first logical channel and the second logical channel belong to one of a plurality of logical channel groups.

[0026] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can determine the sequence number of a data unit according to logical channel groups, and data units belonging to the same logical channel group will all have the same sequence number. This improves the uniformity of data unit management within the same logical channel group. Especially during retransmission, identifying the logical channel group and sequence number is sufficient, without needing to further identify the specific logical channel, which simplifies the retransmission process and reduces retransmission latency.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the first logical channel and the second logical channel have the same priority.

[0028] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can group multiple logical channels with the same priority together, and assign a unified sequence number to the data units of these logical channels. This way, during retransmission, data units from higher-priority logical channels can be retransmitted first, reducing the transmission delay of those data units.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first data unit corresponds to a first sub-header, which includes at least one of the following: the sequence number of the first data unit; and first indication information, which is used to indicate the segmentation information of the first data unit, including the position of the unsegmented or segmented data unit within the first data unit.

[0030] In this possible implementation, the MAC entity can encapsulate the sequence number of the data unit and the first indication information in the first sub-header. In this way, the data receiver can determine the sequence number and the first indication information of the first data unit by parsing the first sub-header, which can improve the receiving speed of the data receiver.

[0031] A second aspect of this application provides a communication device, comprising: a transceiver unit and a processing unit; wherein the transceiver unit is configured to receive at least one data unit from a PDCP entity; and the processing unit is configured to determine a sequence number corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit.

[0032] In one possible implementation, at least one data unit includes a first data unit and a second data unit, wherein the first data unit and the second data unit have different sequence numbers.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to determine first segment information and second segment information of the first data unit, wherein the first segment information and the second segment information correspond to different segments in the first data unit.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to determine the third segment information and the fourth segment information of the second data unit to be retransmitted;

[0035] The transceiver unit is also used to send the segments corresponding to the third segment information and the segments corresponding to the fourth segment information.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to determine the first sub-segment information and the second sub-segment information of the first segment to be retransmitted, wherein the first segment is the segment corresponding to the first segment information;

[0037] The transceiver unit is also used to send the sub-segment corresponding to the first sub-segment information and the sub-segment corresponding to the second sub-segment information.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is also used to receive a status report, wherein the first sequence number in the status report is used to indicate the first data unit or the second data unit.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the first segment information in the status report is used to indicate the first segment.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the first data unit corresponds to the first logical channel, and the second data unit corresponds to the second logical channel. The first logical channel and the second logical channel are different.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the first logical channel and the second logical channel belong to one of a plurality of logical channel groups.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the first logical channel and the second logical channel have the same priority.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first data unit corresponds to a first sub-header, which includes at least one of the following: the sequence number of the first data unit; and first indication information, which is used to indicate the segmentation information of the first data unit, including the position of the unsegmented or segmented data unit within the first data unit.

[0044] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors. The processor is configured to invoke and execute a computer program stored in a memory, such that the processor implements the method described in the first aspect or any of the implementations described in the first aspect.

[0045] Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver; the processor is also used to control the transceiver to send and receive signals.

[0046] Optionally, the communication device includes a memory in which a computer program is stored.

[0047] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0048] Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface circuit for receiving signals from other communication devices and transmitting them to the processor, or sending signals from the processor to other communication devices.

[0049] The communication device described in the third aspect above can be a device or a chip (system) within a device. In some possible designs, when the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0050] The fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which can be a device in a terminal or base station, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in a device in a terminal or base station that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0051] The fifth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0052] The sixth aspect of this application provides a computer program product including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0053] A seventh aspect of this application provides a chip device including a processor for calling a program stored in a memory, such that the processor executes the first aspect or any implementation thereof.

[0054] Optionally, the memory may be located inside or outside the chip device.

[0055] The eighth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a data transmitter and a data receiver. The means in the data transmitter are used to perform the first aspect or any implementation thereof, and the data receiver is used to receive data units or send status reports.

[0056] The technical effects of the second aspect, any possible implementation of the second aspect, and the third to eighth aspects can be found in the first aspect or the technical effects of different possible implementations of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an example of the serial number numbering method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another example of the serial number numbering method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0062] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another example of the serial number numbering method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another example of the serial number numbering method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of the numbering switching method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another example of the numbering switching method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an example retransmission scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of an example of data unit segmentation provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of an example of segmentation and re-segmentation in a data unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a data unit corresponding to a subheader provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 15 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0072] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, wherein the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. The communication system 10 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 via wireless or wired means. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Communication system 10 may also include Internet 300.

[0073] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, a 6th generation (6G) radio access system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), or it can be a WiFi system. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0074] RAN nodes, also known as radio base stations, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminals access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), relay nodes, or donor nodes.

[0075] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RRC) and PDCP, and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RAN) and MAC layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). CUs can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0076] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0077] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0078] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0079] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0080] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0081] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0082] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. To communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also susceptible to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0083] The communication between the RAN node and the terminal described above follows a specific protocol layer structure. The relationship between the PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer in this protocol layer can be understood by referring to Figure 2.

[0084] As shown in Figure 2, the PDCP layer is configured with multiple PDCP entities. Each PDCP entity can correspond to one or more logical channels (LCs), such as PDCP entity 1 corresponding to LC1, PDCP entity 2 corresponding to LC2, and PDCP entity 3 corresponding to LC3 and LC4. The PDCP entities send PDCP protocol data units (PDUs) to the RLC entities. This PDCP PDU is referred to as an RLC service data unit (SDU) by the RLC entity, and one PDCP PDU corresponds to one RLC SDU.

[0085] The RLC layer is configured with multiple RLC entities, each corresponding to a logical channel. After receiving an RLC SDU, an RLC entity can assign a unified serial number (SN) to the RLC SDUs in each logical channel. RLC SDUs corresponding to different logical channels can be numbered independently. As shown in Figure 2, the SN of the RLC SDUs in LC1 is 1, the SN of the RLC SDUs in LC2 is 1, the SN of the RLC SDUs in LC3 is 1, and the SN of the RLC SDUs in LC4 is 1. Within each RLC entity, each RLC SDU corresponds to an RLC PDU. As shown in Figure 2, the RLC SDU in LC1 corresponds to the RLC PDU in LC1, and the sequence number of the RLC PDU in LC1 is the same as that of the RLC SDU in LC1, both having SN=1; the RLC SDU in LC2 corresponds to the RLC PDU in LC2, and the sequence number of the RLC PDU in LC2 is the same as that of the RLC SDU in LC2, both having SN=1; the RLC SDU in LC3 corresponds to the RLC PDU in LC3, and the sequence number of the RLC PDU in LC3 is the same as that of the RLC SDU in LC3, both having SN=1; the RLC SDU in LC4 corresponds to the RLC PDU in LC4, and the sequence number of the RLC PDU in LC4 is the same as that of the RLC SDU in LC4, both having SN=1. RLC entities can also segment one or more RLC PDUs, for example, RLC entity 2 can divide the RLC PDU in LC2 into segment (SG)1 and SG2. The sequence number of each data unit, such as SN=1, can be configured in the corresponding sub-header. For example, SN=1 of the RLC SDU in LC1 will be configured in sub-header 201. If the data unit is segmented, the corresponding segment information, such as SG1, will also be configured in the sub-header of the SG1 segment in the RLC PDU of LC2, such as sub-header 202.

[0086] The data unit sent by the RLC entity to the MAC entity is called an RLC PDU. The data unit received by the MAC entity is called a MAC SDU, and one RLC PDU corresponds to one MAC SDU. The MAC entity can multiplex logical channels by assembling MAC SDUs from multiple logical channels into MAC PDUs. As shown in Figure 2, the MAC entity can encapsulate the RLC PDU in LC1 and the SG1 of the RLC PDU in LC2 into a MAC PDU1; the MAC entity can encapsulate the SG2 of the RLC PDU in LC2 and the RLC PDU in LC3 into a MAC PDU2; the MAC entity can encapsulate the RLC PDU in LC4 into a MAC PDU3; then, the MAC entity sends MAC PDU1, MAC PDU2, and MAC PDU3 to the physical layer.

[0087] As can be seen from the encapsulation process of the data unit between the PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer, the encapsulation process of the data unit is quite complex, which will undoubtedly cause a large transmission delay. Moreover, the SN of the data unit is determined by the RLC entity. If the data unit needs to be retransmitted, it is necessary to fall back from the MAC entity to the RLC entity to identify the sequence number, and then the RLC entity sends the data unit to be retransmitted to the MAC entity, and then the MAC entity sends it. This will undoubtedly increase the retransmission delay.

[0088] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method for reducing data transmission latency. This method can be executed by a MAC entity at a data sending end, which can be a terminal or a base station. The MAC entity can be configured in the terminal, or in some components of the terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system); the MAC entity can also be configured in the base station, or in some components of the base station (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system); the MAC entity can also be a logic module or software that implements some functions of the terminal or base station. It should be noted that the base station in this embodiment can be any possible RAN node as shown in Figure 1 above.

[0089] As shown in Figure 3, the communication method provided in this application embodiment includes:

[0090] S301. The PDCP entity sends at least one data unit to the MAC entity. Correspondingly, the MAC entity receives at least one data unit from the PDCP entity.

[0091] In this application, "the MAC entity receives at least one data unit from the PDCP entity" means that the MAC entity receives at least one data unit directly from the PDCP entity without going through the RLC entity.

[0092] The data unit sent by the PDCP entity can be understood as a PDCP PDU, and the data unit received by the MAC entity can be understood as a MAC SDU.

[0093] S302. The MAC entity determines the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in at least one data unit.

[0094] In the solution provided in this application embodiment, the MAC entity can directly receive at least one data unit from the PDCP entity without using the RLC entity. Therefore, the encapsulation process for the at least one data unit to be sent is simplified, reducing the transmission latency of at least one data unit. Furthermore, the MAC entity determines the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit. If a data unit needs to be retransmitted, the MAC entity can identify the sequence number of the data unit to be retransmitted and send the retransmitted data unit. This eliminates the need for the MAC entity to fall back to the RLC entity to identify the sequence number, then for the RLC entity to send the retransmitted data unit to the MAC entity, and then for the MAC entity to send it, further reducing the transmission latency during retransmission.

[0095] The aforementioned MAC entity refers to the MAC entity of the data sender. After S302, it may also include the MAC entity of the data sender sending MAC PDUs through the physical layer. Correspondingly, after the MAC entity of the data receiver receives the MAC PDU from the physical layer, the MAC entity can directly send the MAC SDU to the PDCP entity of the data receiver without going through the RLC entity.

[0096] The communication method between the data sender and the data receiver may further include: the MAC entity of the data sender sending an inquiry request to the data receiver regarding whether retransmission is required based on the SN of the data unit; or, the MAC entity of the data receiver sending a status report to the data sender indicating the data unit that needs to be retransmitted based on the SN of the data unit.

[0097] In the aforementioned retransmission-related communication processes, the MAC entity at the data sender sends an inquiry request without the participation of the RLC entity at the data sender, which reduces the transmission latency of the inquiry request and thus reduces the retransmission latency of the data unit. Alternatively, the MAC entity at the data receiver sends a status report without the participation of the RLC entity at the data receiver, which also reduces the transmission latency of the status report and thus reduces the retransmission latency of the data unit.

[0098] There are multiple ways for the MAC entity to determine the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in at least one data unit in S302 above. In other words, this application embodiment provides multiple ways of numbering the sequence number. Several methods are described below as examples.

[0099] Method 1: MAC Entity-Level Numbering Method

[0100] The numbering method for MAC SDUs (Serial Numbers) is at the MAC entity level. A MAC entity uniformly numbers data units across multiple logical channels. As shown in Figure 4, taking an MAC entity corresponding to four logical channels as an example: LC1, LC2, LC3, and LC4. Here, the SN of the MAC SDU in LC1 is 1, the SN of the MAC SDU in LC2 is 2, the SN of the MAC SDU in LC3 is 3, and the SN of the MAC SDU in LC4 is 4. If LC1 is called the first logical channel, LC2, LC3, or LC4 can all be called the second logical channel; if the MAC SDU in LC1 is called the first data unit, the MAC SDUs in LC2, LC3, or LC4 can all be called the second data unit. Of course, Figure 4 only illustrates this with four logical channels and four MAC SDUs as an example. If there are more logical channels, the same idea of ​​uniform numbering is used. This situation can also be described as an MAC entity corresponding to a transmit / receive window, with the MAC entity numbering the MAC SDUs of all logical channels together.

[0101] Furthermore, the sequence number of a MAC SDU within the same logical channel is related to the order in which the MAC SDU arrives at the MAC entity. The MAC entity can assign a unified number based on the order in which MAC SDUs arrive at the MAC entity in each logical channel or the order in which the MAC entity multiplexes MAC SDUs. As shown in Figure 5, two MAC SDUs are multiplexed sequentially in LC1, with sequence numbers SN=0 and SN=1 respectively. Following the multiplexing order of the MAC SDUs, the sequence number of the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC2 is SN=2, the sequence number of the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC3 is SN=3, and the sequence number of the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC4 is SN=4. Then, the sequence number of the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC2 is SN=5, and so on, allowing for consecutive numbering of subsequently received MAC SDUs.

[0102] It should be noted that the above numbering does not need to keep increasing. A maximum value can be set for SN, and numbering can start from 0. After reaching the maximum value, numbering can restart from 0. This reduces the space overhead of the serial number. Of course, renumbering is not limited to reaching the maximum value; it can also be triggered by a renumbering instruction or other instructions.

[0103] In the scheme provided by Method 1, the MAC entity can receive multiple data units from multiple PDCP entities through multiple logical channels, and the data units in multiple logical channels are uniformly assigned sequence numbers. This improves the uniformity of data unit management, especially during retransmission. By uniformly numbering the data units across multiple logical channels and managing retransmission at the MAC entity level, channel information does not need to be added to the query request or status report, thus reducing retransmission overhead.

[0104] Method 2: Numbering method at the logical channel group level

[0105] The SN (Serial Number) of MAC SDUs is numbered at the logical channel group level. Multiple logical channels corresponding to a MAC entity can be divided into at least two logical channel groups, one of which includes a first logical channel and a second logical channel. Data units within the same logical channel group are numbered uniformly, while data units in different logical channel groups are numbered independently. As shown in Figure 6, taking a MAC entity corresponding to four logical channels as an example, such as LC1, LC2, LC3, and LC4, LC1 and LC2 belong to logical channel group 1, and LC3 and LC4 belong to logical channel group 2. The MAC entity can uniformly number the data units in LC1 and LC2, and uniformly number the data units in LC3 and LC4. The numbering principle in logical channel group 1 and logical channel group 2 is the same as the numbering principle at the MAC entity level. As shown in Figure 6, in logical channel group 1, the SN of the MAC SDU in LC1 is 1, and the SN of the MAC SDU in LC2 is 2. In logical channel group 2, the SN of the MAC SDU in LC3 is 1, and the SN of the MAC SDU in LC4 is 2. Taking logical channel group 1 as an example, if LC1 is called the first logical channel, then LC2 can be called the second logical channel; if the MAC SDU in LC1 is called the first data unit, then the MAC SDU in LC2 can all be called the second data unit. Of course, Figure 6 only uses two logical channel groups as an example. If there are more logical channel groups, they can all be numbered using the same numbering principle as logical channel group 1 and logical channel group 2. This situation can also be described as follows: the MAC entity corresponds to multiple transmit / receive windows, one transmit / receive window corresponds to one logical channel group, the number of transmit / receive windows in the MAC entity is the same as the number of logical channel groups, and the MAC entity numbers the MAC SDUs of each logical channel group together.

[0106] Furthermore, the sequence number of a MAC SDU within the same logical channel group is related to the order in which the MAC SDUs arrive at the MAC entity. The MAC entity can be uniformly numbered according to the order in which the MAC SDUs of each logical channel in the logical channel group arrive at the MAC entity or the order in which the MAC SDUs are multiplexed. As shown in Figure 7, for logical channel group 1, two MAC SDUs are multiplexed sequentially in LC1, with sequence numbers SN=0 and SN=1 respectively; according to the multiplexing order of the MAC SDUs, the sequence numbers of the MAC SDUs multiplexed in LC2 are SN=2 and SN=3, then the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC1 has a sequence number of SN=4, and the MAC SDU multiplexed in LC2 has a sequence number of SN=5. And so on, the MAC SDUs multiplexed subsequently in logical channel group 1 can be consecutively numbered. For logical channel group 2, one MAC SDU is multiplexed first in LC3 with a sequence number of SN=0, and then one MAC SDU is multiplexed in LC4 with a sequence number of SN=1. Then, in LC3, two MAC SDUs are multiplexed sequentially, with sequence numbers SN=2 and SN=3 respectively. In LC4, two MAC SDUs are multiplexed sequentially, with sequence numbers SN=4 and SN=5 respectively. And so on, the MAC SDUs multiplexed subsequently in logical channel group 2 can be numbered consecutively.

[0107] For an understanding of the numbering principles in each logical channel group, as well as the value or variation rules of the sequence number, please refer to the numbering at the MAC entity level.

[0108] In the scheme provided by Method 2, the MAC entity can determine the sequence number of data units according to logical channel groups. Data units belonging to the same logical channel group are sequentially and uniformly numbered to determine their corresponding sequence numbers. This improves the uniformity of data unit management within the same logical channel group. Especially during retransmission, uniformly numbering data units within the same logical channel group and managing retransmission at the logical channel group level eliminates the need to add specific channel information to query requests or status reports, thus reducing retransmission overhead.

[0109] Method 3: Priority level numbering method for logical channels

[0110] The SN numbering method for MAC SDUs is based on the priority level of logical channels. MAC entities can assign a unified sequence number to at least two logical channels with the same priority. These at least two logical channels include a first logical channel and a second logical channel, and the first and second logical channels have the same priority.

[0111] This scenario can also be understood as grouping logical channels of the same priority into the same logical channel group, and then, as described in Method 2 above, uniformly numbering the MAC SDUs within the logical channels of the same priority according to the same logical channel group. Alternatively, this can be understood as follows: a MAC entity corresponds to multiple transmit / receive windows, one transmit / receive window corresponds to one logical channel priority, the number of transmit / receive windows is the same as the number of logical channel priorities, and one MAC entity numbers MAC SDUs of the same priority together.

[0112] In the scheme provided by Method 3, the MAC entity can group multiple logical channels with the same priority together and uniformly number the sequence numbers of the data units of these logical channels. This allows for priority retransmission of data units from higher-priority logical channels during retransmissions, reducing the transmission latency of these data units.

[0113] The numbering method described above can be pre-configured or negotiated. During subsequent communication, the sequence number can be assigned according to the pre-configured or negotiated numbering method. Furthermore, the numbering method can be switched, such as switching from method one to method two or three, or from method two to method one or three, or from method three to method one or two, etc. There can be triggering methods or switching conditions for switching the numbering method, which will be described below.

[0114] The switching of the numbering method can be understood by referring to Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, taking the switching of the base station control numbering method as an example, the process can include S801 and S802, or S803, S804 and S805.

[0115] S801. The base station actively sends configuration information on the numbering method to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the configuration information on the numbering method.

[0116] The configuration information may include numbered indication information, which may indicate the above-mentioned method one, method two, or method three.

[0117] This configuration information can also include the effective time in a numbered format.

[0118] S802. The terminal switches from the current numbering method to the numbering method indicated in the configuration information.

[0119] If the configuration information also includes an effective time in the form of a number, then S802 can be executed after the effective time has arrived.

[0120] S803. The terminal sends a numbering method update request to the base station. Correspondingly, the base station receives the numbering method update request.

[0121] This situation falls under the category of the terminal actively requesting an update of the serial number.

[0122] S804. The base station sends an update information on the numbering method to the terminal according to the numbering method update request. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the update information on the numbering method.

[0123] The update information may include numbered instructions, which may indicate method one, method two, or method three.

[0124] The update information may also include the effective date in a numbered format.

[0125] S805. The terminal switches from the current numbering method to the numbering method indicated in the update information.

[0126] If the update information also includes an effective time in the form of a number, then S805 can be executed after the effective time has arrived.

[0127] Figure 8 above illustrates the method of switching the numbering method controlled by the base station. Alternatively, the data receiver can trigger the data transmitter to switch the numbering method based on switching conditions. After the data transmitter returns a successful switch indication, the data receiver will also identify data units according to the switched numbering method. Alternatively, the data transmitter can switch the numbering method automatically based on switching conditions. After switching, the data transmitter will notify the data receiver of the new numbering method, allowing the data receiver to identify data units according to the new numbering method. The data receiver or data transmitter can be a terminal or a base station.

[0128] 1. Switching conditions for switching from method two or three to method one;

[0129] Switching condition 1: Within a certain period of time, the number of times multiple status reports cannot be sent at once exceeds the first threshold.

[0130] When using method two or three to number the sequence number of data units, both the MAC entities of the data receiver and the data transmitter correspond to multiple transmission windows. Therefore, the data receiver can simultaneously send status reports for multiple logical channel groups or logical channels of different priorities. If, within a certain period, it is found that the number of times multiple status reports cannot be sent at once exceeds a first threshold, the data receiver can trigger the data transmitter to switch from method two or three to method one.

[0131] The number of times that multiple status reports cannot be sent at once exceeds the first threshold may include at least one of the following: the number of times a single status report is sent alone exceeds the threshold 1; the number of status reports corresponding to multiple status reports sent together is less than the threshold 2; the proportion of sending a single status report among all status reports exceeds the threshold 3; and the proportion of sending less than N status reports together exceeds the threshold 4.

[0132] If, within a certain period of time, the status report sending requests meet the switching condition 1 above, it means that the data receiver does not need to continue using method two or method three for sequence numbering. Instead, using method one for sequence numbering is more beneficial for the data receiver to use a sending window corresponding to the MAC entity to provide feedback on the status report with lower latency. At this time, the data receiver can trigger the data sender to switch from method two or method three to method one.

[0133] Switching condition 2: The number of times multiple query requests cannot be sent at once exceeds the second threshold.

[0134] This situation occurs when the data sender sends an inquiry request to the data receiver. The switching concept is basically the same as that of switching condition 1, except that the data sender controls the switch from mode 2 or mode 3 to mode 1.

[0135] The number of times that multiple query requests cannot be sent at once exceeds the second threshold may include at least one of the following: the number of times a single query request is sent alone exceeds threshold 1; the number of query requests corresponding to multiple query requests sent together is less than threshold 2; the proportion of sending a single query request in all query requests exceeds threshold 3; the proportion of sending less than N query requests together exceeds threshold 4.

[0136] 2. Switching conditions from Method 1 to Method 2 or Method 3;

[0137] Switching condition 3: The proportion of MAC SDUs corresponding to logical channel groups or logical channels of the same priority that are higher than the third threshold is higher than the fourth threshold.

[0138] When using method one numbering, logical channel groups or logical channels with the same priority can be distinguished, but the priorities of logical channel groups and logical channels can still exist. This allows for the counting of MAC SDUs for each logical channel group or multiple logical channels with the same priority over a period of time. Taking 10 logical channel groups as an example, if the threshold for the number of MAC SDUs is 50 and the proportion threshold is 60%, if it is found that the number of MAC SDUs in 7 logical channel groups is higher than 50 within a certain period, that is, the proportion of groups with a number higher than 50 reaches 70% and 60%, satisfying switching condition 3, a switch from method one to method two or three can be triggered.

[0139] When using method one for numbering, the number of MAC SDUs in many logical channel groups is higher than the third threshold, indicating that numbering these logical channel groups separately is more conducive to reducing retransmission delay. Therefore, when the above switching condition 3 is met, you can switch from method two or method three to method one.

[0140] All three switching conditions mentioned above—condition 1, condition 2, and condition 3—require a set statistical time. This statistical time corresponds to a switching timer. When the timer expires, if the condition is met, a switch is triggered. If the condition is not met, the current numbering method is maintained, and the timer is restarted. As shown in Figure 9, after the timer starts, the above statistics begin. If the original sequence numbering method was method one, the status report or query request status can be statistically analyzed. If the timer expires and switching condition 1 is found to be met, the switch can proceed from method one to method two, and the timer continues to be started. If switching condition 3 is not found to be met after the second timer expires, the numbering method of method two will continue to be maintained after the second timeout.

[0141] The MAC entity can not only determine the sequence number of a data unit, but also segment the data unit and determine the segmentation information of the data unit.

[0142] The segments in this application may include segments in the initial transmission stage and segments in the retransmission stage, which will be described separately below.

[0143] 1. Segmentation of the initial transmission stage;

[0144] During the initial transmission phase, the MAC entity can segment one or more data units among multiple data units to be transmitted based on the initial transmission resources. For example, the MAC entity can determine the first segment information and the second segment information of the first data unit, where the first segment information and the second segment information correspond to different segments in the first data unit.

[0145] The segmentation of the initial transmission phase can be understood by referring to Figure 10. As shown in Figure 10, taking the MAC entity corresponding to four logical channels as an example, such as LC1, LC2, LC3, and LC4, each logical channel corresponds to one MAC SDU. In Figure 10, taking the MAC SDU in LC2 as the first data unit as an example, the MAC SDU in LC2 can be divided into a first segment and a second segment. The first segment is identified by SG1, and the second segment is identified by SG2. SG1 and SG2 can be understood as the information of the first segment and the information of the second segment.

[0146] The sequence numbers of the MAC SDUs in the four logical channels can be understood by referring to the introduction in Figure 4, and will not be repeated here. The sequence numbers corresponding to SG1 and SG2 are both SN=2. The sequence number and segment information of each MAC SDU can be added to the sub-header of the MAC SDU. For example, the sub-header of the first segment of the MAC SDU in LC2 can include SN=2 and SG1, and the sub-header of the second segment can include SN=2 and SG2.

[0147] When multiplexing logical channels, a MAC entity can encapsulate the MAC SDU with SN=1 and the first segment with SN=2 into a MAC PDU, namely MAC PDU1; encapsulate the second segment with SN=2 and the MAC SDU with SN=9 into a MAC PDU, namely MAC PDU2; and encapsulate the MAC SDU with SN=4 into a MAC PDU, namely MAC PDU3.

[0148] Then, the MAC entity can send MAC PDU1, MAC PDU2 and MAC PDU3 to the physical layer.

[0149] 2. Segmentation during the retransmission phase;

[0150] The retransmission process can be illustrated using Figure 10 as an example. As shown in Figure 10, after the data sender sends MAC PDU1, MAC PDU2, and MAC PDU3, the data receiver, through parsing, determines that it has not received the MAC SDU with SN=1, the first segment indicated by SN=2 and SG1, and has received the second segment indicated by SN=2 and SG2, as well as the MAC SDU with SN=3 and the MAC SDU with SN=4. It also determines that it has not received the second segment indicated by SN=2 and SG2, as well as the MAC SDU with SN=3.

[0151] The data receiver can send a status report to the data sender. The status report can include SN=1, SN=2, SG1, which indicates the MAC SDU with SN=1 that needs to be retransmitted, and the first segment corresponding to SN=2, SG1.

[0152] After receiving the status report, the MAC entity at the data sending end can determine the MAC SDU with SN=1 and the first segment corresponding to SN=2 and SG1 that needs to be retransmitted based on SN=1 and SN=2 and SG1 in the status report.

[0153] The MAC entity at the data sending end can segment the second data unit that has not yet been segmented based on the retransmission resource situation. For example, it can segment the MAC SDU with SN=1, or further divide the first segment into sub-segments.

[0154] For the second data unit, the MAC entity can determine the third and fourth segment information of the second data unit to be retransmitted; and send the segment corresponding to the third segment information and the segment corresponding to the fourth segment information. As shown in Figure 11, segmenting the MAC SDU with SN=1 yields the third segment indicated by SN=1,SG1 and the fourth segment indicated by SN=1,SG2. Here, SN=1,SG1 can be the third segment information, and SN=1,SG2 can be the fourth segment information.

[0155] In this application, the MAC entity can segment the unsegmented second data unit during retransmission based on the availability of retransmission resources, and then transmit the segments. This improves the retransmission success rate and reduces retransmission latency.

[0156] For the first segment, the MAC entity can determine the first and second sub-segment information of the first segment to be retransmitted. The first segment is the segment corresponding to the first segment information. It then sends the sub-segment corresponding to the first sub-segment information and the sub-segment corresponding to the second sub-segment information. As shown in Figure 12, the first segment indicated by SN=2, SG1 can be further divided into sub-segments, resulting in the first sub-segment indicated by SN=2, SG1_1, and the second sub-segment indicated by SN=2, SG1_2. Here, SN=2, SG1_1 can be the first sub-segment information, and SN=2, SG1_2 can be the second sub-segment information.

[0157] In this application, the MAC entity can further divide the first segment into sub-segments based on the availability of retransmission resources during retransmission. This can improve the success rate of retransmission and reduce retransmission latency.

[0158] It should be noted that the above explanation uses the data receiver sending a status report indicating retransmission as an example. In reality, retransmission is not limited to data receiver indication; it can also be initiated by the data sender. When the data sender initiates a retransmission, it can segment the unsegmented MAC SDU based on the matching between the retransmission resources and the data units to be retransmitted, or further divide the segmented data into sub-segments. For details, please refer to Figures 11 and 12.

[0159] In the above embodiments, the sub-header corresponding to the MAC SDU is introduced. Taking the MAC SDU as the first data unit as an example, the first data unit corresponds to the first sub-header. The first sub-header includes at least one of the following: the serial number of the first data unit, the first indication information, or the second indication information; wherein, the first indication information is used to indicate the segmentation information of the first data unit, and the segmentation information includes the position of the unsegmented or segmented data unit in the first data unit; the second indication information is used to indicate the numbering method of the serial number of the first data unit.

[0160] For an understanding of the sub-header corresponding to the MAC SDU, please refer to Figure 13. As shown in Figure 13, the sub-header corresponding to the MAC SDU may include the following information: logical channel identifier (LCID); length of the MAC SDU (L), where L usually includes the number of bytes in the MAC SDU, and one byte includes 8 bits; the number of bits required to represent the length of the MAC SDU, which is represented by F in the sub-header of Figure 13; and R in the sub-header represents reserved bits.

[0161] In this application, at least one of the SN, the first indication information, and the second indication information can be filled in the reserved bit of the R indication. Of course, new bits can also be added to fill the SN, the first indication information, and the second indication information.

[0162] The first instruction information can be understood by referring to Table 1. As shown in Table 1:

[0163] Table 1:

[0164] Table 1 only provides one example of determining the position of a segment in the MAC SDU. In practice, the position of a segment in the MAC SDU can also be indicated by a start position plus an offset. Furthermore, the different bit values ​​in Table 1 do not necessarily indicate the content shown in Table 1; the correspondence between the bit values ​​and the indicated content can be adjusted according to requirements. Moreover, the bit values ​​are not limited to those listed in Table 1; they can be set according to specific needs.

[0165] The second instruction information can be understood by referring to Table 2. As shown in Table 2:

[0166] Table 2:

[0167] Table 2 provides an example of a serial numbering method used to indicate different levels. In reality, other methods can also be used to indicate different levels of numbering. Furthermore, the content indicated by the different bit values ​​in Table 2 is not limited to the correspondence shown in Table 2; the correspondence between the bit values ​​and the indicated content can be adjusted according to requirements. Moreover, the bit values ​​are not limited to those listed in Table 2; they can be set according to needs.

[0168] In this embodiment of the application, the MAC entity can encapsulate at least one of the serial number of the data unit, the first indication information, or the second indication information in the first sub-header. In this way, the data receiver can determine the serial number of the first data unit, the first indication information, or the second indication information by parsing the first sub-header, which can improve the receiving speed of the data receiver.

[0169] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the base station and terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0170] Figures 14 and 15 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of terminals or base stations in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be the terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, the base station 110 shown in Figure 1, or a module (such as a chip) applied to a terminal or base station.

[0171] As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 1400 includes a processing unit 1410 and a transceiver unit 1420. The communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the MAC entity in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3, 4, 11 or 12, or to implement the function of the terminal or base station in the method embodiments shown in Figure 8.

[0172] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the MAC entity in the method embodiment shown in FIG3: the transceiver unit 1420 is used to receive at least one data unit from the PDCP entity; the processing unit 1410 is used to determine the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit.

[0173] In addition, when the above-mentioned communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the MAC entity in FIG4, the processing unit 1410 is also used to determine the first segment information and the second segment information of the first data unit, wherein the first segment information and the second segment information correspond to different segments in the first data unit.

[0174] In addition, when the above-mentioned communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the MAC entity in FIG11: the processing unit 1410 is also used to determine the third segment information and the fourth segment information of the second data unit to be retransmitted; the transceiver unit 1420 is also used to send the segment corresponding to the third segment information and the segment corresponding to the fourth segment information.

[0175] In addition, when the above-mentioned communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the MAC entity in FIG12: the processing unit 1410 is also used to determine the first sub-segment information and the second sub-segment information of the first segment to be retransmitted, wherein the first segment is the segment corresponding to the first segment information; the transceiver unit 1420 is also used to send the sub-segment corresponding to the first sub-segment information and the sub-segment corresponding to the second sub-segment information.

[0176] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the function of the base station in the method embodiment shown in FIG8: the transceiver unit 1420 is used to send configuration information of the numbering method to the terminal; or to send update information of the numbering method to the terminal according to the numbering method update request; the processing unit 1410 is used to determine the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in at least one data unit.

[0177] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG8: the transceiver unit 1420 is used to receive configuration information of the numbering method; the processing unit 1410 is used to switch from the current numbering method to the numbering method indicated in the configuration information. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 1420 is used to send a numbering method update request to the base station and receive update information of the numbering method; the processing unit 1410 is used to switch from the current numbering method to the numbering method indicated in the update information.

[0178] A more detailed description of the processing unit 1410 and the transceiver unit 1420 can be understood by referring to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 13.

[0179] As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1500 includes a processor 1510 and an interface circuit 1520. The processor 1510 and the interface circuit 1520 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1520 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1500 may also include a memory 1530 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1510, or storing input data required by the processor 1510 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1510 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 1520 can also be understood as part of the processor 1510, in which case the communication device 1500 includes the processor 1510.

[0180] When the communication device 1500 is used to implement the methods shown in Figures 3, 4, 8, 11 and 12, the processor 1510 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1410, and the interface circuit 1520 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1420.

[0181] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from the base station, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. The terminal chip sends information to the base station, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0182] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station chip by these modules. The base station chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0183] In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly to B or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information transmission and reception can be information interaction between RAN nodes and terminals, such as information interaction between a base station and a terminal; information transmission and reception can also be information interaction between two RAN nodes, such as information interaction between a CU and a DU; information transmission and reception can also be information interaction between different modules within a device, such as information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or information interaction between a base station chip and other modules in the base station, for example, interaction between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0184] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0185] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit, or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0186] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, optical discs, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the base station or terminal.

[0187] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0188] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0189] In this application, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects.

[0190] In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (hereinafter referred to as instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0191] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a Media Access Control (MAC) entity, and the method includes: Receive at least one data unit from the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity; Determine the sequence number corresponding to each data unit in the at least one data unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one data unit includes a first data unit and a second data unit, wherein the first data unit and the second data unit have different serial numbers.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the first segment information and the second segment information of the first data unit, wherein the first segment information and the second segment information correspond to different segments in the first data unit.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the third and fourth segment information of the second data unit to be retransmitted; Send the segment corresponding to the third segment information and the segment corresponding to the fourth segment information.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the first sub-segment information and the second sub-segment information of the first segment to be retransmitted, wherein the first segment is the segment corresponding to the first segment information; Send the sub-segment corresponding to the first sub-segment information and the sub-segment corresponding to the second sub-segment information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: A status report is received, wherein a first sequence number in the status report is used to indicate the first data unit or the second data unit.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that, The first data unit corresponds to the first logical channel, and the second data unit corresponds to the second logical channel. The first logical channel and the second logical channel are different.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first logical channel and the second logical channel belong to one of a plurality of logical channel groups.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first logical channel and the second logical channel have the same priority.

10. The method according to any one of claims 2-9, characterized in that, The first data unit corresponds to a first sub-header, and the first sub-header includes at least one of the following: The sequence number of the first data unit; The first indication information is used to indicate the segmentation information of the first data unit, and the segmentation information includes the position of the unsegmented or segmented data unit within the first data unit.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a unit for performing the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 through logic circuits or executing code instructions.

13. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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